As winter DRAGS on, we all look to spring and hope it arrives quickly. As SDCB members, we look forward to spring as the time we hold our spring meeting. This year's meeting will be held in Pierre on April 21 and 22. We hope to present many interesting seminars with informed speakers. We will also be electing new officers and discussing future projects. More information will be sent as we finalize the plans. Please plan on attending.

We held an RDTN meeting on Jan. 31. It was great to have it well-attended. A change has been made to the nominating committee so compliance to our by-laws could be met. Terry Enright will replace Diane Agnitch on the committee. Diane was on the committee last year and cannot serve consecutive years. If you have a desire to be an officer, please contact Diane Agnitch at (605) 626-2580; Peggy Devitt at (605) 743-5412; Jane Guericke at (605) 249-2282.

Jennie Claus is compiling a list of manufacturers and distributors of materials for the blind to be used as a resource for our group. Take some time to pass on some catalogs, addresses, or telephone numbers that you think would be helpful to our members. She hopes to have the list completed by our spring meeting.

See you in Pierre, and until, than take care.

Judy Jacobs, President SDCB.

If you are done with your first semester Braille textbooks, please return them to the Library.

Speaking of braille textbooks for the 97/98 school year, start collecting your material and getting them to me. Then its not a last minute rush on your part and mine.

Also, if a book is already braille and two students need the same book, the first one who asks for it will receive it. The next student will have to wait until it can be brailled again.

If you have any questions on this subject, please contact me at the Braille and Talking Book Library. Phone: 1-800-423-6665 and ask for Connie Sullivan.

"The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said."

- Peter F. Drucker

The following statement was sent to me through a braille listserv. I would like to share it with all of you.

In several recent messages the teaching of braille reading to preschoolers has been discussed. I assume that your term "braille reading" refers to formal reading instruction that usually starts in Kindergarten or later. While I do not know of any programs for teaching formal braille reading to preschoolers nor any research on this topic, I would like to offer a few thoughts. All children, blind or sighted, progress through a tremendous amount of learning from birth to school age. Given an adequate environment, they learn from all their experiences every day: trying out language, interactions with people and with environment, experimenting in play, informal and functional experiences with braille, and so forth.

These are the experiences that help children toward literacy (getting meaning from symbols in either print or braille). For all children, this is a cumulative and spiralling process and must not be minimized or skipped.

Children must have time to assimilate their experiences so that true learning occurs as opposed to verbalizations or echoing what has been said to them. This process is appropriately called "emergent literacy" because it leads into and supports the development of lifelong literacy. For all children, this process is important. But, for potential braille readers, it is critical because of their need to base learning on hands-on experiences.

So the way to "teach" reading to preschoolers is to provide a full program of life experiences during all of their preschool years. This will give them the best chance possible to succeed when they start formal reading when they are in school. One last comment: Over the years, programs have appeared to teach sighted preschoolers to read (check your public library). These programs focused on what and how to "teach" beginning reading to babies and preschoolers rather than on how to help children "learn" to read. The programs may have been more beneficial to the authors and publishers than to the children.

New Orleans is a wonderful place to visit. Attend a convention of blind children, parents, and adults; and have your expenses paid. Want to learn more about this exciting opportunity? Read on.

The week of July 4, 1997 (June 28 thru July 5) can find you participating in the largest gathering of blind persons in the world. Seminars relating to the education of blind students', parents meetings, and sessions for teachers begin on Sunday, June 29. NFB Camp is held simultaneously, allowing attendees to focus on Seminar events.

During the following days, one will meet leaders of the National Federation of the Blind, individuals who utilize the skills of blindness, visit the exhibit hall where there are innumerable technological devices to peruse, visit with persons of experience in your particular area of interest and, of course, walk in the French Quarter, drink "cafe au lait" and eat beignets. It is a most exciting event.

So, how does one "cash in on" such an opportunity? Submit a one page typed, double-spaced essay on how you feel the week long National Federation of the Blind Convention can benefit you and the blind South Dakota students with whom you work. The essay deadline is receipt in the NFB of South Dakota office by April 1, 1997. The person selected to attend the all-expense paid trip to the NFB Convention will be notified by April 20. Sponsorship includes: airfare, hotel accommodations based on two persons per room, banquet ticket and $200 meal plus incidental allowance.

Do you have questions about this great event? Call Connie Sullivan, John Noble, Dan Boyd or Grady Kickul about the "happenings" at the NFB Convention. You are, of course, encouraged to call our office also for more information. (1-800-558-8418 outside Rapid City)

We look forward to hearing from you.

The Peer Support Conference is to be held at the Ramkota in Pierre beginning at 1:00 pm on June 10th and ending June 11th by noon. The guest speaker will by Cynthia Stuen, the director of the Lighthouse National Center for Vision and Aging and Vice President for Education and Training at the Lighthouse Inc. The registration fee will be $5.00. If interested, you can contact me at 773-4644.

Gerad had a very busy summer. He continues to remain very active in 4-H, received two 2nd places and almost Grand Champion Market Steer at the fair. He also attended summer school for reading, but I belive his attention was elsewhere, maybe lying in the grass soaking up the sun and dreaming of better things to do. He has a full schedule for the 8th grade. Gerad tells me that the days go by very fast. His favorite subject is Science. He continues to work very hard on his braille and computer skills.

"If you want children to listen, talk softly to someone else."

- Murphy's Law

October meeting: The High-5 Club met on October 19, 1996, at the Meyer's farm near Montrose, SD, for a hayride and cookout. A neighbor took us for a hayride pulled by real Belgian horses. After a little mixup about which way the wagon should be going, we took off for a wonderful ride through the countryside. Lots of visiting and chewing on or tossing hay took place. Afterwards we grilled hotdogs and shared more treats than we could eat. The High-5s are growing - we're up to 20 members!

