CONGRATULATIONS!!
A handful of our Blind Middle School students are currently attending the Florida State Junior Thespians Festival in Orlando, Florida. The festival is attended by thousands of students from across the state of Florida. Thespians compete in a number of events, including Musical, Acting, Improv, and Tech.
FSDB had four students compete in acting, specifically Duet Acting. Here are the results:
JJ and Amari - Abbott and Costello - Excellent!
Arabella and Whyatt - The Address Label - SUPERIOR!

Arabella and Whyatt have earned the right to compete at the International Thespian Festival in June, 2026!

Congratulations to all our thespians!
4 months ago, Blind Elementary/Middle School
In the van on the way to the convention center
In a workshop, the students are making a shape with their bodies
Arabella and Whyatt in front of the sign to their competition room. they are wearing their Superior buttons
JJ and Amari in front of the sign to their competition room. They are wearing their Excellent buttons
Arabella and Raelyn with one of the workshop leaders. He plays Olaf at Disney.
Arabella and Raelyn in the convention center
Troupe 11048 with another troupe during a workshop
It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of one of our beloved students, Sophia Fink, a 9th‑grader in the Blind Department.

At the request of her parents, we are sharing her obituary and funeral information with our FSDB community. Sophia’s family expressed how much she loved being a student at FSDB and how she had many friendships with both students and staff.

Sophia’s joyful, bright spirit and the impact she had on those around her will live on in the hearts of all who knew her.

Visit Sophia's memorial page to share a memory or send condolences to the family as well as read her beautiful obituary.

https://www.stjohnsfamilyfuneralhome.com/obituaries/sophia-fink/#!/TributeWall
4 months ago, FSDB
7th grade photo of Sophia. She has wavy brunette hair that is shoulder length and smiling at the camera. She is wearing a grey t-shirt and standing in front of a blue background.

Hello FSDB Families and Students,

Another reminder that this weekend is a very long weekend as FSDB will host the Clerc Classic Basketball Tournament and Cheerleading Competition. All students will go home tomorrow, Wednesday, January 14, at 2:05 p.m. (Friday Schedule). Students will not have classes on Thursday, January 15th and Friday, January 16th. School will also be closed on Monday, January 19, for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

(NOTE: The Clerc Classic is a sold-out event and you must have already purchased a ticket in order to attend the tournament.)

IMPORTANT DATES

  • Wednesday, January 14, at 2:05 p.m. – All students will go home. (Friday Schedule)

  • Thursday, January 15 – No Classes

  • Friday, January 16 – No Classes

  • Monday, January 19 – No Classes, but SHOW Bus students will be picked up at their regular time.

  • Tuesday, January 20 – Classes Resume

We hope you enjoy the extra time with your child!

4 months ago, FSDB
Long Weekend Graphic for January 14
The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) announces public meetings open to all members of the public. 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. Only the Regular Board meeting will be livestreamed at https://www.fsdbk12.org/page/board-of-trustees-livestream

📅 Date
Friday, January 23, 2026

⏰ Time
8:30 a.m. – Enrollment and Outreach Committee Meeting (215)
9:15 a.m. – Regular Board Meeting (CLD)

📍 Location
Moore Hall, CLD Meeting Room and 215
4 months ago, FSDB
Board of Trustees Meeting, Friday, January 23, 2026

Hello FSDB Families and Students,

Next weekend is a very long weekend as FSDB will host the Clerc Classic Basketball Tournament and Cheerleading Competition. All students will go home on Wednesday, January 14, at 2:05 p.m. (Friday schedule). Students will not have classes on Thursday, January 15th and Friday, January 16th. School will also be closed on Monday, January 19, for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

(NOTE: The Clerc Classic is a sold-out event and you must have already purchased a ticket in order to attend the tournament.)

IMPORTANT DATES

  • Wednesday, January 14, at 2:05 p.m. – All students will go home. (Friday Schedule)

  • Thursday, January 15 – No Classes

  • Friday, January 16 – No Classes

  • Monday, January 19 – No Classes, but SHOW Bus students will be picked up at their regular time.

  • Tuesday, January 20 – Classes Resume

4 months ago, FSDB
Reminder Next Weekend – 2026-01-09

Hey Families, we hear you! Holiday fatigue is real!
The Parent Engagement Workshop scheduled for this Friday has been canceled.
Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered! The presentation will be offered during our final PEW on May 1st.
In the meantime, remember to visit the Parent Services website to learn about other engaging opportunities!
Thank you for understanding, and we look forward to seeing you then!

