Graduates Have Bell Rung Sounding New Beginning

Volume 3, Issue 10

T E N N E S S E E S C H O O L F O R T H E B L I N D

The

June 1, 2015

Inside this issue:

and schools of thought. Eight of the 2015 graduates have plans to seek classrooms in institutions of higher learning. The remain-ing graduates will face education in the demanding classroom of life. These graduates will hear more bells. Some will Hear more classroom bells, some workplace bells, some wedding bells, some church bells and hopefully all will here many more jingle bells. However, today’s tower bell is the only unique bell that will identify them as being in a class all their own… the TSB Class of 2015. A class that with the assistance of the teachers and staff, has determined that nothing is too difficult to overcome in reaching this goal. Graduating today are: (cont. on pg.7)

PRINCIPAL 2

STAFF UPDATES 3

TSB ATHLETES 4

AWARDS DAY 4

OUTSTANDING 6

LIONS/TIGERS 6

JOHNNY ON SPOT 7

JAZZ COMBO 7

MAP ONE 8

MOTHER COUNTRY 8

FIELD DAY 9

RESIDENTIAL 9

STAFF RUN 10

ALUMNI GATHER 10

HALL OF FAME 11

SPRING POETRY 12

SPRING MUSIC 13

ART EXPLOSION 14

HOW DENSE 15

MUSICAL FAREWELL 15

STAFF SPOTLIGHT 16

HOLLYWOOD 18

SOLO RECITAL 19

FRIENDS SCORE 20

EVENTS 20

Not many schools in the world can promise you an education that will “ring your bell”. But when you make Tennessee School for the Blind your choice for education, your school bell will sound for you upon graduation. In the vicinity of Donelson, TN on the morning of Friday May 29th, you would have heard the ol’ tower bell ring fifteen times. As the 2015 TSB Commencement Exercises came to a close, the bell tolled once for each of the fifteen graduates. As the bell echoed back through the open doors of the school, each graduate rose to their feet. This, their final bell at the school, echoed the completion of many years of daily class bells. Those bells had signaled the beginning of another period of learning... time to focus their minds and energy on gain-ing the knowledge and skills to become con-tributing, participating members of society. This last bell, has also rung out proclaim- ing the beginning of a new life- learning period. This period will like- ly see these students scattered into many different classrooms

Roar of the Tiger

Page 2

to know the students and staff at TSB. However,

I have submitted my resignation from employ-

ment as principal of TSB. My last day as princi-

pal will be June 18, 2015. My family and I will be

moving back to Iowa.

Working with staff and the students has been

one of the most amazing experiences of my pro-

fessional career. Making the decision to move

back to Iowa was an extraordinarily difficult deci-

sion to make. This decision was based on the

needs of my family. In no way is this move re-

flective of my feelings about the future of TSB.

Mr. Oldham and Mr. Travis have been tre-

mendous in their support of my work.

As I leave TSB, I will have wonderful memories

and feel that I have an extended family. I have

felt truly loved and supported by everyone. My

hope is that TSB will continue to be a leading

school for students with visual impairments and

blindness. TSB will always have

a place in my heart.

Best wishes for a wonderful

summer!

Principal,

Susan Brennan

From the Principal’s Pen Hello TSB families, students, and staff – There

have been a number of great events over the

course of the past month that have allowed me

to spend more time with students and staff. Our

Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports

(PBIS) program has been running strong all

year. Students collect Tiger Tickets that they can

“spend” on special items or activities. Middle

school student

Andre Walker

saved his Tiger

Tickets in or-

der to be able

to be the morn-

ing announcer

and to have

lunch with me. I enjoyed my lunch with Andre

and he even got to have some of his favorite

foods.

Kevin Fink, another middle school student,

saved enough Tiger Tickets to be “Principal for

the Day.” In his role as

principal, Kevin was

able to select the lunch

menu for the day, use

the radio as needed,

and help introduce the

spring music program.

The PBIS program at

TSB has been very

positive!

I was honored to attend the Donelson-

Hermitage Chamber of Commerce’s Educa-

tion Day on May 20th. TSB’s first ever teach-

er of the year, Allison Conway, was honored as

well as TSB students of the year, Brooks Gard-

ner, Nathan Desmarais, and Gregory Harris.

It was really wonderful to see our students re-

ceive awards along with other students in the

Donelson-Hermitage area.

My year at TSB has been one full of learning

and a lot of laughter. I have truly enjoyed getting

Andre Walker and Dr. Brennen eat lunch.

Brooks Gardner, Gregory Harris, Allison Conway, and Na-

than Desmarais pose with Dr. Brennen. The Donelson-

Hermitage Chamber of Commerce’s Education Day Lunch-

eon was at the Opryland Hotel.

Corban Galaviz give Anne a

cupcake during “Assistant

Appreciation Day”.

Kayla Johnson Kayla Johnson is the new Ed-ucational Assistant in Mr. Baker’s classroom. Kayla heard about Tennessee School for the Blind from her grand-father who attended TSB in the 60's. Kayla has previously worked as a Special Education EA and a substitute teacher in Rutherford county. Kayla has a Bachelor of Science degree and also recently became a Registered Dental Assistant. She really enjoys working with kids and helping them learn. In her spare time Kayla enjoys being outside, watching mov-ies, and spending time with her sister, nieces and nephews. She is very excited about her new career at TSB! Roicio Duffle Rocio Duffle may be a new employee at TSB but she is very familiar to most students and staff. Rocio has been a companion through Williamson county schools working at TSB for 15 years. Rocio has worked with the same student for 15 years. Rocio started working with Fatima in 2000. During her time at TSB, Rocio served as a Girl Scout leader and even won an award for excellence. This was the same year that she became an American citizen too. Rocio hails from Guadalajara, Mexico. In her free time Ro-cio enjoys traveling with her husband and their dog Panchito. Rocio also enjoys spend-ing time with her friends and volunteering for her church. Adetoro Adewuyi Adetoro joins the TSB staff as a Youth Ser-

Page 3

vice Worker. Coming origi-nally from the nation of Nigeria, Adetoro Adewuyi has lived in the Nashville area for the last thirteen years. Adetoro is mar-ried and the mother of four chil-dren. Having attended Middle Tennessee State University, she recently completed her Bachelor Degree in Education, concentrating in the area of Community and Public Health . I have a positive attitude, am a good learner, good listener and good team player. I love meet-ing and helping people, going out, listening to music and exercising. Tamika Marshall You might say that Tamika Marshall is quite familiar with the Nashville community having live here for the last 41 years. A mother of three adult daugh-ters, Tamika is also grandmoth-er to four. “I am an easygoing, lover of life. I like to have fun, laugh and be silly, Laughter is a major part of life to me.” said Tamika In 1999 Tamika began working with the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools. During her time at Jere Baxter Mid-dle School she served as a General Office Clerk. She later went on into the classroom as an Educational Assistant for Metro in 2006. In 2006 Tamila took a job working in a private behavioral school and was there until 2009. She currently holds a job as a Site Supervisor for a group home of behavioral adults as well as her new position of Youth Service Worker. “ I abso-lutely love what I do” said Tamika, “and am thankful to TSB for giving me an opportunity to prove that.”

