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
To qualify, each student completed a rigorous fitness circuit including a one-mile run, wall sits, high planks, push-ups, squats, Russian twists, and dips—each exercise earning them points toward their trip eligibility. With 20 students in the running, the competition is fierce, but their commitment is even stronger. They've been impressively organized, staying on top of paperwork and deadlines with maturity and drive.
Next milestone: October 17th. Each student must submit their initial application, two recommendation letters, and complete their interview. We’re proud of their effort and can’t wait to see who makes the cut. Good luck to all—keep pushing forward!
[Photo description: Three girls running on the track.]
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!
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
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
Today, during Fang Time, BHS students were treated to a guest speaker. Mr. Trent Ferguson, BHS Alumnus ‘17 and graduate of the University of South Florida, spoke with students about advocacy and opportunities. Trent began by talking about his time here on campus, with his first memory being joining N’Vision (predecessor to Reflections Show Choir), where he honed his drumming skills.
Mr. Ferguson went on to talk about his experiences through FSDB and in college and how he used self-advocacy to get to where he is today. He spoke of how his first experiences included recording podcasts for his first job in Mr. Cosgrove’s office during lunchtime. He encouraged the students to keep pushing, finding their own way around the brick walls that they may find themselves hitting, and to never give up.
Trent told the students, “You have everything here (at FSDB) in your toolbox to be successful." He concluded by taking questions from the students.
It was a fun and creative way to help students visualize how our planet is built from the inside out!
In a lesson about timelines, students defined terms that we use to measure the passage of time: BCE, BC, CE, AD, circa, era, and more. Then, they worked together to place pieces of a shuffled-up timeline in the correct order.
With clear communication and clever cooperation, plus literacy and mobility skills, they organized 10,020 years of history in the Bryant hallway.
Sculpture students in Blind High School kicked off the new school year with a Paper Tower Challenge. They were given fifteen sheets of paper, a roll of painter’s tape, and fifteen minutes to create the tallest structure with the most negative space. It was a great way to get to know each other.
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
