CALIFORNIA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAFCALIFORNIA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAFVolume 127Volume 127Number 5Number 5www.csdeagles.comwww.csdeagles.comApril 2012April 2012

californiacalifornia newsnews

High school students star in a dramatic production of“The Island of Dr. Moreau”

2 California News

California School for the Deaf

MISSIONThe mission of the California School for the Deaf is to provide comprehensive educati onal programs which create a strong foundati on for future learning among graduates in an accessible learning environment that recognizes Deaf students and adults as culturally and linguisti cally disti nct. The school will ensure that students receive a quality educati on with emphasis on full communicati on access through fl uency in both American Sign Language and English. This will enable students to reach their maximum potenti al while preparing them to functi on eff ecti vely in a diverse technologically-evolving world.

VISIONGraduates of the California School for the Deaf will demonstrate the knowledge, skills, competency and self-esteem to achieve fulfi lling personal lives and careers. Empowered with a positi ve Deaf identi ty, they will possess the confi dence, discipline, leadership and producti vity that will enable them to become contributi ng citi zens in a democrati c society.

BELIEFSThe California School for the Deaf, Fremont has made a commitment to be a Deaf-centered environment in which the design of learning and the language of instructi on are consistent with a Bilingual-Bicultural approach to educat-ing Deaf children. The school values itself as a multi -cultural community of varied ethnic backgrounds through which people are able to learn and work together to promote the academic, linguisti c, vocati onal, cultural, social, emoti onal and physical development of Deaf children. The involvement of parents, students, staff , the Deaf community, the busi-ness community and the community at large is regarded as essenti al to the mission of the school.

WE BELIEVE Students are best served through PARTNERSHIPS with and the INVOLVEMENT of all stakeholders and consti tuencies: parents,

students, staff , the Deaf community, business, government and other agencies, as well as local communiti es in the areas served by the California School for the Deaf.

The needs of students are best met by STAFF profi cient in American Sign Language and English who affi rm that all children can learn, do quality work, develop a positi ve self-image, and establish career goals that refl ect their skills and potenti al.

Early, consistent and meaningful communicati on in any form between family and child is essenti al in fostering the innate abil-ity of Deaf children for LANGUAGE. Acquisiti on of American Sign Language and writt en English is of paramount importance and should begin as early as possible to ensure fl uency.

Deaf students have the right to understand and be understood through access to direct and spontaneous communicati on in a signing environment where eff ecti ve COMMUNICATION strategies can be developed.

Students have the right to a standards-based core CURRICULUM, or to specialized programs as appropriate where reading, writi ng and math skills are developed and where criti cal thinking, problem-solving and decision-making skills can be fostered.

The CITIZENSHIP of students is enhanced by emphasizing responsibility for one´s acti ons, a sense of civic duty, and the devel-opment of ethical and moral decision-making skills.

Extracurricular acti viti es and parti cipati on as members of the Deaf Community, as well as the community at large, are crucial to the PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT of the whole child.

DIVERSITY in the school and community is to be embraced by nurturing respect, acceptance and appreciati on for the diff er-ences among human beings.

California News 3

californiacalifornia newsnewsAPRILAPRIL 2012 2012Students in the NewsHigh School Spring Play 4Deaf Prep Champions 8Deaf Pah! Day 10Math and Science Olympiad 20FEAST Students win Awards 26

School NewsMission Vision Summit 11New Promotional Video 12Mainstream Deaf Students Visit CSD 16New Standards & Assessments 17Museum Donation 21Applebee's Wall Display 28

ProgramsFamily Education Tours 22Video Relay Service 24

Photo EssayIsland of Dr. Moreau 14

Upcoming EventsAnderson Twins Comedy Show 7Spring Testing 18

Production TeamEditor: Meta MetalContributingPhotographers Rex Barlow, Family Education Tours Debra Doussett, Deaf Mainstream Students Elementary Staff, Deaf Pah! Day Jeff Jones & Grace Minter-Laughrey, Olympiad Stanley Matsumoto & Ethan Bernstein, Play Annette Ng, Deaf Mainstream Students Julie Rems-Smario, Deaf Mainstream Students Gangaa Tuvshinbat, CSD Promotional Video Lisa Viall, Mission Vision SummitProduction Supervisor: Bridgetta Bourne-FirlSchool Superintendent: Sean Virnig

California Department of EducationTom Torlakson, Dr. William Ellerbee, Scott Kerby

California School for the Deaf 39350 Gallaudet Drive, Fremont, CA 94538phone: 510-794-3666 videophone: 510-344-6044

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Island of Dr. Moreau - InterviewsFRANK GERMINARODirector

As we concluded last year’s producti on of The Scarlet Lett er, producer Ethan Bernstein shared with me that he was reading The Island of Dr. Moreau, which led to the idea of doing the story for this year’s play. I have never had the opportunity to direct “horror” before, and it is one of my favorite genres. I also love science fi cti on, and “Dr. Moreau” is a combinati on of both.

The student-actors were enthusiasti c about the play, and very dedicated. Almost all of them stayed with the producti on from the very beginning, managing to juggle play rehearsals with their school work. Three of the actors are also a part of the newly formed drama class that is currently a part of the high school language arts department.