New Staff And Staff Updates

With the departure of Dr. Brennan this summer,

TSB will begin the search for a new principal.

“While I am deeply saddened by her (Dr. Bren-

nan) departure, I am committed to finding a

qualified and suitable replacement.” said Interim

Superintendent Nathan Travis. Information

Volume 3, Issue 10

Rocio Duffle

Kayla Johnson

Search for Principal Begins

Adetoro Adewuyi

Tamika Marshall

concerning the position will be made available

on the school’s website when it becomes availa-

ble. Interested parties can additionally contact

the school to find out about the application pro-

cess. Contact information can be found at

www.tsbtigers.org or by calling 615-231-7300

Page 4

Roar of the Tiger

On Thursday May 14th the TSB Athletic

Department held their annual Awards

Banquet and Program. The following hon-

ors were awarded:

Wrestling

Most Valuable Wrestler- Tim Jones

Most Imp. Wrestler- Alyssa Loggins

Horizon Award - Eh Gay / Miguel Jose

Cheerleading

Outstanding C-leader- Alyssa Loggins

Most Imp. C-leader- Brooks Gardner

Determination Award- Tim Tanner

Goalball

Leadership Award- Taylor Grenier

Leadership Award- Nick Heggie

Goalball MVP Male- Tim Tanner

Goalball MVP Female- Alyssa Loggins

Swimming

Most Imp. Swim.- Isabella Martinez

Most Imp. Swim.- Miguel Jose

Most Val.Female Swim.- Taylor Grenier

Most Val. Male Swim.- Nick Heggie

Forensics

Outstanding Achievement- Corgan Wa-

ters

Leadership Award – Alyssa Loggins

Most Improved- Chamroeun Tea

Spirit of TSBForensics- Tim Tanner

MNPS Forensics League Plaques:

League Points for Special Events Second

Place- Corgan Waters

League Points Third Place Overall for

Special Events- TSB Team

TSB Outstanding Female Athlete:

Alyssa Loggins

TSB Outstanding Male Athlete

Tim Tanner

Tim Jones

Congratulations to All!

Athletic Coaches Honor TSBs Top Athletes

Track Teams

Brooks Gardner

Cheerleaders

Frank Alexander

Kayla Heinicke

Alyssa Loggins

Miguel Jose Tim Tanner

Tim Jones

Goal Ball Teams Forensics Team

George Guerrero

Tim Jones

Page 5

Volume 3, Issue 10

Awards Day Honors 2014-15 Student Achievement The following awards were presented during our

Awards Day Program: Community and Honorary Awards TN Chamber of Commerce- Alyssa Loggins Donelson-Hermitage Exchange Club

ACE Awards- Keundre Mason Carrie Carlisle Middle School Citizenship- Trenton Smith, Andre Walker Stones River Women’s Club Poetry and Short Story Awards

Scholarships Tennessee Council of the Blind Braille Awards Braille Achievement Awards Alumni Association of TSB Awards Gertie Wisdom, English– Alyssa Loggins J. M. Warren, Business- Holly Angel, Chris Cook Margaret Hale, Braille- Elle Tuetken, Demi Richards Esther Mae Davis, Library- Tim Jones B. P. Rice, Music- Carrie Carlisle Tennessee School for the Blind Education Association Freda Henderson Awards for Academic Excellence Elementary Award- Sierra Carreiro Middle School Award- Nathan Desmarais High School Awards English- Corgan Waters, Alyssa Loggins Math- Corgan Waters Science- Corgan Waters Social Studies- Austin Mayes Valedictorian Award- Alyssa Loggins

Salutatorian Award- Jacob Mitchell TSB Special Achievement Awards

Mark Mantooth Award- Fatima Martinez Clarence Whaley Horizon Award- Tim Tanner John Phillip Sousa Award- Brooks Gardner APH Art Insights Calendar Artist- Elle Tuetken Creative Communication Publications

Honor Roll List (Students making the honor roll at least once)

B. Swindall, R. Womack, J. Rodriquez, L. Phipps, B. Rock, E. Hall, T. Vera, K. Duke, K. Yarbrough, D. Burns, E. Har-ris, E. Bowers, H. Lewallen, M. Sullivan, K. Heinicke, G. Meeks, A. Pace, S. West, C. Carlisle, C. Spicer, L. Ram-sey, M. Breland, T. Tanner, B. Wolfe, E. Tuetken, A. Log-gins, S. Owen, J. Mitchell, K. Painter, B. Gardner Principal’s List (Students making the honor roll first three quarters)

C. Herrera, D. Sands, M. Davis, S. Carreiro, A. Rogers, C.Grissom, K. Smith, L. Smith, N. Rembert, T. Jordan, A. Mayberry, N. Desmarais, A. Walker, B. Cannady, D. White, J. Grissom, M. Bennett-Graham, W. Scruggs, K. Fink, R. Haynes, S. Jernigan, S. Little, T. Smith, K. Mason, S. Leech, C. Thomas, M. Myatt, A. Williams, B. Shipley, C. Medrano, T. Grenier, A. Mayes, C. Tea, C. Waters, H. An-gel, M. Burns, T. Jones Classroom Teacher and Subject Area Awards Class Award Recipient LS-6 Most Improved Zach Lee Most Improved Behavior Alexa Culver

Braille Corban Galaviz ADL Achiever/Best All Around Ishaque Kahn LS-7 Most Improved Communication Fatima Martinez MAP-1 Most Improved Mikayla Bouts Citizenship Nevaeh Valdes MAP-2 Most Improved Donnie Sands/Muriel Davis/ Christian Herrera Citizenship Tederral Brooks/Kevin Giron/ Nathaniel Phipps/Brianna Swindall MAP-3 Most Improved Ethan Hall Citizenship Nehemiah Rembert Academic Excellence Cody Grissom MAP-4 Most Improved Sierra Carreiro/Austin Rogers Citizenship TaMyah Jordan/Austin Rogers T-MS-1 Most Improved Reading Danny White/Miranda Bennett-Graham Most Improved Woovens Scruggs/Jonathin Grissom Citizenship Barry Cannady/Andre Walker T-MS-2 Reading Achievement Trenton Smith Vocabulary Proficiency Scott Jernigan Citizenship Kevin Fink MS-1 Most Improved Johnny Rodriguez-Torres Best All Around Student Nathan Desmarais MS-2 Most Improved Tori Harrison Best All Around Student Adam Carpenter T-HS Most Improved Keundre Mason Outstanding Student Samantha Leech BEST Most Improved Emily Bowers “BEST” all around student Marcy Myatt Lions Program Worker of the Year Brooks Gardner Science Technology Consumer Math Most Improved Morgan Burns Social Studies Outstanding Student Carlos Medrano Media Center Award for Excellence Craig Heggie Speech/Language Expanded Core (ECC) O & M Life Skills O&M Audrina Pray Elementary O&M Ethan Hall Middle School O&M Johnny Rodriguez-Torres Transition MS O&M Trenton Smith Transition HS O&M Keundre Mason BEST O&M Marcy Myatt High School O&M Mishon Breland Physical Education Life Skills Adriel Cortez Elementary Nehemiah Rembert Middle/High AJ Townsend Art Elementary Artist of the Year Muriel Davis MS / HS Artists of the Year Isabella Martinez/ Isis Noneman /Tim Jones / Trenton Smith Music Most Improved Piano Student Alisha Geary Most Outstanding Piano Students Morgan Burns/Josiah Hearn Friends of TSB and Lions Club of Middle TN

