Sophia Joyce Fink

April 5, 2010 - January 22, 2026

Sophia's mom shared how very much Sophia loved being a student at FSDB and how she formed many meaningful friendships with both students and staff. Her memory will live on by all of us who knew her.

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

Students gathered close to in Sophia's favorite spot on campus, the Kramer Playground. They shared memories and friendship as they enjoyed cupcakes that Sophia had planned as her idea to celebrate Literacy Week. Also shown below is a tribute where the Outdoor Club spelled out Sophia's name using natural materials during a hike at Guana Research Reserve at sunset. Students and teachers also created a memorial at her locker.

Tickets for the 2026 Valentine’s Dance are now available! It will take place on Wednesday, February 11th from 7:00PM to 9:30 PM in Knowles Hall. Students can enjoy a fun night of music, food, games, and more; tickets are now on sale for $5 for singles and $9 for couples, and can be purchased at Bryant 104 from Ms. Stirrat or Mr. De Santiago.

Invitations for students to apply for membership in National Honor Society (NHS) will be sent soon. National Honor Society is a prestigious group of honor that recognizes students with exemplary accomplishments in all 4 criteria areas: Scholarship, Leadership, Character, and Service.

Students who have the met requirements for the Scholarship Pillar - achieving a cumulative GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and are at least a sophomore - will be invited to apply. 

The next step, taken from the By-Laws, will be as follows:

Prior to the final selection, the following shall occur:

Open to ALL Florida BVI, DHH, and DSI students in Florida. Students will learn, practice and explore different areas of the expanded core curriculum, ECC, all while doing something fun and meeting new people!

Who: BVI, DHH, and DSI students ages 6-17 living in Florida. Parent supervision is expected, and siblings are encouraged to join.

Date: Saturday, March 28, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM EST (Eastern Standard Time)
Location: Zoom virtual classroom – Materials will be mailed to each student’s home before the event.

Contact: Jennifer Valderrama, 904-827-2454, valderramaj@fsdbk12.org

Registration: Please register with your Parent/Guardian and siblings, so they can be included in this activity.
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/n5wz79e

Ten hardworking students earned their place on this year’s annual adventure to Whitefish, Montana—a trip filled with new challenges, unforgettable experiences, and plenty of winter magic. Throughout the week, students had the opportunity to try cross‑country skiing, ice skating, downhill skiing, hatchet throwing, hiking in Glacier National Park, and even interacting with majestic Clydesdale horses during a sleigh ride and hands‑on learning session.

From the moment they arrived, the students embraced every activity with enthusiasm and determination. Many had never experienced winter sports before, yet they approached each challenge with perseverance and grit. Whether they were learning to balance on cross‑country skis, gliding across the ice for the first time, or mastering a new downhill technique, their confidence grew with every attempt. The pride on their faces when they finally “got it” was a highlight for everyone.

The trip was filled with memorable moments. Some students played in the snow for the very first time, while others discovered the thrill of ice hockey—learning how to hit a puck with a stick and stay upright at the same time. During the hike through Glacier National Park, students enjoyed the simple joy of being kids: throwing rocks and ice into the river, listening to the peaceful stillness of winter, and soaking in the breathtaking scenery.

Downhill skiing brought its own rush of excitement. Over two days, students pushed themselves to try new skills, build confidence, and celebrate their progress. Even with limited snowfall this season, they were still able to enjoy all the snowy activities they had hoped for.

One of the most magical experiences came at the Clydesdale Outpost, where students met the gentle giants up close. They brushed the horses, felt their warm breath, touched their enormous hooves and horseshoes, and enjoyed a scenic sleigh ride around the property. The hands‑on interaction left a lasting impression and quickly became a favorite memory.

This year’s Whitefish trip was more than just a winter getaway—it was a week of growth, courage, laughter, and discovery. Our students returned home with new skills, new confidence, and stories they will cherish for years to come.

The Blind Library celebrated literacy week first with BMS by introducing our next genre study with a book about the invention of the printing press as we embark on a month long research project to learn about historical figures and complete a biography presentations. Our littlest learners in the Early Learning Center celebrated with partner reading.  Friday for our finale, BHS & BMS students each had a session with author Morgan Matson. Students were able to ask detailed thoughtful questions about the craft of writing professionally and all were inspired by the wonderful opportunity. 

BHS students explored topics relating to grief at our meeting on January 22nd as we prepared for our upcoming author visit. Many BHS students read both the High School and Middle School books in anticipation of meeting author Morgan Matson. The author was thrilled to see her book in braille. 

by Gordon Pettit

Today, our Blinding Lights Show Choir traveled to Jacksonville today to sing at the Icemen hockey game. Our choir students sang "God Bless America", a song they have been practicing since the beginning of the year. When students were done singing, they all got to watch the hockey game. They sat in the icebox and received fun items and snacks for the game, like cookies and Publix subs. Students had a lot of fun today! (Especially Serraya.) And Mr. Cosgrove got to live out a dream and rode the Zamboni.

