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Right to Play and AI-Qabas Blind School |
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By Elham Ali Alan ¬- Teacher of the visually impaired Edited by: Jamil Sawalmeh AI-Qabas school for the visually impaired, a subsidiary of the Blind Friends Society in AI-Biereh¬- Palestine, is and has always been, making every effort to develop and achieve the best for the benefit of its student. Our first encounter with Right to Play Organization began from 20¬25 November, 2004 when RTP conducted a twenty- hour training course for all teachers and supervisors in our school and for other trainees from Ramallah district. The workshop was opened by a game to acquaint participants, and then a briefing was delivered on RTP (goals, initiation, and areas of activity) Examples were shown on games named after five colored balls (the red mind ball, the black body ball, the yellow spirit ball, the green health ball, and the blue peace ball), and on other games that stemmed from these games. Trainees were then split into 5 teams so each team applies one of the previously mentioned sport plans under the supervision of the trainers to give a clear idea about the 5 balls using the trainees as living examples.  For the first time since the establishment of AI-Qabas school in 1978, which is a major project of the Blind Friends society, the visually impaired physical education class competes with the other educational classes in the morning interval. It all began on the 28th of January, 2005 with 8 classes a week. Classes in the elementary stage were evenly merged, i.e. each two successive classes have the same sport activities. As for the ,preparatory stage, the four higher classes were merged together due to the small number of students so every two classes had 18 male and female students. This merging was meant to create a sense of sharing and interaction among the students, to fight boredom and laziness that we sensed at the beginning of year 2005, and to gain the benefits that class merging could provide such as interaction, acquaintance, and cooperation. In September 2006, annual comprehensive sport plans were prepared for the visually impaired based on RTP manuals for the five balls and other different games. The plans were applied from the beginning of September till the end of 2006. Today, these games are pumping new blood into the school heart. 'According to the plan, one week is spent on the application of each ball. The five balls plan last for one month + one week from the next month. The first class of every stage is dedicated for the introduction and application while the second is a repetition of the first class activities for the purpose of implanting and application. At the end of the training, Right to Play funded a project to cover the interior central school yard in the summer of 2005. This project enabled the visually impaired students to use the yard round the year and allocate it as a gymnasium for practicing games they have learned and still learning in Abilities 1st program RTP is currently conducting at schools and centers for people with special needs. Right to Play continues to provide the school with sport equipment for the visually impaired students who lacked such equipment for long time, marking a new beginning for them to practice regular and systematic sport. May God bless your sincere efforts
Spontaneous and intended comments on Right to Play games round the year 2006, by students of AI-Qabas school for the visually impaired (80 male and female from 5- 16 years old- from KG '1' to the 10th basic grade): (Students of Al-Qabas school for the Visually Impaired) |
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