Page 6

Roar of the Tiger

and the recipients were voted upon by teachers from their school. In addition to the honor, recognition, and certificates, each winner received a gift card from Zaxby’s restaurant. This year’s win-ners were: Life Skills Student- Gregory Harris, Middle School Student- Nathan Desmarais, High School Student- Brooks Gardner and Teacher- Allison Conway. Congratulations!

During a luncheon on May 14th, three TSB students and a teacher received honors. The event, at the Opryland Ho-tel and Resort, on Thursday May 14th, was a way for students and teachers in the “McGavock Cluster of Schools” to receive recognition for their outstanding accomplishments this school year. The awards are sponsored by the Donelson-Hermitage Chamber of Commerce

Lions and Tigers Get Together for a Ride and a Song Students in the TSB chorus were guests of the Fairfield Glades Lions Club on 5/18/15. When they arrived at the Lake Dartmoor Marina they were treated to a boat ride. On the way back to the dock a sudden rain shower gave them an un-wanted shower, but thanks to the owners of the boats being well prepared with umbrellas and large towels everyone made out okay. When everyone was back under the protection of the dock porch PDG Keith Pontius, showing the true spirit of Lionism giving, even donated some of his dry tee shirts for the students. After the boat ride the chorus and staff were treated for a delicious dinner at the Legends res-taurant, where the Lions Club held their meet-ing. After dinner Lion Ralph Brewer told a short summary of how the Lions Club impacted his life from childhood on. The chorus gave a short performance and we boarded our nice warm TSB bus heading back to school. “It was a great trip and the Fairfield Glades Lions were so very welcoming and gen- erous to us.” said TSB choral director Judy Denning. Those who went on the trip were

chorus members: Holly Angel, Leighton Ram-sey, Morgan Burns, Lizzie Harris, Stephanie Wilson, Lexie Williams, Carrie Carlisle, Demi Richards, Emily Bowers, Kayla Heinicke, Elle Tuetken, Abbey Pace, Brittany Wolfe, Justin Reagan, Josiah Hearn, Brandt Shipley, and Cody Thomas, also Lion/former TSB Superin-tendent Ralph Brewer, Lion/TSB Choral Di-rector Judy Denning, TSB Nurse Tambra Fore, and TSB Bus Driver "Captain" Bill Ro-tenberry.

Brooks Gardner Nathan Desmarais Gregory Harris Allison Conway MO

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Volume 3, Issue 10

Johnny Joey On The Spot

While on his way to work early Tuesday morning May 12th, Joe Gray witnessed a tractor-trailer accident on Interstate 440 East. The truck over-turned just prior to 6am while entering the inter-state from the Nolensville Pike entrance. The po-lice said the driver was merging onto I-440 from Nolensville Pike when the trailer flipped, causing the truck to block all three lanes of traffic in the east direction. That’s when TSB’s, para-educator and assistant coach, Joseph Gray, sprang into action. Rushing towards the truck, he climbed onto the overturned cab. Peering through the door window he realized the driver was still inside and injured. Joe assisted the driv-er in exiting the truck and getting out of harm’s way. When they arrived, FOX News 17 and

News Channel 2 interviewed Joe about his heroic actions. He was deemed a “Good Sa-maritan” by several of the news networks covering the ac-cident. We are proud of Joe for his heroic efforts and quick re-sponse in a crisis situation. Once again Joe has displayed the commitment to help and the outstanding character that we at the school have come to know from him. Read More at: http://www.fox17.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/Ramp-to-I-440-EB-from-Nolensville-Expected-to-Remain-Closed-Until-Afternoon-130030.shtml

Joe Gray

Jazz Combo Perform at Murfreesboro Festival

The TSB Jazz Combo recently performed at the Murfreesboro Main Street Jazz Fest. Their 1:00pm stage appearance on Saturday, May 2, 2015 was prime time for the festive outdoor cele-bration. This annual event in which local and na-tional jazz talent is showcased, closes down the city square and fills it up with music, food ven-dors and folks enjoying a really great time. Sev-eral area high school and middle school jazz en-sembles performed during the festival. The TSB Jazz Combo was again able to perform this year. It was exciting to see the crew receive a standing ovation for their superior performance!

Holly Angel from Johnson City, Emily Bowers from Moscow, Morgan Burns from Henderson-ville, Chris Cook from Carthage, Brooks Gardner from Talbott, Jesse Gimple from Maryville, George Guerrero from Memphis, Timothy Jones from Newport, Valedictorian Alyssa Loggins from Memphis, Fatima Mar-tinez from Franklin, Salutatorian Jacob Mitch-ell from Lexington, Marcy Myatt from Dick-son, Stephen Owen from Memphis, Kayla Painter from Old Hickory and Justin Reagan from Westmorland.

Seniors Pulling Their Weight: (l to r) Emily Bowers, Marcy

Myatt, Justin Reagan, Morgan Burns, George Guerrero,

Jesse Gimple and Chris Cook. Alyssa Loggins in back

Front Row- Justin Reagan, Brittany Wolfe, Josiah

Hearn, Row two- Brooks Gardner, Tim Tanner, Back

row- Nick Heggie and Joe Gregory

Graduates Have Bell Rung Sounding New Beginning (cont. from front cover)

Page 8

Roar of the Tiger

The Nashville Children’s Theater was the desti-nation on May 6th for members of Deidree At-well’s MAP1 class. The final

MAP One Trip to Theatre Explores The Cat in the Hat

Friend From the Mother Country Visits Class Recently the MS-T2 students in Robin Bush’s class received a taste of what life is like in Eng-land. Ms. Naomi Henry, a friend of Robin’s who formally lived in London, has moved into the Hermitage, TN. area. Ms. Henry became the “British Ambassador” as she carried information of the motherland to the inquisitive minds of the students. Some of the questions included: Are there blind people in England? Does England have a blind school? Why do you drive on the wrong side of the road, and why is the steering wheel on the right side of the car? What kind of food do you eat in England? What language do they speak in London? Is there a KFC and a McDonalds there? They also included brailled/written questions to be asked of her. Along with exciting stories and experiences, Na-

omi brought a British flag, a rose plant like those found in England, a small replica of a double-decker bus and of course a replica of a telephone booth. Things the students

studied during the week of British emphasis was: the Tower Bridge, the Tower of Lon-don, Westmin-ster, Bucking-ham Pal-ace, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, double-decker buses, and the royal family. The kids thought it was cool that a flag is raised to fly above Buck-ingham Palace when the queen is there. Nao-mi brought some sparkling apple-grape juice and cookies (she called them biscuits) to toast to the new baby in the royal family. The students have now added "cheerio," and "blimey" to their vocabulary. They learned that fish and chips means fish and fries, not fish and potato chips. The students were so excited and were totally fascinated by Naomi's accent and the words that the British use which were words they had never before heard.

theatre trip of the year found the children attending a perform- ance of The Cat in the Hat. Although the book has been in print for fifty-six years, it hasn’t been until recently that a stage version of the story was created. The production was made possible through the efforts of the National Theatre of Britain. The 9:00am departure was taken by: Mikayla Boutz, Michelle Davis, Levi Dykes, Naijyana Hudgens, Alyssa Meachen, Titus Sage, Nevaeh Valdes. Adults attending in-clude: Deidree Atwell, Ruth Mason, Susan Yarbrough.