Character Analysis in Action

Mrs. Carr's ELA bulletin boards showcase group projects centered on To Kill a Mockingbird. Students analyzed characters by researching family background, symbolism, and key quotes, working in print, braille, or their preferred format before submitting a final typed document. The entire class collaborated on the visuals - coloring, resizing, and assembling the pieces - bringing literature, teamwork, and creativity together on our classroom walls.

Algebra student Ryan Hairston working hard on a test. He took great notes and is referencing them well while he graphs and writes linear functions. 

The start of second semester Koger Hall welcomed a new sophomore into the dorm. Giuliana (Gia) Ciurleo is 16 yrs. old and from Destin, FL. Gia enjoys coding and web design, playing the piano, and sculpting. Her favorite class is her sculpting class. She would love to have a career in coding and web design when she leaves FSDB. When asked why she decided to come to FSDB, Gia stated that she saw the school had a lot of opportunities which included doing fun things, being more independent, and doing things outside of her comfort zone. She wanted to be around other people with low vision like herself. Gia is doing great in the dorm, and we are excited to have her!

UPCOMING DATES:

Greetings from MacWilliams Hall.

· SUPER BOWL PARTY! MacWilliams will be holding our annual Super Bowl party on February 8th 6pm – 9pm. We’re going to have Pizza, Chicken Wings & Nachos, Soda & Cupcakes. No matter which teams are playing, it’s always a good time with good food.

· Coming soon: BHS Valentine’s Day Dance

· A big thanks to our resident musicians for their input. We have recently procured more equipment for our music room and in the next week or so, we’ll be able to connect student’s tech to our mixer giving students the ability to mix and record what they’re playing. We are relocating our music room so look for pictures of our progress in the next newsletter.

No Report

Bearing witness to the students’ growth, as one team member expressed, is one of the true rewards of being apart of the Boarding Program Team. The team continues to remind our young men that each shopping trip the community sees them engaged and they are the model students, future productive citizens, modeling how the Apartment Program changes lives and shapes futures here at FSDB. We could not be prouder of our Apartment Program Team, staff and students alike, as we together continue to provide a clean, safe, caring and respectful environment for our students to comfortably grow into their independence as future assets of society from FSDB’s the Apartment Program.

It is a great time to set new health goals and understanding how to read a nutrition label is important to help you reach those goals. A nutrition label and ingredient list is important to look at to see what is actually in that food and not just assume its healthy by the packaging or look of it.  

Serving Information- The serving information is the first thing listed on the nutrition label, it will tell you firstly how many servings per container and below in bold the serving size. The serving size is important to make sure you understand all the calories and nutritional information on that label are all depending on that serving size. If the serving size says for 1 cup and you ate 2 cups you should be doubling all of the calories and nutrients to see what you actually consumed. The serving information is not always a recommendation of how much you should actually eat but it can generally be a good idea to portion out the suggested portion size to help with moderation and not overeating.  

Calories- The calories will measure how much energy you will get from a serving of food. If you are not consuming the suggested serving size, make sure you calculate the calories using the serving size and amount per serving to get the accurate number of calories you consumed.  

Nutrients- The nutrients listed are some of the key nutrients that may impact your health. Some things to look for when reading the nutrient part of the label is saturated fats, sodium and added sugars. We usually consume too many of these nutrients and should aim to keep them lower.  

The Percent Daily Value- The percentage of the Daily Value for each nutrient in a serving of food is showed with the %Daily Value (%DV). This helps to determine if the serving of the food is either high or low in a nutrient. 5%DV or less is considered to low in a nutrient, 20%DV is considered to be high in a nutrient. You can use this to your advantage when looking for nutrients you want high such as dietary fiber, protein and vitamins/minerals. Or to your advantage for keeping certain ones low such as saturated fats, sodium, and added sugars.  

Please read for important information from the Health Care Center (HCC)

HCC Newsletter: https://www.fsdbk12.org/o/bhs/article/2644292 

The Wilson Memorial Music Center opened in 1989. The building is named after Daisy Bell Wilson, a music teacher in the Blind Department from 1910-1951.

Born in Abbeville, NC, in 1880, Wilson was blind due to illness and attended the South Carolina School for the Blind. She attended the prestigious music conservatory of Brenau College (now University) in Gainesville, GA. After graduation, she taught in South Carolina for five years, then came to FSDB, where she remained until shortly before her death. Wilson laid the foundation for the current music program at FSDB.

