FSDB Families...We're Planning Parent Events...And We Want To Hear From You!
The Parent Services Department is committed to offering quality educational classes for our FSDB families. Please take a quick moment to share your ideas and requests for upcoming trainings and workshops.
FSDB Parent Engagement Workshop presents "Growing Together"
Date: November 7, 2025
Time: 9 AM – 2 PM
Location: Moore Hall, CLD
Topics:
Planting Success at Home: Presentation by the Florida Diagnostic & Learning Resources System. Grow your toolkit to help your children thrive in routines, communication, academics, and positive behaviors.
Cultivate Conversations: Tools for talking & skills for growing in active listening, conflict de-escalation, and supporting emotional growth.
Rooted in Reading with FSDB Literacy Specialists
President Pop-In!: FSDB President Tracie Snow will POP-In and lead an interactive activity.
Please remember to RSVP to ensure we have sufficient supplies and lunch! Travel Reimbursement is available for this event.
Click here to RSVP
This is an incredible achievement for McKenzie and a landmark moment for FSDB's music program. Here are the details:
~The FMEA conference: McKenzie will join approximately 200 other top elementary students from across the state. She will rehearse and perform under the direction of a guest conductor as part of the conference, which is attended by more than 10,000 music educators, students, and professionals.
~A rigorous process: Students selected for this highly competitive ensemble endure a multi-tiered audition process that evaluates their musicianship and vocal quality.
~Past performances: This is not McKenzie's first time wowing an audience. She recently represented FSDB by singing the national anthem at a Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp baseball game. She has also performed at Jacksonville Sharks arena football and Icemen hockey games, and is scheduled to perform for the Icemen again in March.
This historic selection is a testament to McKenzie's talent, dedication, and hard work, as well as the strong support of FSDB's music program. It highlights the school's commitment to providing students with opportunities to showcase their abilities and excel in the performing arts.
Join us in congratulating McKenzie on this remarkable achievement! We can't wait to see her shine on the all-state stage in Tampa
Hello FSDB Families and Students, We wanted to send a reminder that this weekend will be a "Long Weekend." All students will go home today, Friday, October 10, at 2:05 p.m. SHOW Bus students will be picked up on Monday, October 13, at their normal pick-up time. Classes will resume on Tuesday, October 14. We hope you have a wonderful long weekend!
FSDB Interactive Learning Series presents: Cookies for Family & Friends. Join us on Saturday, November 15, from 10 am to 12 pm, where students will learn cooking techniques, explore service project ideas, practice social and compensatory skills, and bake cookies to share with loved ones.
This class is available for BVI, DHH, and DSI students ages 6-17 living in Florida. Parent supervision is expected, and siblings are encouraged to join.
Click here to register.
To learn more, visit our ECC Interactive Learning Series page or contact Jennifer Valderrama, 904-827-2454, valderramaj@fsdbk12.org
Celebrate Independence at the White Cane Day Parade
FSDB students, staff, and families are invited to join us for the Annual White Cane Day Parade on October 10th at 9:30 AM at the Usina Athletic Field track. This heartwarming celebration honors student empowerment and independence. Come witness the pride and determination of each student as they walk with confidence, celebrating their journeys and achievements.
We are excited to share a preview of some powerful and creative posters designed by our students. Each poster vibrantly reflects their unique voices and the spirit of independence.
Let’s come together to cheer them on and celebrate the strength, resilience, and pride that make this day unforgettable. #WhiteCaneDay #BlindnessAwarenessMonth
Click the link to read the full story and see more photos. https://www.fsdbk12.org/article/2461908
The art cart is overflowing with canvases! Boxes of sculptures are packed and ready to go!
October is National Sensory Processing Awareness Month. FSDB is partnering with the St. Augustine Art Association and the Florida DeafBlind Association again this year to host the Tactile Art Show at the STAAA gallery.
We are excited that many of our BHS art students will have an opportunity to showcase their work alongside the work of local artists.
We hope you will check out the show in person or online. We have so much to celebrate!
Exhibit Opens: October 3, 2025, during First Friday Art Walk from 5:00 pm-8:00 pm.
Gallery Hours: Tuesdays through Sundays, 12:00 pm-4:00 pm
Admission is free.
Here’s a link to the STAAA website for more information:
Tactile Art Show – St. Augustine Art Association
Image 1: The blue art cart is stacked with canvases. A blue canvas with a tactile octopus sits atop the cart. A canvas with a yellow sun and sky of blue squares peeks out from behind.
Image 2: A red, white, and black plaster cloth sculpture of an arm is tucked in a brown box with a black and white "mystery creature" sculpture.
“Walking in the footsteps of Louis Braille and other founding figures in the field of visual impairment was sensational, and continuing their work with students today is a great privilege,” Mr. Ferguson said. Mr. Ferguson has enjoyed sharing meaningful conversations about the importance of braille and ECC areas with students while enjoying assorted French cookies and chocolates, tactile graphics, and braille which he brought back as concrete experiences for students. As a former student of FSDB, Mr. Ferguson hopes that his travel experiences will inspire students to Do More, Be More, and Achieve More by pursuing their passions and overcoming obstacles.
#ThisIsFSDB
Last weekend, the Goalball Teams attended the Savannah Youth Goalball Tournament in Savannah, Georgia! Here are the results!
👦 Boys Team – 3rd Place Finish!
Our boys brought home a third place trophy, and for many of our players, it was their first-ever tournament experience. The event proved to be a valuable learning opportunity, allowing us to:
~Evaluate our skills against a variety of teams,
~Give our newer players real game-time experience,
~Strengthen our strategy and teamwork,
~And build momentum as we prepare for Youth Nationals in two months.