Above: Alyssa Meachen, Mikayla Boutz and Levi Dykes

play privy to the fact that Nevaeh Valdez and Naijyana

Hudgens have been framed.

Students listen as Naomi Henry presents

information about her homeland.

Posing with their “new British friend” are:

Kaleb Duke, Scott Jernigan, Trenton Smith,

Sydney Little, Rachel Haynes, and Kaylee

Yarbrough. Ms. Naomi Henry is all smiles in

the center of the picture.

Page 9

Volume 3, Issue 10

Field Day is Fun for Some and Pie in the Face for Others On Tuesday, May 26, TSB cele brated Field Day. Some events initially scheduled for the “field” were taken indoors to the gym due to threatening weather. Students participated in events including races of: Hula Hoop Step Through, Dry Land Swim Race, Plunger/ Ball Pass, Freshman VS Sopho mores Rope Pull and Trike Rac-es. The winners were the students and staff able to take a break from the hectic pace of school’s last week. It was great fun to rub shoulders with classmates and friends one last time before the

hands on the big graduation clock ticked to a stop. It was also time to win a chance to cover the face of your favorite staff member with a huge cream filled pie! Staff participating in the “pie in the face” event include: Dr. Susan Brennan, Mr. Jim Oldham, Mr. Nathan Travis, Dr. Tonja Dandy, Dr. Marta Whittington, Ms. Michelle Cormier, Ms. Pauletta Frailey and Mr. Joe Gray.

End of Year Brings Excitement and Cheers All stops were released from the “Fun Machine” over the past month as mem bers of the cottage life staff cranked up the excitement and activities for the end of the school year! May 6th brought the flavor of Mexico to campus with the celebration of Cinco de Mayo. That after- noon the Life Skills Center (LSC) was hopping like a kitchen in a Mexican restaurant. The students’ imaginative juices were unleashed on the task of making sombreros. The festive hats were to be fashioned using a brown paper bag. Creative ideas ran rampant from the bag being rolled up and contorted into the body of a hat to the bag being cut into the shape of chips to be used on the hat. A great time was had by all and especially the boys of cottage seven. They took the first place prize which consisted of their choice of a Red Box Movie in the theatre room along with popcorn and cookies. Wednesday May 20th brought 2013 TSB alum-nus Ben Waddell to campus to share his musical entertainment skills. The after dinner gig was complete with snacks and refreshments for the attendees. Current TSB student and Jazz Com-bo member Brittany Wolfe joined Ben in some great sounding harmony. On Thursday May 21st a “mini prom” took place

for the kids not old enough to participate in the junior senior prom. Generous Youth Service Workers contributed a variety of food for en-joyment. LCS rooms were decorated with bal-loons and streamers. Lots of dancing and laugh-ter, especially as Dean Cormier and the staff danced with the kids. Mr. Oldham and several staff dropped in and accelerated the fun. A Memorial Day/End of Year Bash finished out the recreational events for the year on May 25th. The grill and cookout came with all the trappings expected to elevate the excitement level and scatter the quiet moments for reflection and remi-niscing. There will be plenty of moments later for soaking in the memories. Now was the time to create the memories by becoming soaked! A gi-ant waterslide erected outside of the LSC sent kids tumbling and sliding through the water on the warm afternoon. Sno-cones assisted in keep-ing things cool as everyone en-joyed getting tattoos and join-ing in the games. Now that’s how you bring things to an end.

Top Left: Photo of a sombrero created by Cottage One

Above: Ben Waddell and Brittany Wolfe harmonize.

Left: Tim Jones and Chris

Cook race on Trikes Right:

Pauletta Frailey enjoys a pie

in the face courtesy of Abby

Claxton

Page 10

Roar of the Tiger

While many of the TSB students and staff were tucked snug in their beds on the morning of Sat-urday April 25th, this was not the case for four staff members “on the run”! The run we speak of, of course, was the now infamous St. Jude Country Music Marathon & Half Mara-thon. Attracting runners from all over the coun-try and many locations across the world, TSB staffers felt fortunate to have the run in their own back yard. This year witnesses over 27,000 run-ners competing in the 2015 Country Music Full and Half Marathons. The races began in downtown Nashville outside of the Bridgestone Arena. The runners would pass several icon-ic landmarks and attractions in Music City as

TSB Staff on the Run they traveled through the blocked off streets and avenues. Sites in- cluded the Schermerhorn Symp- hony Center and the many historic buildings on Music Row. The journey for the runners ended at LP Field. Competing from TSB this year in the half marathon were Ms. Tracy Bettencourt and Ms. Michelle Cormier. Opting to run the full marathon were Ms. Christina von Reyn and Mr. Jo-seph Gray. Way to go the distance guys!

Annual Gathering Attracts Alumni From Far and Wide On Friday, May 29, TSB Alumni from across the nation returned to the campus of their alma ma-ter to participate in the annual alumni weekend. This much anticipated tra-dition began ninety-five years ago and somewhat resembles a huge family reunion. The Alumni Association of the Tennessee School for the Blind (AATSB) was estab-lished in 1920 with the express purpose of pro-moting the interest of the school, its alumni, and the blind in general. Except for two years during World War II, the alumni have held an annual meeting at the Tennessee School for the Blind the week-end immediately following graduation. Goals of the AATSB include the following: Serve as advocates of the Tennessee School for

the Blind by generating invaluable word-of-mouth marketing among social and profes-sional networks;

Serve as role models for current students by providing them with the benefit of life skills and experience and by offering practical sup-port as they start their careers;

Financially support educational programs for cur-rent students at the Tennessee School for the Blind;

Serve as the principle link between the Tennes-

see School for the Blind and its worldwide network of alumni;

Promote a shared spirit among alumni, students, faculty, staff and administration through pro-jects that benefit the school and by engender-ing in the students a sense of pride and loyal-ty to the Tennessee School for the Blind; and,

Serve as ambassadors of the Tennessee School for the Blind by sharing abilities, knowledge, and independence with commu-nities, hometowns, and in professional and social networks.