Wilson wrote a poem for the 50th anniversary of FSDB, published in the 1936 Herald newsletter. Here are her words 90 years later, 50 years after FSDB was founded and 50 years prior to when the Music Building was named in her honor.

Where turquoise skies and opal seas

With radiant sun and balmy breeze

Consort to make a paradise

Beside Matanzas limpid flow ,

Here, mindful of the Golden Rule,

Great hearts thought out and formed a school

Both light and sound to symbolize --

Just half a hundred years ago.

Here they have gathered year by year,

The little ones who cannot hear.

The little ones with blinded eyes.

All eager learning'ss path to know.

Here they have studied day by day,

Happy at work, happy at play.

Here many have grown good and wise

Since half a hundred years ago.

Here a memorial it stands

To loving hearts and willing hands

That planned and worked and watched it rise,

And watching, saw it ever grow.

Gift of the State, in turn it gives

Back to the State its students’ lives.

Their good citizenship the prize

Planned half a hundred years ago.

~Daisy B. Wilson

Resiliency Florida is a statewide initiative that helps school staff and families support children’s emotional growth. Each month, we focus on a new skill to build resilience. 

Let’s work together! Each month, we’ll share resources from Resiliency Florida that you can use at home to support your child(ren). 

https://www.buildresiliency.org 

What is grit?

Grit means working consistently toward long-term goals.

As your child gets older, he or she will probably face situations where grit is needed to keep working toward reaching goals, despite setbacks.

What Can I Do?

Start the Conversation: talk about a time when you had to use grit.

Ask Your Child: ask your child about a situation when they wanted to give up. What prevented them from giving up? What strategies would help in the future?

Plan It Out: Encourage your child to think about his or her plan after high school and what is needed to achieve these goals.

Skills to consider practicing with your child:

Formulate a plan to attain a personal goal that addresses strength, needs, and risks.

Evaluate strategies that assist with managing challenges and setbacks.

Important to Remember

Children this age want more control over more aspects of their lives. They are feeling excited but anxious about the future.

Helping your child build grit now will help him or her understand that you can accomplish anything when you work hard!

Sophia Fink FSDB informs parents of the passing of one of our students.

Count On Safety Parent Workshop cancelled date; new date announced

Ski Trip  Students shine on Ski Trip to Montana

Hey Families, The Parent Services Department offers travel reimbursement. Including mileage, meals, and even hotel expenses.  A couple of things you need to know first: All Parent University and Parent Engagement Workshops qualify for reimbursement.  Title I Parent meetings and School Advisory Council meetings qualify too.  We can’t reimburse travel to attend teacher conferences, IEP meetings, athletic events, school plays, etc.  We can’t reimburse travel to attend teacher conferences, IEP meetings, athletic events, school plays, etc.  We are working together to schedule more meetings in connection with campus events so you can attend multiple things during each visit.  

Nice to Know Tips:

*if you travel more than 50 miles we can reimburse hotel accommodations up to $225.

*many of our large events are scheduled on Friday so your child can ride home with you.  

Let’s Discuss. There are a couple of other things we will need to discuss before you start traveling.  Give me a call or send an email if you’d like to know more.

Misty Porter, Parent Liaison.  Porterm@fsdbk12.org  904-827-2988 

FSDB has private and grant funds, in addition to donor services, that benefit homeless students.

Homeless students are those students and their families who lack fixed, regular, adequate nighttime housing.

Examples include:

• Couch surfing—staying with family or friends temporarily

• Living in a homeless shelter

• Living in a vehicle

• Living in run down buildings that are not adequate

• Living in any public or private dwelling not designed for humans

Blind Elementary/Middle School "MV Team" representative is Ms. Laura Pamer. She meets with BEMS homeless students regularly and directly. You may reach her at pamerl@fsdbk12.org  or 904-827-2238

Blind High School
PH: 904-827-2715

Health Care Center
PH: 904-827-2410
VP: 904-201-3910

Transportation
PH: 800-992-8747

Parent Services
PH: 904-827-2212
VP: 904-201-4527

Campus Police
PH: 904-827-2315

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The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, political opinion, affiliation, marital status, genetic information, disability, veteran status or any other basis as mandated by federal and state law in its educational programs, services or activities, or in its hiring or employment practices. FSDB also provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups as required by law.

Contacts for questions, complaints, or requests for additional information are as follows:

Student 504 Discrimination/Harassment, Title IX Coordinator (Student Issues)

Pauline Wagner
Executive Director of Parent Services
PH: 904-827-2221
VP: 904-201-4540

Requests in writing can be sent to:

Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind
207 San Marco Avenue
St. Augustine, FL 32084