Beyond the competition, the weekend was a chance to bond as a team, and we returned home more motivated than ever to train, improve, and push ourselves to the next level.
👧 Girls Team – Narrow 4th Place Finish!
Our girls team showed incredible grit and skill, finishing 4th place by just 1 point! Over the course of 6 games, they:
~Mercied 3 teams, showing dominant offensive play,
~Lost all remaining games by only 1 point, demonstrating tight competition,
~Held opponents to no more than 3–4 goals per game, showcasing elite defensive strength,
~Achieved a defensive success rate of 96.48%—a phenomenal stat!
Shoutout to our fierce competitors! Your teamwork and resilience were truly inspiring!
Click the following link to register: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/k8fz32c
Each Show Choir member received a personal bell to keep and participated with the rest of the attendees ringing their bells along with the city church bells at 4:03. The Show Choir, dressed in red, white, and blue uniforms, performed the Star-Spangled Banner to open the ceremony, entertained with Homeward Bound and A Million Dreams in the middle, and closed the ceremony with God Bless America.
With the help of the directors Laurie Wohl, Leslie Costello, and Brigit Jensen, every member has practiced how they would perform for this event and will continue to practice for upcoming events. They were excellent ambassadors. We can't wait to see where they go next!
Learning Local History by Doing
On Saturday, September 6, BMS students attended the annual Founder’s Day Celebration at the Mission Nombre de Dios and Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park to commemorate the 460th anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine. The day began with a re-enactment of the landing of Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, accompanied by canon and musket salutes. The Spanish landing was followed by a solemn Mass at the Rustic Altar (the real First Thanksgiving) and a Grand Procession to the Fountain of Youth. Students experienced a First Thanksgiving Meal re-enactment, a re-created encampment and Timucuan village, living history demonstrations, and a delicious birthday cake for St. Augustine! In addition to earning extra credit points on their first social studies tests, students learned local history through a concrete experience while practicing Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) skills of orientation and mobility, sensory efficiency, compensatory access, social interaction, recreation and leisure, independent living, and career education. A delightful time was had by all!
Derek Ferguson, BMS Social Studies Teacher
Wednesday, October 15, 2025 @ 9 AM – 12:30 PM
Please join us for an opportunity to learn about FSDB programs, watch a variety of performances from FSDB music groups and Q&A with staff and students. Special guests include FSDB President, Tracie Snow and D&B Designs with unique gifts and apparel. If you are unable to attend, the event will be livestreamed.
Click the following link to register: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/k8fz32c
🥁 Blind Cadence Drumline is off to a banging start! 🥁
Our talented students have already mastered their first full cadence — Donna Reed — and are now diving into their second, Bart! 🎶
Even though most of the crew is new this year, they’re already locking in the beat like pros and creating some seriously impressive sounds on the marching drums. 💥
From first taps to full-on rhythm warriors, this group is marching to greatness — one cadence at a time! 👏
🎉 When passion meets percussion, the results are drum-tastic! 🥁💫
#BlindCadence #DrumlineMagic #MarchToTheBeat #StudentSuccess
The Cobra Chats Podcast is a student-curated podcast produced by Blind Middle School students at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind. Contributions are included from elementary and high school students across the K–12 Blind Department.
Each episode features engaging interviews, reports, and creative segments that highlight student voices, experiences, and learning. Through this dynamic platform, students build essential Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) skills—such as communication, self-advocacy, career education, and technology use—while strengthening literacy and confidence in real-world contexts.
Did you know? The latest episode of the Cobra Chats Podcast was posted over the summer. Please take a listen to our students showcasing their talents and interests in the various ECC fields.
Cobra Chats Episode 7
From left to right:
Big smiles on their faces as they take a group photo. Mr. Chris, Manny, Hadley, Kessler, Raelyn, Jesa, and Ms. Hillary standing in front a bulletin board with the Cobra Chats logo and QR code.
Members not available for the picture include Jayden, Jaliyah, and Arabella.
Aubrey, Egypt and Luke (along with the other students not pictured) used their ECC and music skills to make selections to their given questions.
Blind Elementary Students Excel in Summer Reading Challenge
This summer, Blind Elementary students in grades K–5 were invited to embark on a literary adventure through the Summer Reading Challenge 2025, hosted by Literacy Specialist April Wallace. Designed to make reading accessible and fun, the challenge encouraged students to explore stories through audiobooks, tactile books, Braille books, and read-alouds.
From June 6 to August 15, students completed at least eight reading activities from a diverse list that included listening to audiobooks, reading with family members, participating in read-alouds, and creating tactile or audio projects inspired by books. Each activity was designed to promote literacy, creativity, and connection—whether through describing a favorite part of a story or recommending a book to a friend.
Among the many enthusiastic participants, two students stood out: Teddy, a rising 3rd grader, and Ellie, a rising 2nd grader. These dedicated readers completed the challenge with heart and imagination, earning the title of Literacy Stars for their outstanding effort and love of reading.
Students documented their journey using a Summer Reading Log, noting book titles, formats used, and reflections on their favorite parts. The challenge not only celebrated literacy but also empowered students to engage with stories in ways that honored their unique learning styles.
Congratulations to Teddy, Ellie, and all the young readers who made this summer a season of storytelling and growth!
The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) announces public meetings to which all members of the public are invited to attend. Members of the public may address the board for up to three minutes per person. All public comments are limited to 45 minutes in total. Note: Only the 2:00 p.m. Regular Board meeting will be livestreamed at https://www.fsdbk12.org/page/board-of-trustees-livestream
Location: Moore Hall, CLD Meeting Room
Date: Friday, August 22, 2025
Times: 8:30 a.m. – Board of Trustees Workshop; 2:00 p.m. – Regular Board Meeting