Additional TSB Alumni information can be found at the following link: http://www.tsbtigers.org/TSB/Alumni/Alumni_home.htm

Tracy Bettencourt poses

in tee shirt and Medals

from the Half Marathon

An award given each year during Alumni Weekend is the

Ralph A. Brewer Leadership Award. Above are some recip-

ients (L-R-Front) Margaret Riegel, Judy Denning, Linda

Dykes, (Back-L-R) Jim Oldham, John Harris, Ralph Brewer,

James Breeden, Frank Alexander, and Ricky Williams.

Page 11

Volume 3, Issue 10

(The following is a reprint of excerpts received from an email.)

Sir Francis Campbell and Dr. Alan Koenig to be Inducted into the Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field in 2015

The Hall of Fame is dedicated to preserving the tradition of excellence manifested by specific in-dividuals through the history of outstanding ser-vices provided to people who are blind or visually impaired in North America. Although housed at the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) in Louisville, Kentucky, it belongs to the entire field. The ceremony to induct Campbell and Koenig, will take place on Friday evening, Oc-tober 9, 2015, in conjunction with APH's 147th Annual Meeting of Ex Officio Trus-tees and Special Guests, at the Hy-att Regency Hotel in Louisville, Ken-tucky. Joining the fifty-four outstand-ing legends previ-ously inducted, are these two remarka-ble figures who changed lives around the world. Their stories of ac-complishment are powerful. Francis Joseph Campbell 1832 - 1914 Sir Francis Campbell’s service began as a music teacher and interim Superintendent of the Tennessee School for the Blind in 1850. He then served as a music teacher and special as-sistant to Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe at the Per-kins School for the Blind from 1857 to 1868. In 1872, he established the Royal Normal Col-lege and Academy of Music for the Blind (RNC) in London where he served as Princi-pal until retirement in 1912. His school was built on the belief that blind people can accom-plish great things with good instruction. He built a firm base of physical education and provided strong academic training with an emphasis on

Sir Francis Campbell

TSB Alumnus to Be Inducted into Hall of Fame Class of 2015

logic and mathematics as a basis for music in-struction. Campbell’s school was enormously successful. Today it is known as the Royal Na-tional College and continues to receive awards for its status as an extremely effective school and training program for people who are blind. “Francis Campbell was the character and personality on which modern work for the blind hinged. After Howe, he was the undoubt-ed champion of the capabilities of blind people, both by his own example, his demands on himself and what he asked of other blind people and society.” C. Warren Bledsoe “His approach was based on a realistic under-standing of what was capable without vision and on a strong belief in the ability of blind people to function independently. He demonstrated the value of educating the whole child. He under-stood the need to encourage the development of the physical, intellectual, and emotional sides of each individual. And he appreciated the need for functional life skills that lead to jobs that enabled independence. By including Francis Campbell in our Hall of Fame, we will not only honor his work, but we will create an opportunity for future pro-fessionals in this field to be influenced by his in-sights and success.” Dr. Richard Welsh Additional information regarding (Dr. Alan Koenig and) the 2015 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will soon appear on the APH web-site, www.aph.org. Visit the Hall of Fame website at http://www.aph.org/hall_fame/index.html for information on the Hall and those inducted. Questions? Please contact Janie Blome, Hall Curator, at 800/223-1839, ext. 367 or jblome@aph.org. Hall of Fame: Leaders and Legends of the Blind-ness Field is a project of the entire field of blind-ness, curated by the American Printing House for the Blind, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

Sir Francis Camp-

bell’s service began

as a music teacher

and interim Superin-

tendent of the Ten-

nessee School for

the Blind in 1850.

Page 12

Roar of the Tiger

I've Made It by Jesse Gimple

This reminds me of who I miss, this my younger past days. In my maze. The many ways to accomplish goals. Those other souls who must learn for themselves. Bur your own mind should remember to pour more of your knowledge to smaller people that your self.

Isolation by Demi Richards

Do you catch yourself thinking who am I, where am I, and what am I doing? Who are these people, where are they from and what do they want from me? Whenever you try to speak to them it just doesn’t come out for them to hear only God and yourself hear it. You see or hear around you people who trust each other and are friends. While you sit out on the side wishing and thinking I want to trust people and have friends and giggle, instead of frown. It makes me feel like I am drowning in my own puddle of tears.

First Breath of Spring by Abbey Pace

The First Breath of Spring The sun rises like an angel from the heavens. The sun makes himself a stranger to no one. The sun kind and friendly to eve-ryone to whom he meets. The sun warming every body's day with a smile The sun spreading love to all hearts The sun shining bright and glowing peacefully The sun making life full The sun, the face of God beaming down from

Spring, A Time for Poetry above. The flowers, delicate daisies, elegant roses, violet violets, and fragile lilies The flowers, delicate stability The flowers, natures triumph of elegance The flowers, as gently violet and beautiful as the Holy Father intended. The first Breath of spring.

That Place by Nick Heggie

There once was a place where I was happy Where I could play all day Where the world wasn’t moving in such a fast pace I once had that place That place Now that place has disappeared Leaving me in doubt of this world The only thing keeping going is when I remem-ber I once had that place That place

Spring Beauty by Taylor Grenier

The birth of all natures beauty starts with spring Spring is the time for recreation Everything dies and is reborn That is what Spring is for. The scent of flowers and nature drifts through the air The emerald green grass sways lazily to and fro The breeze blows as gentle as a baby’s breath The flower petals are as smooth as velvet The sent they give off is sweet, clean, and in-toxicating. The sun shines bright as a diamond It creates pools of liquid gold on the sidewalks and grass It encases everything in a shiny sheen Cascades of water falling gold shines down from above Spring is the time for new chances New beginnings New creations… A new beauty.

Page 13

Performing with the TSB Tiger Band during the program are: (L to R) Taylor Grenier, Nick Heggie, Carlos Medrano, Allyssa

Loggins, Garrett Meeks, Miranda Sullivan, Mishon Breland and Patrick Anderson

Volume 3, Issue 10

TSB Music Program Displays Diverse Talent

Music is always in the air at TSB. And with spring in full bloom and summer break on the way, this time of the year just adds more to sing about. The 2015 Spring Music Program “erupted into full bloom” on Friday morning May 15, 2015. Music teacher Georgette Seay began the program by introducing the LS 1,2 &3 classes. With the assis-tance of teachers, para educators and compan-ions, they presented their version of Rainbows Rock. Mrs. Seay then introduced the Map 1,2,3 and Transition MS 1 &2 classes. For many weeks they had been hard at work in preparation for the presentation of an anti-bullying program entitled No Bullies! Get Real! Arranged by Robert Emerson and directed by Georgette, the program featured the following songs from various decades. Wooly Bully, and Nowhere Man- Bullies included: Brian Rock, Rylan Wom ack, Muriel Davis, Lathaniel Phipps, Donnie Sands Victims were: Nevaeh Val des, Naijyana Hudgens, Sierra Carreiro, Levi Dykes Change the World and Unwritten- Solos by: Woovens Scruggs and Kaylee Yarbrough Lean On Me The combined classes of Ms. Blevins, Ms. Morris, and

