PSD Visits Harrisburg Senate - Pennsylvania School for the Deaf

Vo l . X , N o . 1 , S p r i n g 2 0 11
The
WORLD
A Publication of THE PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF
PSD Visits Harrisburg Senate
Ten third and fourth grade students from PSD along with Head of School Dr. Larry Taub, teacher Christina
Stokes, and aides Kelly Corrigan and De’Angelo Brown as well as Director of Development Ruth Cella visited
the Pennsylvania State Senate in the beautiful Capitol building on April 6. Students received an interpreted
tour along with a special introduction from the Senate floor by State Senator Shirley Kitchen. Forty-two PSD
students reside in her district. They also got to meet the new Lieutenant Governor, Jim Cawley as well as
State Senator LeAnna Washington, in whose district PSD is located. It was a fun and educational day for all!
Pictured left to right are: Arbab Samuel, Dr. Taub, Christina Stokes, Yanieliz Olivo, Ruth Cella, Cierra Gadson, Shakiyah Williams, Mecca Scott, Lt. Governor Cawley, Trinity Rios, Kevin Nguyen, Senator Washington, Joel Rios, Senator Kitchen, De’Angelo Brown, Aquil Roane, Kelly Corrigan, and Jacob Cross.
THE
PSD
WORLD
HEAD OF SCHOOL
Larry S. Taub, Ed.D.
EDITOR
Ruth S. Cella
Director, Development
and Public Relations
PSD publications have been cited
for excellence from 1998 - 2009
in competitions sponsored by
the Pennsylvania School
Boards Association and
Pennsylvania School Press
Association
The PSD WORLD is published
during the school year by
The Pennsylvania
School for the Deaf,
100 West School House Lane,
Philadelphia, PA 19144-3404,
(215) 951-4700 (v/tty), and
serves as a communication tool
between PSD and its parents,
alumni, friends and schools for
the deaf throughout the nation.
Subscription rate is $10 per year,
payable in advance.
Please visit us on the web at www.psd.org
The mission of The Pennsylvania
School for the Deaf is to provide
quality education and enriching life
experiences to prepare Deaf and
Hard of Hearing students for lifelong participation in the communities of their choice.
2
PSD Supports
“Child First”
CEASD Campaign
By Larry S. Taub, Ed.D.,
Head of School
This column is dedicated to providing
background about the Conference of
Educational Administrators of Schools
and Programs for the Deaf (CEASD) and
its primary current initiative. CEASD is
an active group comprised of leaders in
deaf education from all over the U.S. I
have been involved with this organization
since 1999, was elected to its board of
directors in 2009 and have just been reelected to serve another term on the
CEASD Board.
CEASD deals with issues on a national
level which can and will impact the future of PSD. At present CEASD’s concern is for the pending re-authorization of
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) which will occur in the
next 2-3 years. Long-standing concerns
about the ever-changing landscape in the
field of deaf education have led the
CEASD Board of Directors to advocate
for improvements that focus on the needs
of children first. This initiative started at
PSD prior to the bi-annual NAD conference last year in Philadelphia in July
2010.
Why is this important? Because the Special Education Community, while well
intentioned, has sometimes instituted
educational reforms that have hurt children who are deaf. State mandates push
for integration of as many disabled students as possible into public schools in
response to the federal mandate promising “a free and appropriate public education” for all. In doing this, states have
built quotas into their special education
goals. These quotas then show up in annual State Performance Plans as well as
annual performance reports and show a
steady increase in placement of students
in public schools near their homes. However commendable and well intentioned
the push for inclusion to satisfy the pre-
sent definition of Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) may be, the needs of deaf
children get lost here.
The IDEA is a civil rights document
which guarantees the right to access public school education settings. The
CEASD and I take the position that the
IDEA and the LRE are about access to
LEARNING in the setting that is conducive to the needs of each individual child.
All children are different, so the placement of children must be child driven.
CEASD’s campaign to advocate for all
deaf children has become known as the
“Child First” Campaign.
In their advocacy work, CEASD has
enlisted the services of a consultant, Ms.