This year’s producti on featured lots of new technology and special eff ects. One new feature is called “gobos.” Gobos are circular metal plates with cut-out designs—such as leaves, water, or waves—that are placed front of theater lighti ng. The cut-out shapes project onto the stage providing added visual eff ects.

In additi on to using gobos, there were plenty of new video and sound eff ects. “Hats off ” to producer Ethan Bernstein, his intern Thor Anderson,

and high school teacher Allison Gibbons for providing the special eff ects for the play.

Creati ng the costumes for the myriad of animals in the cast was another huge undertaking. Each of the animals had their own electronic device to wear during the blackout scenes. I had a blast being more involved in the costume making process, along with Cindy Bronson and Klesha Chapman.

I’d like to thank all of the students, staff , and parents who helped make this producti on possible. We couldn’t have done it without you. I’d also like to thank my wife, Sandra, for her understanding, since so much of my ti me was consumed with making the play successful.

TABITHA BENAVIDESMiranda Freeman & Ape Man

I like the play because it was all about science—and I love science.

My Ape Man role had a lot of lines. It was a challenging character. I was half ape and half human. I had to keep my body bent over, arms rounded, and hands clenched. Ape Man’s walk is diff erent from a human walk, so I had to master that. In the story, I was supposed to be bett er than the other animals: The other animals had hoofs or paws, whereas I had hands and could use all of my fi ngers. Also, the other animals had claws, while I had fi ngernails.

PHILLYS BROWNMolly Delacourt & Swine Man

When we fi rst started the rehearsals, I was supposed to be a fi sh. Then they changed my character to a pig. I couldn't picture myself as a pig. I really didn’t want to play that role. It was a challenge for me. I watched a video of a pig and realized that I had to hold my nose up high to get into the

role of my character. When we fi rst got assigned our characters, Director Frank showed us a PowerPoint of all the diff erent animals to help us get a feel for our animal characters. Then he suggested that we watch more videos at home or in the cott age.

I think the hardest part of learning my lines was when all of the animals had to say our lines in unison. It had to be signed perfectly as a group. If it were just me saying lines by myself—or back and forth with another character, that would have been easier. But all of us signing the same thing at the same ti me was much harder.

BRANDON CALLDaniel Freeman & Wolf Man

Acti ng like a wolf and a man in the same character was challenging. I watched YouTube to get some ideas on how to act like a wolf. Director Frank showed us videos of various animals to help us get started. My character is 40% man and 60% wolf.

The fi rst thing I tackled was my lines. Then I started working on developing my character. I had to walk with my back a litt le bit hunched over, and I also had to add panti ng.

This was my fourth year acti ng in the high school play, but I had one additi onal year of acti ng experience performing in The Nutcracker when I was in elementary school.

My fi rst year was with Director Heidi Burns when we were supposed to perform “Mayla the Monkey Girl.” That play got scratched at the last minute because it wasn’t suitable for all audiences. With just a couple weeks before the actual performance, we had to come up with a whole new producti on.

Then, I performed in “The Masked Musketeer” with Megg Rose as the director. That year was the most fun.

California News 5

This year, we performed “The Island of Dr. Moreau.” It was my kind of acti ng. In real life, it would be sick, but as a drama, it was very interesti ng. It was a nice change from the usual type of producti ons we tend to do for the spring play.

Parti cipati ng in the play is a nice way to make new friends. Actually, I recruited a couple of my friends to become actors in this year’s play!

TRAVIS COMBS-BEARDJoe Montgomery, William King& Panther Man

The toughest part for me was memorizing all of the lines for my various characters.

I grew up with SEE sign and only recently learned American Sign Language (ASL). It was very challenging seeing the script in English and making a good translati on into ASL.

Another challenging part of rehearsals was memorizing all of the blocking—knowing where I was supposed to be standing on the stage at each moment of the producti on.

Working with Director Frank was really cool!

KAYLA ENOSSayer of the Law

Being in the play was fun because we all got to know each other.

I looked forward to doing the live performances because my whole family planned to come watch the show. My grandparents and cousins came all the way from Arizona to see the show, and my parents who live in Sacramento came, too.

TIRZAH FARLEYLizard Man

Last year, I wanted to be in the play, but I was scared to auditi on; this year, I tried out and I got in.

At fi rst, I wanted to play a cat, but then accepted that I was going to play the role of a lizard. I watched a video about a lizard and studied what made it unique. I learned several

tricks to make me look more like a lizard. I kept my fi ngers together and my eyes open very wide, and I fl icked my tongue in and out.

Learning my lines was easy for me. The actor I looked up to the most was Michael Foust. I really enjoy watching him perform Edward Prendick’s character because he had so many lines and his role was so exciti ng. Watching Michael act really inspired me. I also enjoyed watching the other animals on stage.