Mr. Hector (Life Skills 5, 6 & 7) performed cute renditions of the following songs: Stubby, the Giraffe Who Wouldn’t Take Chances He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands This Little Light of Mine Between the various transitions of musical groups the TSB Jazz Combo performed. Their numbers included: God Bless The Child, Freddie Freeloader, and Don’t Know Why The TSB Elementary Band performed versions of Carnival of Venice and The Billboard. The TSB Tiger Band followed up with their perfor-mances of Game Of Thrones and Dynamo. Judy Denning led the High School Chorus in singing: I’m Gonna Sing and Shout, United We Stand, Dona Nobis Pacem (Give us Peace), Let There Be Peace on Earth (duet by: Carrie Carlisle and Kayla Painter), Witness (trio by: Carrie Car-lisle, Morgan Burns and Brittany Wolfe), Angels Watchin’ Over Me (trio by: Carrie Carlisle, Stepha-nie Wilson and Brittany Wolfe) I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing and God Bless the U.S.A. (solos by: Kayla Painter and Justin Reagan) The perfor-mance was streamed live and is still available for your enjoyment from the sch- ool website locat-ed at www.tsbtigers.org.

Page 14

Roar of the Tiger

Sometimes walking the halls of Tennessee School for the Blind one could easily believe they have entered The Donelson Area School of Art. The artistic expressions on display are so varied and impressive that they quite often stop those passing, affording them a grander view. Throughout the school year the student have many avenues to showcase their talents in forms of art from paintings to pottery, yet the spring display often has the most variety. The TSB Art Exhibit and Sale was held on Wednesday, May 27th. Taking place in the school auditorium The sale began at 9:00am and went through the afternoon. The exhibit co-incided with the Spring Music Program. Works of art were on display from elementary grades through high school. The exhibit featured gradu-ating senior artists Tim Jones, Stephen Owen, Emily Bowers, Jesse Gimple, and Marcy Myatt. In addition to the wonderful expres-sions seen at the exhibit, art teacher Monica Leister has also had the students involved with a joint project with Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). Both the TSB middle and high school students have worked on various stages of the "Big Adventure" Claymation pro-ject. This project was a collaboration of both the MTSU art education student teachers under Dr. Debrah Sickler-Voight and the TSB art department. For TSB it was our first experience creating a stop- motion Claymation anima-tion project. According to Monica, “It has been a wonderful learning experi-ence that combined the creative minds and talents of all grade levels here at TSB. The students were very excited from the beginning to the end to create this short film.” The elemen tary and mid-

Student Art Explosion Creates Beauty All Around

dle school students developed story boards and the characters. They also created the backdrops and recorded their voices. The high school students had to interpret what the oth-ers had done and create the characters out of clay and then film frame by frame the entire story. Talk about something crea-tive and artistic that uncovers the talents of our kids, this is it! Follow the link below and you’ll surprisingly see an explosion of creativity. Link : You tube TN School for the Blind Claymation or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2IQmnvYmF0

Left: Senior Tim Jones displays his fish project. Top:

Cody Grissom works with a MTSU student to create

text. Middle: Letarian Smith works on the set.

Taylor Grenier and Corgan

Water work on the details of

forming the character out of

clay.

Page 15

Volume 3, Issue 10

Now, Just How Dense is That? Density was the question circulating in the minds of TSB’s third and fourth grade science class during May. Their reading of the book I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic led them into ex-ploring densities at their water table. The stu-dents learned that the Titanic had air pockets which helped to make it more buoyant. The massive ship had been built in a way to enable it to stay afloat even if four of these air pockets were damaged. Unfortunately when the ship, turned ice breaker, rammed the colossal iceberg, six of it’s pockets were damaged. Air began bubbling to the surface and the rest is history… or should we say science. The young TSB scientist creat- ed their own toy boats. Mrs. Lisa Salvato made an iceberg, that was about a foot tall and wide, and placed it in the water

table. The class had learned that icebergs drift to warmer waters where they melt. The students observed how long the iceberg took to melt. “We knew it was above 80 degrees that day. The ice-berg took a little over 10 minutes to melt.” said Lisa. The students also noted that the tem-perature of the water in the lower table where the iceberg had been was a lot colder than the water in the upper table where it was warm. We re-ferred to the upper table as the Caribbean and the lower table as the Arctic. “We also did a sink or float density test.” said Mrs. Salvato. “We made predictions regarding a toothpick, cork, coin, and metal spoon. The students un-derstood that the more dense an object is, the more likely it is to sink. They also came to under-stand that density is not the same thing as weight.” Like the Titanic, ships weigh a lot, but are still able to float because of air pockets that make it less dense than the water. This was also the aspect to understand with the cork. The stu-dents showed off what they had learned to Dr. Dandy. “They really enjoyed this activity and were learning at the same time!” said Lisa “I’d like to express my thanks to everyone who played a part in allowing this to happen.” Now I guess you could say that this is an educational experience that is good enough to “float your boat”… unless your boat is called Titanic!

Graduates Bid Farewell In Evening Concert

Above: KeAunte Smith, Letarian Smith, Mrs. Salvato, Car-

reiro Sierra and TaMyah Jordon at the water table.

The TSB seniors bid everyone farewell through music the evening before graduation. In a con-cert streamed live from the school auditorium, the 6:30pm performance on Thursday May 28th included the following: Alyssa Loggins: The Star Spangled Banner TSB Jazz Combo (Nick Heggie, Brittany Wolfe, Justin Reagan, Josiah Hearn, Brooks Gardner, Tim Tanner) performed: Freddie Freeloader, The Shadow of Your Smile and God Bless the Child TSB Tiger Band w/TSB Middle School Band performed: Game of Thrones, The Billboard, Your Mind is on Vacation TSB Chorus performed: I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing, One Single Voice- soloist Carrie

Carlisle, Josiah Hearn and accompanist Mor-gan Burns The Rose- song by graduating sen-ior, Kayla Painter Awesome God- Soloist, Demi Richards (dedicated to graduating senior, Holly Angel) Holy Spirit- song by graduating senior, Morgan Burns Go With a Song in Your Heart- narrator Brittany Wolfe Angels Watchin’ Over Me- trio of Carrie Carlisle, Stephanie Wil-son and Brittany Wolfe I’m Goin’ Home- so-loist, Carrie Carlisle and God Bless the U.S.A.- soloist, graduating senior Justin Reagan. The last musical performance of the year, and for the graduating seniors always proves to be enjoyable and full of emotion. If you missed it you’ll want to catch the rerun available from the school website, www.tsbtigers.org.

