The student news site of Fraser High School

The Flash

The student news site of Fraser High School

The Flash

The student news site of Fraser High School

The Flash

Life is a Blur

  With a walking stick in her hand and a smile on her face, sophomore Jessica Phillips finds her way around Fraser as she travels to each of her classes. Phillips is considered legally blind, and she has attended Fraser schools since she was in kindergarten.

   “I can see shapes and shadows and basic colors if I’m up close enough,” Phillips said.

   Phillips’s “not so good” eyesight is a trait she has carried since birth. At five years old, Phillips had undergone a surgery. Before this operation, she was able to read at least large fonts.

   “I don’t really remember much of [the surgery] except that I couldn’t really do anything for a few weeks and that really annoyed a five year old,” Phillips said with a laugh.

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    Phillips has three main Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) Aides who help her through her high school career. These women, Anne McKay- Bacon, Jennifer Bartolomei, and Mary Mcgreger, have different tasks to ensure Phillips’s success.

   “One of them helps me with any classroom issues that might come up in the class. She follows me around sometimes and makes sure everything goes well, and there is a person who helps me with getting any extra school work done that I need to have help with or anything like that. Then there is a person that helps me with navigating outside of school and walking around the neighborhood and getting places by myself,” Phillips said.

   Bartolomei began as a substitute for Jenna Retzal in the beginning of December in 2012. Bacon began assisting Phillips when Phillips was in eighth grade, and Mcgreger has been with her since kindergarten.

   “I make sure everything gets sent out and gets brailed for her. I’m just basically, on a daily bases here. Anne [Bacon] does the stuff through MISD, goes over her iPad which she goes over every day with her,” Bartolomei said, “I keep the daily tasks for the school going for her make sure that she has all her documents that are PDF’s or whatever in [verbal words] for her so she can listen to them, instead of having to read all of them.”

  Phillips attends two classes in her own office in the industrial technology wing. It is set up with a computer for herself and a desk for an aide. But just as any other student, Phillips attends the same classes as any other sophomore would. She knows where all of her classes are.

     LRE aides sent out items that need to be put into brail to the Macomb Intermediate School District (MISD) building on Garfield Rd.

     The aides are not the only people who help Phillips throughout her day. Junior Mariah Horney walks with Phillips to her home after school.

  “I started walking home every day with her in 8th grade because she started middle school. She’s a grade below me,” Horney said.

   Phillips has a positive spirit; she’s not much different from other kids her age. She likes to read and write, play video games, and spend time outside. Music is also a passion of hers.

   “I play piano, but my main instrument is my voice because it’s easy to use,” Phillips explained, “I sing and I actually write my own music.”

 Most students have an idea of what they want to do when their older, whether it is achieving a goal or pursuing a specific career. Phillips has admirable goals for herself.

    “I plan to write, I plan to do music, and I might become a motivational speaker,” Phillips shared.

   Phillips has the ability to make a wonderful motivational speaker one day. She does not only relate to young people who are blind or impaired, but regular everyday students as well.

   “The only thing I want to say is that if you want to go out of your way to talk to a blind person, don’t be afraid to talk to them just because they’re blind. They’re not going to hit you with their cane or something,” Phillips said.

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Life is a Blur