December meeting: The High-5 Club met for their annual Christmas party on December 7, 1996, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Sioux Falls. Not many showed up, but those who could make it had a great time. We decorated Christmas cookies - tasting as we went, played goal ball and tag, ate pizza, had a gift exchange, and played charades.

For Feburary 1997 we will be having a Valentine swimming party at the Woodlake Health Club in Sioux Falls on Saturday the 15th, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. More information on how it turns out will be in the next newsletter.

In the last newsletter, it was printed that the club was formed by Jennie Claus.

The statement should have read "A Blind Club was started by 8 visually impaired students, Marge Roberston, and Jennie Claus."

I apologize for any misunderstanding this may have caused. Connie Sullivan, Newsletter Editor.

"Other things may change us, but we start and end with family."

- Anthony Brandt

IBM, in conjunction with Gifts in Kind International, has launched a comprehensive, national, used technology donation program. Through the program, IBM will donate over 5,000 usable computer systems to more than 1,000 qualified nonprofit organizations that provide adult education, training, and computer literacy, as well as services and support of the disabled. Gifts in Kind International, the leading U.S. charity in the field of in-kind corporate donations, will administer the program.

The computers will be refurbished and distributed over the next 12 months. According to Gifts in Kind, IBM's donation represents the largest ever commitment of high quality, usable computers for charitable purposes.

For more information, please contact Gifts in Kind International via e-mail at ProductDonations@GiftsInKind.org

or by phone at (703)836-2121.

"Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them."

- Lady Bird Johnson

Preparation time :35 min. Cooking Time :10 min

Low Cholesterol

4 - 6 or 8 inch corn tortillas

3/4 pound lean ground beef or turkey

1 med. onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 8 ounce can tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

4 cups shredded lettuce

1/2 cup chopped green or sweet red pepper

1/4 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

Nutrition information per serving: 278 calories, 23 g protein, 24 g carbohydrate, 11 g fat,

67 mg cholesterol, 440 mg sodium, 611 mg potassium.

To make tortilla bowls:

Wrap tortillas in foil. Warm in a 350 oven for 10 minutes.

Spray four 10 ounce custard cups with nonstick spray coating. Carefully press 1 tortilla into each cup. (Using a warm tortilla makes it easier to press it into the cup without tearing it.) Adjust the tortilla to fit by fluting the edges as necessary. Bake in a 350 oven for 15 minutes or till crisp. Cool. Remove from custard cups.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook meat, onion, and garlic until meat is no longer pink and onion is tender. Drain fat. Stir in tomato sauce, vinegar, cumin, and red pepper. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Divide lettuce among 4 serving plates. Place a tortilla on each plate. Spoon beef mixture into tortillas. Sprinkle with green or sweet red pepper and cheese. Serve with cherry tomato halves. Makes 4 servings.

If all else fails, go to your nearest TACO JOHNS OR TACO BELL.

Orientation and Mobility Specialist COMS/TS

Phone: (605) 394-1813

Fax: (605) 394-6766

HI MARKS - fluorescent orange paste applied with a tube to create raised lines. LS&S Group, PO Box 673, Northbrook 60065

Phone: (800) 468-4789

Fax: (708) 498-1482

RAISED LINE WRITING INK - fast drying material used to draw raised lines and letters.

Sense-Sations, Associated Services for the Blind, 919 Walnut Street, Philadelphia

PA 19107

Phone (215)627-3304

Fax: (215) 922-0692

CHANG TACTUAL DIAGRAM KIT - portable kit for creating tactile maps and displays. Consists of a folding baseboard covered with Velcro, two stick figures, several angle segments, and an assortment of flat geometric forms made of fiberboard that adhere to the baseboard. APH, PO Box 6085, 1839 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, KY 40206.

Phone 800-223-1839

Fax: (502) 895-1509.

SWALL DOT INVERTER - contains a stylus with a retractable barrel and a rubber drawing pad. Tactile Images can be created on regular paper, but works best on Thermoform paper. American Printing House for the Blind (address above).

SWELL-FORM GRAPHICS MACHINE & SWELL TOUCH PAPER - duplicate drawings and maps on the copying machine and then pass it through the heat machine. All the black areas puff up or swell. American Thermoform Corporation, 2311 Travers Avenue, City of Commerce, CA 90040.

Phone: (800) 331-3676

BRAILLE LABEL ON PLASTIC SHEETS - can be placed in the Perkins Brailler and written on the same as a piece of paper. Backing peels off like contact paper and can be cut to the size that you need. American Thermoform Corporation (address above)

No cost for little items that can be used to create tactile sensations:

1. Use real three dimensional objects whenever possible. An owl is not an owl until the child feels the owl.

2. Rice, sand, playdough, yarn, material scraps, finger paint with texture added, seeds, leaves, bark, stickers, pipe cleaners, beans, buttons, tin foil, and tissue paper can all be used to work on concept development on a two dimensional page or tray situation.

3. T-shirt paint, sticky-wix (from Lakeshore Catalog), glue, glitter paint, two dimensional shapes.

4. Messy play such as a tub full of goop, water play, shredded paper, ball bath, bird seed, and so on are good for tactile input for learners who are visually impaired.

In my next life, I shall return to the world as a dot six so that I may capitalize on everything!

Mention of a product or service in this newsletter does not constitute endorsement by this library. The intention is to increase an awarness of programs and items which may be helpful to you and your students.