Mitchell Delk Mitch Delk has a rich and rewarding position at TSB. As Physical Therapist, Mr. Delk has the opportunity to see students achieve greater mo-bility, and consequently, a greater chance for success in life. Unlike other physical therapists, who may see a client only as long as a doctor prescribes or as long as insurance allows, “I have the opportunity to see my clients for a year. That’s the best thing about being at TSB,” he said. Mr. Delk currently has about 25 students whom he sees throughout the week. Although

any achievement a student makes is a cause for celebra-tion, he is especially proud of the four students in his charge since 2006, who walked across the stage to receive their diplo-mas – students who were never supposed to walk again. “I love my job,” said Mr. Delk. At the outset, Mr. Delk wasn’t sure he wanted to be at TSB,

especially when Jim Oldham, then Superinten-dent, pestered him on his honeymoon to consid-er a position at the school! Mr. Oldham had re-ceived a call from an acquaintance recommend-ing Mr. Delk, who had diligently worked with the man’s son for a year. After 15 years of not being able to, the son had learned to walk. “Mr. Old-ham was pretty insistent,” said Mr. Delk. “ He asked me to not say no until I visited the school. I was very impressed with everything I saw. This is a therapist’s dream job. I’m so glad I didn’t say no.” Mr. Delk was set on being a phys. ed. teacher and earned his teaching degree from Tennessee Tech University. Having been a medic in the army, he realized he could combine his knowledge and love of teaching/coaching to-gether with physical therapy to create the perfect job. He earned his Master’s degree in Physcial Therapy from the University of Findlay in Ohio and came to TSB in 2006. When not at TSB, Mr. Delk continues his love of sport with his children Derrin, 22; Kayla and Danielle, 15; and Zander, 13. He likes playing

TSB Staff in the Spotlight

Page 16

Roar of the Tiger

sports and is involved in coaching – everything: gymnastics, football, baseball, swimming, cheer-leading, soccer… Another favorite hobby is ocean fishing. “When you fish in the ocean you never know what you’re going to catch,” he said, noting that his trophies have included a shark bigger than he was, a 4 foot stingray, and a 40 lb. Amberjack. As a child, he would fish with his dad off a pier in Mobile, Alabama. “Sometimes, I’d stay out all night – my mother would bring breakfast to me in the morning,” he said. Both of Mr. Delks parents are avid fishermen. A native of Monterey, Tennessee (Putnam County), Mr. Delk now lives in Hendersonville with his wife, Traci, their children and two four-legged “children,” Tawny, an 8-year old Boxer mix, and Holly, a feisty little 14-year old Pomera-nian. (Tawny used to be Ms. Seay’s dog!) Mr. Delk has owned 23 dogs over his lifetime. “ I like to get mutts – usually the runt of the litter – and build up their confidence. I have an affinity for runts, as I was the runt of my own family,” he said with a smile. Both his brothers are signifi-cantly taller than he is. One thing you might not know about Mr. Delk – he has been the same height since 8th grade! Tanya Coleman You hardly ever see Ms. Tanya Coleman without a huge smile – in fact, she might be one of the most chipper individuals on campus! Educational Assistant (EA) to Ms. Robin Bush, Ms. Coleman has been at TSB a little over a year. Prior to coming to TSB, she was an EA with the Metro school district. “I was really inter-ested in learning Braille. When the opportunity came to apply at TSB, I jumped at the chance,” she said. “Now, I’m helping the children learn it. I am so grateful to be here.” The best thing about TSB said Ms. Coleman is the students! “Each one is unique and I love working with them. I’ve also en-joyed being with all the staff and meeting so many wonderful new people.” In addition to helping the stu-

Mitchell Delk

Tanya Coleman

Page 17

Volume 3, Issue 10

dents with Braille, Ms. Coleman also assists the children in Phys. Ed., art, at lunch and various other activities. Last year she assisted in the Summer Evaluation Program and Summer Camp as well. Ms. Coleman is an extremely active person. When not at TSB she can be found doing any number of outdoor activities in-cluding tennis, biking on Nashville’s Greenway, walking, boating, jet skiing, and even “mudding” – four wheeling through the mud and the muck! All of these outdoor sports bring her together with friends, which she very much enjoys. Anoth-er sport, Ms. Coleman is eager to try – some-thing on her bucket list – is skydiving! “I just want to try it! I want to experience that sensation of flying,” she said. “I dream about it!” It’s not surprising that Ms. Coleman has such an adventurous spirit – she has five sons! Marcus, 34, is married to Lequisha, a wonderful daughter in-law; Bryan, 27; David, 22; and still at home, Tyler and Jonathan, 17 and 14 respectively. There are other young men in the Coleman household – six grandsons! Fortunately there are also two granddaughters to help balance out the bunch! A Nashville native, Ms. Coleman is a graduate of McGavock High School. She now lives in Smyrna, Rutherford County. There is one thing you might not know about Ms. Coleman. In addition to wearing fast-track shoes for all of her extracurricular sports noted above, she is equally adept in a pair of heels cut-ting a rug out on the dance floor! Since 2013, Ms. Coleman has been enjoying Saturday night dances at Dance World in Nashville. Dance World offers an hour lesson and a night of ballroom dancing for under $20. Her favorite dance is the Salsa! Tom Gentry Tom Gentry, Security Officer, can often be seen zipping around campus in one of TSB’s golf carts, opening gates, assisting vendors, helping students. Of course, he has all the other security responsibilities as well – maintaining a watchful eye and monitoring activity across campus, safe-guarding the school. Mr. Gentry started at TSB as a house parent, but after volunteering to help

the security desk when they were short staffed, he quickly found himself in his current position. Mr. Gentry enjoyed his year as a housepar-ent. “You really get attached to some of the stu-dents,” he said. “I really like the security position and consider that I now have the best of both worlds – a great job and I get to see the kids every day. The kids really are the best thing about working at TSB.” He has also enjoyed the “good people” at TSB. “The staff is wonderful; I really enjoy helping people out.” Mr. Gentry recalls having seniors Brooks Gardner and George Guerrero in the cottage years ago. “They were little then. Brooks was a feisty little fellow when he came to TSB. But I look at the young man he has become and I am so proud of him. After I made the switch to secu-rity, George was up here nearly every day bug-ging me to come back. I will miss them both after graduation.” Mr. Gentry was no stranger to TSB as his son, Josh, was a student here. Josh and Joe Gray were classmates. “ One thing about Joe – if you told him he couldn’t do something, he’d do his best to show you he could,” said Mr. Gen-try with a laugh. Shortly after Josh’s gradua-tion, the Gentrys saw Mr. Oldham, who asked Mr. Gentry to sign on at TSB. Josh encouraged him saying, “You’d be good at it, Dad.” The rest is history. From a hardworking Nashville family, Mr. Gentry learned the value of a dollar early on. He has retired numerous times, but al-ways returns to the workforce in some capacity, because he likes people and keeping busy. Prior to joining the staff at TSB, Mr. Gentry spent 20 years with American Airlines in multiple roles: air freight, ticket counter representative, operations, supervisor of fleet services, and sales, filling a $2.7 million quota. In the sales arena, Mr. Gentry traveled all over the U.S. “ It was a great job, but got to be a little too hectic as the company continually expanded my territo-ry.” The time he spent away didn’t (cont. on pg.19)

TSB Staff in the Spotlight (cont.)