Connie Garner, Policy Director of Government Strategies Practice Group. She
will be our chief strategist and lobbyist.
Ms. Garner brings an admirable wealth of
experience, previously serving as policy
director for Disability and Special Populations in Massachusetts under the late
Senator Edward Kennedy. For the first
time ever, CEASD will have representation at the table when the United States
Department of Education and members
of the US Congress commence the process for IDEA re-authorization and review.
This is exciting and I will keep you informed about CEASD’s continued activities in this effort. What is most important
is that you know that PSD and schools
like us are working hard collectively at
the national level to ensure the best educational placement for all deaf children
based on their individual needs and
strengths.
I am sure there will be much to report in
the coming months.
“...the IDEA and the LRE are about access to LEARNING in
the setting that is conducive to
the needs of each individual child.”
News from PSD’s
Job Developer Larry McGhee with the aid of an interpreter gives pointers to CCPS Job Center
clients currently looking for employment during a weekly Job Search Workshop.
Center for Community
and Professional Services
(Submitted by CCPS staff)
Four students in the Job
Center’s Job Readiness
Class visited local stores
and businesses recently
to experience the workplace firsthand as part of
their classroom learning
experience.
Job Center
The Center for Community and Professional Services (CCPS)’s cornerstone program, the Job Center, is continuously
working to place Deaf and hard of hearing
clients in employment. To do this, the Job
Center offers Job Readiness Classes and
Job Search Workshops.
CCPS Staff Share Expertise
Community Services Manager, Bob Shilling, serves on the Advisory Committee for
CareerLink and on the Board for the Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation
(PATF). The purpose of the Advisory
Committee is to ensure that CareerLink
provides accommodations to members of
the Deaf and hard of hearing community.
Members of the Board for PATF help
evaluate new technologies that assist Deaf
and hard of hearing individuals. Bob also
participated in a panel in April at the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown regarding
museum accessibility for deaf and hard of
hearing audiences.
We are also happy to announce a new satellite Job Readiness class in Allentown,
PA. We have hired a teacher and the class
will begin in June. This class has been
requested for about a year and we believe it
will be quite successful.
Other Outreach Services
Recently, we have had an increase in referral and service calls (people calling with
questions on sign language, driver’s education, literacy and GED classes, as well as
people interested in PSD tours and hearing
aid information). This interest shows that
there is still great demand for community
outreach programs. While funding for
these outreach services has decreased,
CCPS will continue to provide these important services to members of both the
Deaf and hearing communities.
Larry McGhee, one of our valued Job Developers, has been elected Chair of the
Employment Committee for the Mayor’s
Commission on People with Disabilities.
Did You Know ..?
Dogs and cats with white fur and blue eyes
are often deaf. Try signing with them!
Other species considered deaf are snakes,
insects, and octopi. (All of these have no ears
but can sense vibrations.)
Diana, the popular royal Princess of Wales,
acquired some fluency in British Sign Language (BSL) and raised awareness of BSL
and Deaf people. She was beloved by the
British Deaf community before she passed
away in 1997.
The hands on the statue of Abraham Lincoln
at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington,
D.C. appear to spell out the initials A and L.
Check it out when you visit DC.
There are over 100 school buildings, gymnasiums, libraries, streets, or large memorials
named for deaf people in the United States.
Deaf people have been identified as among
the safest of drivers.
The oldest professional journal in the United
States is the "American Annals of the Deaf".
Job Readiness teacher Robyn Emerick explains stocking
shelves to some of her students during a field trip.
The American football huddle was invented
by Paul Hubbard, a Deaf player at Gallaudet
University, who did not want the other team
to see his signing in planning moves.
3
.
As in the fall, client referrals have increased. However, due to the lagging economy, there are fewer companies hiring and
those that are hiring are looking for individuals with specific skills and most importantly, experience. This is the biggest
obstacle we face when placing clients.
