Schools

Boston Bruins Players Drop by Perkins School for to Try Out a Different Sport

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Boston Bruins players, from left, Zdeno Chara, Ryan Donato and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, shake hands with students from Perkins School for the Blind after playing goal ball in the gym at the Watertown-based school. Three members of the Boston Bruins took some time away from the ice to join students from Perkins School for the Blind for a game of goal ball on Monday afternoon. NHL players Zdeno Chara, Ryan Donato and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson donned the black and gold jerseys with the famous spoked “B,” while students came dressed in their blue jerseys with “Perkins” across the front. The Bruins were greeted by the school’s cheerleading team, which got the crowd in the Perkins gym warmed up with a few numbers. Then it was time to strap on the goggles and play some goal ball.

Entertainment

Perkins Announces Schedule of Audio Described Theater Performances for 2018-19

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New Rep Theatre’s 1776 is one of the performances around the Boston area featuring audio descriptions for those blind or visually impaired. The following information came from Perkins School for the Blind:

Please come to the exciting live theater productions with audio description during the remainder of the 2018-2019 theater season. Preshow description of sets and costumes for performances at all locations generally begins 60 minutes prior to curtain (unless otherwise noted). Please arrive early to allow time to get headsets, programs and be seated. The following audio described performances will be at the designated theatres listed below:

American Repertory Theater

64 Brattle Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge617-547-8300www.americanrepertorytheater.orgTo purchase tickets for these performances, email boxoffice@amrep.org

Barber Shop Chronicles

Audio Described: Friday, December 21 at 7:30 PM and Saturday, December 22 at 2:00 PM

Newsroom and political platform—for generations, barber shops have been places where African men gather to discuss the world.

Around Town

Commander’s Mansion Adds Some Holiday Cheer to Watertown

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Commander’s Mansion Facilities Manager Tammy McKenna takes a photo of a family visiting Santa Claus during the Holiday Open House. Photo by Charlie Breitrose

The Commander’s Mansion was decked out for the season Thursday evening as the historic home in Watertown hosted the annual Holiday Open House. Dozens of families visited the home to view the Christmas trees, enjoy some cookies and hot cocoa, and listen to some carols. Rooms in the historic Commander’s Mansion were decorated for the holidays, including this Christmas tree. Photo by Charlie Breitrose

Santa Claus arrived at the Mansion with a special escort from the Watertown Police Department.

Arts

Perkins School for the Blind Hosting Two Holiday Concerts, RSVP Now

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Celebrate the Season with a pair of concerts at Perkins School for the Blind in early December. 

Perkins sent out the following information:

You are invited to Perkins School for the Blind for a festive Holiday Concert. Join us:
Sunday, December 2, at 3:00 PM and/or
Tuesday, December 4, at 7:30 PM. Or watch a livestream of the concert to be broadcast at 7:30pm on December 4. View the Events page for details

The Perkins Student Chorus, Chamber Singers, Music Makers, Handbell Ensemble, Instrumental Ensemble and Vocal Soloists celebrate the season with a selection of beautifully arranged choral and instrumental works originating from around the world! The concerts are free and wheelchair accessible in Dwight Hall.

Schools

Perkins School Earns Special Status with United Nations Economic and Social Council

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The following information was provided by Perkins School for the Blind:
Perkins School for the Blind, the first school for the blind in the U.S. and the international leader in blindness education, has earned United Nations Economic and Social Council Special Consultative Status (ECOSOC).  
This enables Perkins executives to attend meetings at the UN, submit written statements and oral presentations, consult with ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies, and use UN facilities for conferences or meetings in New York, Geneva, and Vienna. The United Nations Economic and Social Council is at the heart of the United Nations system to advance the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental. It is the central platform for fostering debate and innovative thinking, forging consensus on ways forward, and coordinating efforts to achieve internationally agreed goals. It is also responsible for the follow-up to major UN conferences and summits.

Perkins School for the Blind

Perkins School for the Blind Hosts Harry Potter Weekend

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Perkins School for the Blind got a taste of Hogwarts over the weekend, when children with visual impairments got to participate in Harry Potter Weekend. 

The outreach program opened the campus to students throughout the community with visual impairment for some fun and games inspired by the young wizard. “This was a terrific weekend not only for volunteers and staff, but for the students. The kids were so immersed in the activities,” said Mike Cataruzolo, manager of Volunteer Services at Perkins School for the Blind. “They really felt like they were at having a magical time at Hogwarts. We hope to have this weekend again next year.”

Schools

Perkins Announces Additions to the School’s Board of Trustees

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The following announcement was provided by Perkins School for the Blind:

Perkins School for the Blind, the first school for the blind in the U.S. and the international leader in blindness education has added long-time Members of the
Corporation Jim Down and Stephen Pelletier to its Board of Trustees, alongside Katherine McGaugh and Jo Frances Meyer, who was appointed by the Massachusetts Governor’s Office. Prior to his retirement, Down was vice chairman of Mercer Management Consulting (now Oliver Wyman), responsible for the overall direction and management of the firm. Over the course of his career, Down has been a senior advisor on strategic issues to a multitude of organizations including UPS, CSX/Seal-Land, AT&T, Agility, The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and
Merck. Down will become chair of Perkins’ International Committee. Pelletier is executive vice president and chief operating officer of Prudential’s U.S.-based businesses, comprising more than $1.3 trillion in assets under management as of June 30, 2018.

App

MBTA Piloting Bus App for Blind Riders Developed by Perkins School, Raizlabs

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The following information was provided by Perkins School for the Blind:
Perkins School for the Blind has enhanced its groundbreaking micronavigation app, designed to help commuters with visual impairment find their bus stops, by bolstering it with new technology that makes traveling even easier. Still free to use, BlindWays 2.0 now alerts riders along select MBTA bus routes when they’ve found their outdoor stop via signals from bluetooth beacons, installed in bus stop signs, that trigger iPhone vibration. “Perkins continues to foster innovation by working collaboratively, as we are with the MBTA and developer Raizlabs on this initiative, to solve challenges for people who are visually impaired,” said Luiza Aguiar, executive director of Perkins Solutions. “We’re motivated to help create a transportation infrastructure that is equally accessible to all riders. Augmenting BlindWays to leverage beacons speeds us along that path.”
The first iteration of BlindWays was released in fall of 2016, providing users with crowdsourced landmark clues to help them navigate the last 30 feet of frustration standard GPS models leave between users and their exact destinations.