5 months ago, FSDB
January Parent Engagement Workshop Canceled Graphic.
Hello FSDB Families! FSDB Parent Engagement Workshop: Count on Safety: Parental Controls & Math, Simple. This Workshop will be on Friday, January 9, 2026, at 9:30 A.M., and all FSDB Families are invited!

Topics at this event:
• Tech Talk:
“Parental Controls Made Simple: Keeping Kids Safe Online”
• Safe Connections:
“Preventing Bullying and Building Respect”
• Math Matters:
“Making Numbers Work for Your Child’s Success”
• President Pop-In:
FSDB President Tracie Snow will POP-In and lead an interactive game.
RSVP at the following link:
https://bit.ly/PEW-JAN-09-2026

Please remember to RSVP to ensure we have sufficient supplies, lunch!
Travel Reimbursement is available for this event.
5 months ago, FSDB
Graphic with school supplies clip art scattered all over with text that says "Count on Safety, Parental Controls & Math Simple, January 9, 2026 @ 9:30am at Moore Hall CLD

The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) announces public meetings open to all members of the public. 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. Only the Regular Board meeting will be livestreamed at https://www.fsdbk12.org/page/board-of-trustees-livestream

📅 Date
Friday, December 12, 2025

⏰ Time
10:30 a.m. – Endowment Committee Meeting (215)
11:15 a.m. – Regular Board Meeting (CLD)

📍 Location
Moore Hall, CLD Meeting Room and 215

6 months ago, FSDB
BOT Meeting, Friday, December 12, 2025 Thumbnail

The new Mentors and Models Program is designed to support children and youth who are blind or visually impaired by engaging with adults as role models. The Models for our group represent a variety of people with visual impairments who share strategies and suggestions from their own lives to support your successful progression into the world we all live in.

Click the link below to register and participate in casual informational panel discussions from a variety of FSDB Mentors and Models who will share information, resources, and details about their lives as persons who are Blind or Visually Impaired.

https://www.fsdbk12.org/page/mentors-and-models

6 months ago, FSDB
Mentors & Models - Blind/Visually Impaired Thumbnail
While the weather outside was chilly, Manny enjoyed the comfort of a warm indoor Orientation & Mobility lesson. This week’s focus was on interpreting tactile maps—a skill that helps build confidence in navigating the community. Together, we explored the differences between parallel and perpendicular streets, practiced identifying corners, and labeled cardinal directions.

Manny especially enjoyed marking familiar landmarks from the block where he often practices his neighborhood travel skills. Connecting the tactile map to places he knows made the lesson both meaningful and fun, reinforcing the strategies he can use in real-world travel.
6 months ago, FSDB
Manny is smiling for a photo with his tactile map inside the office.
Manny looks down and works on his tactile map inside the office.
Over the past week, students have taken part in evening cooking lessons that went far beyond simply preparing food. Each session gave them the chance to design a menu, create a budget, organize a cooking plan, prepare the meal, serve it, and handle cleanup afterward.

During her lesson, Maddie discovered just how important organization is in the kitchen. She quickly realized that cooking requires far more planning than she had expected. One of her proudest moments was overcoming her fear of using the oven and stove. With guidance on safety techniques, she grew more confident and even enjoyed experimenting with different types of oven mitts—longer ones for the oven and glove-style mitts for the stove. Learning that oven mitts are heat-resistant was a revelation for her, and it gave her the courage to handle hot cookware safely.

Each class ended with a full meal, complete with a main course, side dish, dessert, and drink. The students loved that they could enjoy a delicious dinner after practicing new skills. Billy and Aubrey prepared Hamburger Helper with Texas Toast, Fruit Punch Kool-Aid, and Chocolate Chip Cookies. Maddie’s menu featured spaghetti with meat sauce, breadsticks, lemonade, and a rich chocolate cake topped with chocolate icing.

For Maddie, the highlight wasn’t just mastering her cooking—it was being able to share her leftovers with her sister and mom, turning her lesson into a family moment.
6 months ago, FSDB
Billy putting the cookies he baked into a container.
Billy and Aubrey helping each other putting hamburger helper food into bowls.
Aubrey is cooking hamburger helper meal in the kitchen.
Aubrey opening up the oven to check on the Cookes.
Aubrey scooping up the hamburger helper meal into the bowls.
Maddie washed her dishes and put them away after.
Maddie smiling as she eats the meal that she had made.
Maddie wearing gloves and stirring the food in the pot in the kitchen.

Hello, FSDB Families!!! Our next Parent Engagement Workshop, "Growing Together," is next Friday. Don't miss out on this excellent opportunity to engage with other families and FSDB staff members.