Also, many Job Center clients prefer
housekeeping and shelf stocking jobs, so
that communication is less an issue with
hearing employers. But with the support
the Job Center provides to both clients and
employers we are working to overcome
this. Our two job developers do a great
deal of research and networking, which has
helped us obtain not only more interviews
but also more appropriate placements for
employment. We are very fortunate to
work with a great team at OVR who provide referrals and funding for our work.
PSD High School Students
Attend Academic Bowl
By PSD Teacher and AB Head Coach, Helen Leopold
This year was the 15th anniversary of
Gallaudet University’s Academic
Bowl competition for Deaf high
school students. To mark the special
occasion, Gallaudet University decided to have one national competition
rather than five regional matches as
had been done the previous 14 years.
So from march 4th until March 9th,
2011 over 300 Deaf teens and their
coaches met in Washington, DC for
academic games and fun.
PSD was one of 78 teams which competed for academic glory. Teams are
comprised of four high school students
who practice with their coaches for
months in preparation for the big
event. Students and coaches stayed in
the Sheraton Hotel in Arlington, VA
and were shuttled to Gallaudet’s campus early every morning and then returned late at night. The days were
full of competition and the nights were
set aside for fun and social activities.
Teams were placed in one of ten pools
in which they competed on Saturday
and Sunday. The top four teams from
each pool competed again on Monday
and Tuesday. The final four teams
competed Tuesday night in the National finals.
This year was only PSD’s 6th year of
competition, and despite playing with
just three members, PSD had its most
successful year yet. Saturday’s four
games were tough; our team lost all
four games. Undeterred, they bounced
back and won all five games on Sunday for a 5-4 record—the School’s
best finish ever! One game on Saturday against Ohio School for the Deaf
was very close (a matter of two questions). OSD went on to the next level
of play, leaving PSD players knowing
they were very close to advancing to
the next round.
There was also time to sightsee in our
nation’s capital. On Monday, our
team paired up with WPSD and saw
the American Indian Museum as well
4
The tour ended at the White House and
the team took the metro (thank you Gallaudet for providing the passes) back to
Union Station to buy lunch with vouchers also supplied by Gallaudet. After
eating the team took the metro to the
National Holocaust Museum where several hours were spent learning not only
about the genocide of World War II, but
the genocide that exists in our world
today. The team left with much to discuss over dinner before watching the
final matches that evening.
Jordan, Naima and Patrick enjoyed
their Washington Bowl adventure.
as the Air and Space Museum, both part
of the Smithsonian Institution. We also
figured out how to get around Washington, DC and were amazed by Union Station and the Capitol Building.
On Tuesday morning busses brought
teams from the hotel to the Washington
Monument where we were met by Deaf
guides and separated into groups. Our
tour took us to important places in Washington, DC and their connection with
Deaf History and Culture was explained.
“Team PSD” included Naima
Boudreaux, Jordan Sanjaya, and
Patrick Hegarty. Coaches Howard Bascome, Suzy Long (not
shown) and Head Coach Helen
Leopold were PROUD as was all
of PSD.
Team members were third year player
Jordan Sanjaya (Junior), second year
player Naima Boudreaux (Sophomore),
and first year player Patrick Hegarty
(Senior). Coaches this year were head
coach Helen Leopold and assistant coach
Howard Bascome. Coach Suzy Long
helped prepare the team but was unable
to go to Washington for the games.
While the games and sightseeing were
great, equally important was the time the
teens spent chatting with other Deaf
teens from as far away as Hawaii, learning about each other and comparing regional signs. The students also learned
about Gallaudet University and began to
think about planning for their own futures after high school graduation. Our
team met former PSD students who are
now studying at Gallaudet and were able
to ask them questions about college life.
The trip was memorable and a valuable
experience for everyone!
In and Around PSD
(1st row left to right):
Preschool students draw shapes in shaving
cream as a sensory physical therapy experience for upper extremity strengthening.
Shamir Gordon, Khyaire Corley, Stephen
Sitko, and Dillon Froggat made and sold
origami cranes to raise funds for a school
for the deaf in Japan after the recent earthquake/tsunami;
(2nd row left to right):
PSD high school basketball players made
PSD proud this season, winning Team
Third Place at the 35th Annual Eastern
Schools for the Deaf Athletic Association
Tournament with trophy displayed by
player Jessica Ginyard AND 2011 ESDAA
Division I Boys Tournament, Second
Place, with trophy shown by players Hiram
Ramos and Frankie Repici.