Tom Gentry

Page 18

Roar of the Tiger

HOLLYWOOD

Here We Come! Junior Senior Prom

Yes, they do… the stars come

out at night! That surely was the

case on the evening of Thursday

May 21st. The TSB juniors and

seniors, and their guest, celebrat-

ed the evening with dinner at

McNamara's before returning

as the “stars” on their own Holly-

wood set! The campus gym and

adjoining hall were decked out

with all of the symbols of the town

of glitter. The huge marque above

the door read 2015 TSB Prom.

As the large sparkling ball spun

sparkles throughout the room, the

stars danced the night away.

Allyssa Loggins / Tim Tanner

Brooks Gardner / Shelby West

George Gurrrero / Chris Cook

Kayla Heinicke / Josiah Hearn

Jose Martinez / Fatama Martinez

Katie Garapic / Stephen Owens

Holly Angel

Elle Teutken / Justin Reagan

Jesse Gimple

Aaron Patrick / Emily Bower Ashley Desmarais / Jacob Mitchell

Morgan Burns / Chamroeun Tea Patrick Anderson / Miranda Sullivan

Dr. Brennen and daughters King Gardner / Queen Loggins

Page 19

Volume 3, Issue 10

Nevaeh

Valdez

If you missed the 2015 TSB Spring Solo Recital you missed the following: Alexa Culver- Hot Cross Buns (piano) Samantha Leech- The Rose (piano) Miranda Sullivan- Mary Had a Little Lamb Stephanie Wilson- Colors of the Wind (vocal) Tori Harrison- Bella’s Lullaby TaMyah Jordon- A Friend Like You ‘ Alexandria Williams- Overture (piano) Elle Tuetken- Bridge Over Troubled Water Hope Monzalvo- Quiet River Alisha Geary- Arkansas Traveler Brittany Wolfe- The Elevator Carrie Carlisle- Dreamscape Demi Richards- Lord I Lift Your Name on High Christian Black- Overture (piano) Alexandria Williams- Caro Mio Bien (vocal) Abbey Pace- Plaisir d’Amour (The Joy of Love) Alyssa Loggins- Pachelbel, Canon in D Ar-ranged by A. Loggins Brittany Wolfe- Losing My Mind (vocal) Morgan Burns- Schubert, Impr. Op. 90, No. 2 Josiah Hearn- Rubenstein, Melody in F Carrie Carlisle- Somewhere (vocal)

seem fair to the family he’d left back in Leba-non. Still, the airlines proved an interesting time for Mr. Gentry. He met a number of famous people including Elvis Presley, the Gatlin Broth-ers, Jackie Robinson, John Ritter, J.R. Ewing, Ed McMahon, and Johnny Carson. A few of them personally thanked him for the help he had provided. When not at TSB, Mr. Gentry enjoys spending time with his wife, Joyce, four children: Josh, Jesse, Jennifer and Justin, and the seven grandchildren. He likes car shows, flea markets, listening to the “oldies but goodies” like Buddy Holly and Elvis, and has an impressive LP collection. He’s fond of movies: Westerns and action films, but love stories… not so much. One thing you might not know about Mr. Gentry, is that he had a rare brush with history. While working at an American Air-lines gate, Mr. Gentry was alerted by the ticket counter that a passenger, suitcase in

hand, was running through the airport toward his gate. The breathless man arrived and want-ed to immediately board the plane that was about to depart for Washington, D.C. “We made him stop,” said Mr. Gentry, and a check of the suitcase revealed not one but two guns! Securi-ty arrived, took the man into custody and wran-gled him to the local police station. However, with nothing to hold the man on, he was re-leased, came back to the airport and boarded another plane bound for D.C. Mr. Gentry didn’t think too much more about it, until a few days later when he saw the same man on a news-cast. An assassination attempt on newly elected President Ronald Regan had just occurred. John Hinkley Jr., the would-be assassin was the same man that had passed through Mr. Gentry’s gate bound for D.C. “ It kind of gives you chills to think you were that close to some-one like that,” said Mr. Gentry.

Alexanderia Williams

Refined Talent Displayed at Spring Solo Recital

Christian Black

Hope

Josiah Hearn

Demi Richardson

Morgan Burns

TSB Staff in the Spotlight (cont.)

As the Nashville Predators were on the ice ex-

tending their regular season in pursuit of the

Stanley Cup, off the ice they were exercising

their big hearts through charitable giving. Nash-

ville’s NHL contenders have built quite the

reputation of giving back to the community.

Funds are channeled through the Nashville Pred-

ators Foundation. Because of the diligent

and tedious grant application work on the part of

Friends of TSB (FTSB), the students at Ten-

nessee School for the Blind are once again

rewarded. Chosen from over 300 applications

considered, the Predators scored a goal in the

hearts of the TSB Tiger Goal Ball Team mem-

bers by making TSB their selection. The $6,368

awarded through the grant process will be used

towards the purchase of new goal ball equipment

at the school for the blind and visually impaired.

The Tuesday May 5th, check presentation cere-

mony was at the Bridgestone Arena. “Thanks to

the Predators grant we are able to purchase alu-

minum goal ball goals. This means the goals will

be sturdy and last longer. We are also able to

purchase new goggles for the boys and girls

teams,” said coach Andy Joiner. In October the

Tiger girls team won first place during the

2014 NCASB Goal Ball Competition. The

Tiger boy’s team finished a respectable third.

115 Stewarts Ferry Pike

Nashville, TN 37214

Phone: 615-231-7300

Creating Contributing Participating Members of Society

T E N N E S S E E S C H O O L F O R T H E B L I N D

Friends Shoot... Friends Score! Tennessee School for the Blind is a state special

school established in 1844 to meet the unique needs

of visually impaired students living in the state of Ten-

nessee. The school provides academic and pro-

fessional services tailored to benefit students placed in

its care through the Local Education Agencies across

the state. Beyond a tradition of academics, TSB spe-

cializes in the instruction of expanded core-curricular

areas such as Braille, Mobility, Technology, Career

Education, and Independent Living Skills. Students at

the school also enjoy the opportunity to participate in

team sports, campus clubs, organizations and many

leisure-time activities. In addition the school provides

outreach services to visually challenged students, their

parents, teachers, schools and other agencies assist-

ing the visually challenged.

Upcoming Events Calendar

F May 29 Graduation / Last Day of School TSB Auditorium

M-Tu June 1-2 Teacher Organization Days TSB

M-F July 5-10 Elementary / Portfolio Camp TSB

M-F July 12-24 Middle - High School Enrichment Camp TSB

Su Aug. 9 2015 Parent Student Registration TSB

M Aug. 10 2015 First Day of Classes TSB

Attending the presentation ceremony at the home of the

Predators are: left to right Ralph Brewer, Pat Galvin, senior

Chris Cook, senior Alyssa Loggins and TSB Goal Ball

Coach Patrick Hector