Wildcat Weekly
May 1, 2026
Contact Information
Website: https://www.ksb.kyschools.us
Location: 1867 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206
Phone: (502) 897-1583
Fax: (502) 897-2850
Facebook: facebook.com/KYschoolfortheblind/
Twitter: @KSBWildcats
High School - Hillary
Middle School - Vance
Elementary - Maddie
Athlete - Gabby
Congratulations to our incredible students who represented us at the NCASB Swimming and Forensic Championships April 24th-25th! We are so proud of the hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship shown by all of our participants - every student performed exceptionally well.
A special shoutout to Gabby, who placed 1st in all but one of her swimming events, an amazing accomplishment! In Forensics, Haily and Pyper each earned 1st place in their pieces, showcasing outstanding talent and confidence.
We also want to extend a big thank you to Athletic Director Ms. Belcher and all of our coaches for their leadership and commitment throughout a fantastic year of athletics and activities.
This week, our elementary students completed their state testing, showing focus, effort, and perseverance throughout the process. We are proud of how hard they worked and the positive attitude they brought each day.
Next week, our middle and high school students will take their turn. We encourage everyone to continue doing their best, getting good rest, and coming prepared to show what they know.
Thank you to our staff and families for your support during this important time of year!
Hello Folks and welcome to the Pre-Derby Edition of Dorm Happenings. As we welcome back the KSB students from Swim and Forensics competition we would like to congratulate Hailey for her winning first place in Forensics and for Gabby for her first-place win in swimming. The student athletes were pretty spent after the long traveling from Illinois after a weekend full of competition.
The students were happy to be back on campus and were excited about the upcoming week with spring game practice and also Derby Trivia. Monday night brought some wet weather and some stormy conditions to the KSB campus, and we tried to stay in the dry as much as possible. We did get pretty wet going to recreation in the gym, and going to the nurse for 8:00 pm medication at Howser Dorm with Ms. Lexy. In between we got to bowl, and played games on the big screen, also played some pool, and basketball in rec, gym.
We are in the home stretch with our last high school short course week of the year, and we have a new student with us for the first time. Lindsay had a good time and wished she had come to KSB sooner. We are thankful for her time here and wish her great success after graduation at ECHS . Also look forward to seeing Peyton full time here at KSB next school year and Landon will be back during the next HS short course in the 26-27 school year. We want to wish all 3 of them a great summer.
On Tuesday night, the dorm students met with Mr. Ottis and Mr. Larry to discuss bee keeping. They discuss how bees make honey and help farmers by pollinating their crops and bee hives and the racks the bees make honey. The students learned how beekeepers use foundation to manipulate the bees to make honey. The racks come out of the hive box the way books are pulled out of the bookshelf. Also, they discussed the tools used in bee keeping. The smoker worked the same was blacksmiths used a forge.
Ximi and Ms. Z prepared bar-b-q chicken, pasta, corn, and sour dough bread. The Independent Living students had a good week in all areas of cooking and food prep. This program has really taken off the last few weeks.
Wednesday, we had Ms. Julie Hohmann here presenting Ben's art piece that he drew while participating in the Louisville Visual Arts Program. Ben was presented an award and his framed art piece, which was on display here recently in Louisville at the Visual Art Center. On Wednesday and Thursday, the elementary students played the game What Am I. This game helps sharpen the students in questing techniques. The student asks questions to find out what they are (bird, animal or profession).
Also, on Wednesday night the high school students had a pizza party and had a great time in the rec. Gym. Many got to practice their " spring game Events" And some just hung out in the TV room watching movies.
It has been a short but productive week here at KSB in the Evans and Howser dorm. As the school year winds down, we are looking forward to many events. KSB prom on Thur. May 7th, Dorm Awards Night on Monday May 11th, Athletic Banquet on May 12th and trip to Main Event on Thursday May 14th.
We hope everyone enjoys the Oaks on Friday and may your horse win the Derby on Saturday.
Until Next Time.
-Allowed your mind to relax
-Let your body rest
-Enjoyed some quiet moments
-Nurtured your mental health
-Spent time rejuvenating
-Prioritized your well-being
-Took time to re-charge
-Did not judge your self-worth on your productivity
-Were kind to yourself
OUB’s mission is to build life skills, self-confidence, and independence for children and young adults who are blind or have low vision.
OUB programs help individuals with visual impairments develop skills of blindness, preparing them to become competent, confident, contributing, tax-paying, working adults. OUB provides summer camps and work experiences that align with the educational goals of the Expanded Core Curriculum.
Through engaging teaching methods and thoughtful strategies, OUB encourages participants to be as confident and independent as possible—safely—while keeping learning fun. OUB’s goal is for every child, teen, young adult, and adult, with or without a visual impairment, who attends an OUB camp or works with OUB to gain self-reliance skills and expand their dreams for future success.
For more information: https://oubmichigan.org/ or to register, visit: https://oubmichigan.org/registration/
Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) is excited to invite teens ages 14–17 to apply for Camp GDB, a five-day summer program designed to introduce youth to the guide dog lifestyle while building independence, confidence, and community.
Camp GDB will take place June 22–26, 2026, at the Hull Foundation & Learning Center in Sandy, Oregon.
This immersive experience is ideal for teens who are curious about guide dogs and ready to grow their independence in a supportive and engaging environment. Participants will:
- Explore the companionship, independence, and responsibility that come with a guide dog partnership.
- Participate in hands-on activities with dogs, gaining insight into their care and training.
- Learn about the critical role strong Orientation and Mobility (O&M) skills play in a successful guide dog relationship.
Camp GDB balances learning with fun. Campers will build friendships while enjoying swimming, outdoor activities, and classic summer camp evenings by the fire complete with s’mores.
Independence Expectations
Please note that participants must be independent with daily living activities, including dressing, bathing, and eating. Camp GDB may not be a good fit for youth whose behavioral, developmental, or mobility challenges are more significant than their vision loss.
Apply and Learn More
For additional details about Camp GDB or to apply, visit Guide Dogs for the Blind’s Youth Programs page: http://guidedogs.com/client-programs/youth-and-young-adult-programs/camp-gdb
Warmly,
Jane Flower
jflower@guidedogs.com
A quote from author and Pastor John C. Maxwell states “one of the greatest values of mentors is the ability to see ahead what others cannot see and help them navigate a course to their destination.” It is this belief that the Kentucky School for the Blind Alumni Association would like to offer our support to your child. Blind and low vision individuals experience challenges normally sighted individuals cannot begin to relate or understand. The support of someone who has lived through these experiences can reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness and put individuals on a path of seeing the hope inside themselves.
Through cooperation with the Kentucky School for the Blind the KSB Alumni Association would like to mentor or engage in one-on-one conversations with high school students to provide support, information, guidance, and advice as they progress through high school and transition from high school to postsecondary education or a career. This program will be on a voluntary basis only, with only those desiring to participate. Parental consent will be required. Communication with your child will take place by telephone or virtually. The KSB Alumni mentor may meet with your child in person if agreed upon by the parent. It will be required that all forms of communication be monitored by a KSB staff member or parent.
KSB alumni mentors and students will be paired based on characteristics such as similar sex, post secondary interests and career of the alumnus, similar hobbies and interests, similar visual impairment, common birth county or region, etc.
Please contact KSB Counselor, Mrs. Cortnea Schuster (cortnea.schuster@ksb.kyschools.us) or KSB Social Worker Ms. Whitley Combs-Clark (whitley.combs@ksb.kyschools.us) and they will connect you with the KSB Alumni President.
Week 3 - May 4th-8th
Week 1 -May 11th-15th
Week 2 - May 18th-22nd