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

7 months ago, FSDB
FSDB Parent Engagement Workshop Growing Together Graphic.
This morning, the Blind Department held its annual Blind Awareness and Homecoming parade.

Usually, we have a separate parade to celebrate Blind Awareness Month; however, we decided to combine the two events this year due to the weather.

The Deaf Department and other groups all came out to support the Blind Department during their parade this morning.

To view the rest of the photos from the event, click the link shared below:
https://fsdb.zenfolio.com/p1001397920

#ThisIsFSDB
7 months ago, FSDB
A student is dressed like a clown riding a small bike through the streets of FSDB.
Students hold a big blue sign that says "Class of 2027, Juniors" walk through the streets of FSDB.
The cobra mascot pose for a photo in the middle of the street of FSDB.
Three students hold a sign around their neck as they walk down the streets of FSDB.
A student is waving a blue pom pom walking down the streets of FSDB for the parade.
A staff member is wearing black and purple clothing smiling as she walks through the streets of FSDB.
A student is holding a shield sign that says "2029" walking through the parade.
On Thursday, October 23, BMS World History students took a brisk field trip to the D&B Garden Center to extend their knowledge of agriculture through a concrete experience with gardening! Students previously studied the First Agricultural Revolution in class and how it led to the rise of permanent settlement, specialization, and civilization. At the Garden Center, after a brief review of agricultural origins, students were exposed to clearing land and planting crops. Students held uncooked Pigeon Peas, felt weeds and soil, and worked with strawberry plants to understand that food does not simply “appear” on dining tables. Students enjoyed interacting with one another and with Garden Center students and staff outside and exploring a different aspect of the FSDB campus. In addition to reviewing social studies content, students practiced Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) skills of orientation and mobility, compensatory access, social interaction, independent living, career education, sensory efficiency, and self-determination.
7 months ago, Laurie Wohl
Mr. Ferguson and his class pose with Mr. Podlisney at the Garden Center around some plants.
Students listen to Garden Center staff discuss plants
Lucas touches a plant
Maely touching some grassy plants
Manny feeling the grassy plants
Mariah feels the plants while listening to Mr. Podlisney

Penelope, a Blind Elementary School student at FSDB, and her mother were recently featured in an exclusive story in People Magazine!

You can read the original article, titled "Mom Creates Adaptive Pajama Line to Help Blind Daughter," written by Brittany Talarico, by clicking the link below:

https://people.com/mom-creates-adaptive-pajama-line-to-help-blind-daughter-exclusive-11827999

Photo credit: Renelita Montesano

7 months ago, FSDB
Mackenzie and Penelope wearing Pixies pajamas, sitting together holding their canes. Photo credit: Renelita Montesano.

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. The Regular Board meeting will be livestreamed at https://www.fsdbk12.org/page/board-of-trustees-livestream

Date: Friday, October 31, 2025
Time: 9:00 a.m. – Regular Board Meeting
Location: Moore Hall, CLD Meeting Room

7 months ago, FSDB
Board of Trustees Meeting, Friday, October 31, 2025

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.

Click here to complete the questionnaire.

7 months ago, FSDB
We’re planning parent events…..and we want to hear from you! The Parent Services Department offer educational workshops and classes through Parent University. Please take a quick moment to complete the questionnaire and share your ideas.

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

7 months ago, FSDB
FSDB Parent Engagement Workshop Growing Together Graphic.
An elementary student at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) has been selected for the prestigious Florida Elementary All-State Chorus for the first time in the school's history. McKenzie Bartholomew successfully auditioned in September for this distinguished honor, and she will perform at the Florida Music Education Association (FMEA) Professional Learning Conference in Tampa in January.

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
7 months ago, Blind Elementary/Middle School
McKenzie sits on the wall in front of the FSDB entrance sign. She is wearing a blue skirt, pink top, pink glasses, pink bow, pink sneakers and white and pink socks.
McKenzie stands on the field of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. She is wearing a blue dress with red and white stripes and stars, red glasses and her hair is double french braided. She holds a microphone while singing.
McKenzie stands holding a microphone while singing. She is wearing a blue dress with red and white stars and stripes, red, white and blue beaded bracelets, red glasses, blue bows in her hair and her long hair is in a bubble ponytail with red highlights mixed in draped over her shoulder.

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!

8 months ago, FSDB
Long weekend graphic. All students leave Friday, October 10 at 2:05 PM. SHOW Bus Students return on Monday, October 13. Classes Resume on Tuesday, October 14.