(3rd row left to right):
First grader Darnell Godbolt and sister
Gabrielle were a hit at the annual Family
Fashion Show with theme “Keep Moving,”
while middle schoolers and staff took time
out to participate in Beyonce’s “National
Flash Dance to Get Fit” in May.
5
A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words—
Technology Use at The Pennsylvania School for the Deaf
Editor’s Note: Frequently our supporters ask about classroom technology at The Pennsylvania
School for the Deaf (PSD). Here is some background about our current program. The most
important thing to know is that we need MORE technology and the funds to pay
for it!
The use of technology has leveled the playing field for the deaf and hard of hearing students at PSD, who are primarily visual learners. Last year PSD initiated an Educational
Technology Committee which meets regularly. As a result, a “Powerful Learning Practices—Transforming Teachers and Learners for the 21st Century with Technology” Wiki
(webpage group) has evolved. The Wiki assists teachers by providing information about
free online educational tools for every subject area and grade level and can be accessed at
this address: http://tinyurl.com/TTWTpsd. The School has two trained Lead Technology Teachers (one in High School and one in Elementary/Middle School) who work to
support all instructional staff with the use of technology (in addition to their regular fulltime teaching duties). PSD has a Consulting Director of Technology who works part-time
assisting with hardware at PSD and another consultant who trains teachers and staff to use
PowerSchool and PowerTeacher software. Through judicious use of grants and donations
PSD has been able to furnish the following technology equipment for use in PSD classrooms at the present time: document projectors (Elmos and Avermedias); camcorders, flip
and digital cameras; and interactive whiteboards (Ebeam SmartBoards). Regarding SmartBoards, we currently have 8 in high school, 4 in middle school, and 3 in elementary classrooms, along with 5 mobile labs with 10 laptops each, both Macs and PCs, which are in
continual rotating use in high school and middle school. Use of technology at school is
critical to the success of PSD students since 70% of PSD students do NOT have computers
and/or internet access at home.
6
Thanks to our generous friends who
have provided grants to help support
technology at PSD this year:
VERIZON Foundation
Order of the Sons of Italy in America,
Commonwealth Lodge
Order of the Golden Chain Charity
Philadelphia Distance Run
In recent months PSD students and
staff have been making the most of
the technological devices available to
them. Photos below depict (clockwise
from top left): elementary students
review computer care and internet
safety; middle school students participate in long-range learning via
internet videoconference with a
school in Washington, DC; elementary student returns Apple laptop to
mobile lab computer cart; and high
schools students use ThinkPads for
math class.
Meet the PSD
Community
Stephanie Michniewicz
Interviewed by Bob Shilling
Stephanie is hearing and started working at PSD
in 1989. Currently she is PSD’s Curriculum
Support Teacher. Her first exposure to deafness
came while working at Camp Kirby, a summer
camp for deaf children, where she was a 1-1
mentor for boys. She found ASL fascinating
and was motivated to learn sign language.
Originally she considered becoming a social
worker, but decided a four-year program in education to become a teacher would be a better fit
for her. She has a B.A. from Bloomsburg State
College and an MA from Arcadia University
where she continues to study for her Reading
Specialist Certification. Stephanie grew up in
the Willow Grove, Pa. area and has two grown
sons, ages 24 and 26.
PSD: In your 21 years working at PSD, do you
have any interesting stories:
Stephanie: Yes. When I was teaching first
grade, one of my students enjoyed reading Amelia Bedelia books. She decided to write her own
story and we packaged it and mailed it to the
author, Peggy Parish. We received a response
from the author’s daughter that her mom had
passed away, but that this student should definitely keep on with her writing. That student,
GABBI PETROFF, is working this spring as a
long-term sub in first grade at PSD. She’s not a
‘writer’ but has her BS in Family and Child
studies from Gallaudet and is working on a Master’s Degree from McDaniel College!
PSD: What has been most challenging about
your current position as Curriculum Support
Teacher?
Stephanie: Keeping all our wonderful resource
materials organized and readily available for our
teachers. These are kept in the Educational
Resource Center and are utilized by all staff to
assist in their lesson planning.
Members of the Maguire Family as well as all high school and middle school students and staff attended the
Maguire Scholarship Kick-off in March. Pictured here (l to r) are: Dr. Larry Taub, Head of School; John and
Franny Glomb, Megan Nicoletti, Jordan Sanjaya, Susie Maguire, Jackie Robinson, Jim and Frannie Maguire,
Jamie Maguire, PSD Chairman and CEO, Chris Turman, Chris Maguire, and Community Services Manager
Bob Shilling.
Maguire Scholars Program
Announced!
It was a very special day on March 22
as members of the Maguire Family
were present for the official kick-off
of the Maguire Scholars Program. This
unique scholarship opportunity was
initiated by the Maguire Foundation
this year for members of PSD’s Class
of 2011 AND previous PSD graduates
who are currently enrolled in accredited Post Secondary Educational Programs and who have completed at
least one year successfully. Up to
$25,000/year will be payable to up to
four individuals beginning in June
2011.
Applicants who apply must follow
very specific and stringent criteria
including: being in good academic
standing with at least a 3.0 average for
the last two years of high school and
maintaining a 3.0 average in their post
secondary program; participation in
school/community volunteer extracurricular activities; demonstrated
financial need; and willingness to pay
10% or up to $5,000 of one’s own
annual post secondary costs. The
deadline for submission of applications to PSD Principal, Dr. Eva Hartmann, was May 16 and the Maguire
Scholarship(s) will be presented by
Mr. Maguire at PSD’s graduation
ceremony on Thursday, June 16th.
Stephanie in her OVERFOWING Resource Center !
During the kick-off several recent
PSD graduates made presentations on
the programs they had attended after
graduation from PSD including the
Orleans Technical Institute, Gallaudet
University and Philadelphia Community College. Mr. Maguire provided
further background about the Maguire
Scholars Program presenting his remarks in American Sign Language.
PSD supporter Jim
Maguire signed his
remarks during the
program.
2010 Graduate Danny
Guzman described his
post-PSD education at
Orleans Technical Institute
and his current employment in air conditioning
work with Pride Industries
in Fort Dix, NJ.
7
PSD PEOPLE
Our Good Friends in the
Pennsylvania State Senate
PSD DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE
Congratulations to PSD high school filmmakers
who entered the 2011 ASL Films Fest for Youth
(AFFY) competition. Over 40 films were submitted for review and three PSD student films
won awards (of a total of 12 awards in all!)
Winners were: Recognition Award for
“Sleepwalking” by Jonathan Ruiz, Patrick
Hegarty and Jackie Robinson; Education
Award for “Can’t Stand” film produced by the
Sophomore Class; and Science Fiction Award
for “Deaf Harry Potter and Deafula” by Taylor
Malka, Jordan Sanjaya, Jay Werner, Frankie
Repici, Naima Boudreaux and Hiram Ramos.
Films will be shown to students during the
Texas School for the Deaf film festival this
spring and broadcast on the AFFY website
www.aslfilmsfestyouth.com.
With the help of an interpreter, Pennsylvania State Senator Christine
Tartaglione shared her experiences with high school sophomores during
her visit to PSD in April. Forty students live in the Senator’s district.
The Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and its Center for Community and Professional Services are equal opportunity employers and do not discriminate against applicants for admission or students because of race, color, religion, national
origin, ancestry, age, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, armed forces liability, disability, social or economic
status.
A visit to a high school government class allowed State
Senator Vincent Hughes to meet West Philly students
Domonique Brogdon and Fatoumata Diaoune. PSD
students wondered if Senator Hughes will ever run for
President!
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
The Pennsylvania School for the Deaf
100 West School House Lane
Philadelphia, PA 19144
The
PSD
WORLD
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 3478
Phila. PA