BRITTANY FARREllison Montgomery

This year’s play was interesti ng. It was diff erent from the performances we did the past three years. In this year's play, I was on an island assisti ng Dr. Moreau with his scienti fi c research on the animals, trying to transform them into human beings. The plot can be applied to so much of the oppression that aff ects minority cultures, such as African American slavery or Deaf people being told that they need to become hearing instead of having our own language and culture respected. It is a wake-up call for the world to see how Deaf people feel when the majority culture is trying to make us into something we are not.

This year, the play had a very diff erent theme and genre. At California School for the Deaf, we tend to perform plays by Shakespeare, or drama, or comedy—but not horror.

My role was very sarcasti c. It was fun to have permission to bring out that side of myself. I enjoyed becoming another character—walking in their shoes and learning the lines that character would say. I also enjoyed watching the other actors.

GIDEON FIRLHenry Mateson & Leopard Man

I got a lot of acti ng experience when I was in elementary school. I mostly did shows at school, but I also did some acti ng outside of school,

too. Even though I joined the play late, this year, I managed to catch up and learn my lines.

I really enjoyed playing the role of Leopard Man. It was a good role for me. In order to develop my character, I had to get in touch with my inner emoti ons. My character was supposed to be angry and rebellious throughout the enti re play.

I liked doing the play, but I think the stage was too small. I wish the stage had been bigger.

MICHAEL FOUSTEdward Prendick & George Prendick

This year’s play was wonderful. It had a lot of acti on. The team unity among the cast and crew was fabulous. We did a lot of work together as a group.

I loved the storyline. It has been the most interesti ng of my four years parti cipati ng in the high school spring plays. The theme can be applied to important issues our Deaf community faces. In the play, Dr. Moreau is trying to convince the world that it is okay to operate on animals and make them like people. This is paramount to the medical community trying to convince Deaf people that it is okay to implant us with cochlear implants in order to try and make us become hearing.

In the past, the school plays were more focused on acceptable stories for elementary-aged kids, and there were no controversial issues; whereas the theme of this year’s play

6 California News

relates more to issues that aff ect me personally, such as the recent politi cs in Indiana. I think the play is a perfect choice for this ti me, right now.

The other thing that makes acti ng in this play so much fun is all of the diversity of characters, such as lizards, cats, and humans all in one place.

My character, Edward Prendick, is a typical Londoner who gets shipwrecked. He is saved by the inhabitants of the island. When I fi rst arrive on the island, I misunderstood Dr. Moreau’s experiment; I thought he wanted to transform people into animals. In reality, the opposite was true; Dr. Moreau was trying to turn animals into people. In the end, the animals revolt as they want to keep their own identi ty.

This play does not off er any clear sense of what is right or wrong, which is very diff erent from the plays we have done in the past where there was a clear hero and a clear villain. What is morally right? The play doesn’t tell you; rather, it lets you make your own judgment call.

My character, Edward Prendick, had a ton of lines which I had to memorize. But what made it much harder and more challenging was the fact that there was a lot of acti on. Prendick himself went through so many emoti ons as he encountered various situati ons throughout the play.

He was confused; then he was disappointed; then he was angry. I had to show all of his emoti ons while being a part of the acti on on set. And, I had to say my lines at the same ti me.

When I performed in “The Masked Musketeer,” I was an immature character all the way through the play. This year’s character is much more challenging for me, but I’m glad to have the challenge.

I looked forward to the showing the play to the audience because all of the cast worked together to make it successful. It was a wonderful play for my senior year, and my last acti ng opportunity at California School for the Deaf.

JACQUES KIELBUSDr. Moreau

Dr. Moreau exists in his own world of scienti fi c research on animals. He wants to create animals in his own image. He has a split personality. He acts humble when he’s around people, but he acts like the boss when he is around the animals, controlling them by torture. He wants the animals to view him as superior so that they follow his laws because they are afraid of being hurt. He also has a sarcasti c nature, and his jokes are riddled with hidden insults.

This was my fi rst year performing with the spring play. My performing experience started when I was very young. I started telling stories when I was just four years old. Parents would watch my stories and be impressed. I knew very young that I had a talent as a presenter. Then when I was eight, I joined a group called Extreme Magicians. Our group traveled to over 300 schools from the East Coast to the West Coast doing our magic show. I was an illusionist who specialized in using big props. I also found lots of ways to have audience parti cipati on be part of my act. I was trained by a magic coach named Sammy Ruiz. The group was based out of California School for the

Deaf, Riverside. I was a part of that group unti l I moved to Fremont at age 11.

As for our performance of “The Island of Dr. Moreau,” it is rare for our school to present a play based on horror. We usually do plays based on love or comedy. I think the audience should enjoy the change in genre. As for the storyline of the play, I’d like to leave you with the mott o, “Are we not men?”

AUDREY LAGASCAM’Ling

For the past three years, I parti cipated in the play as a member of the stage crew. The reason I decided to change over to being an actor was because I promised someone that I would try out, this year, as an actor, and I did.

Acti ng in the play was challenging. The fi rst challenge was memorizing my lines. Then I had to become familiar with all of the cues. Aft er that, I had to learn how to act like someone else.

In the play, I was a servant for Edward Prendick (Michael Foust) and Ellison Montgomery (Britt any Farr).

My favorite thing about parti cipati ng in the play was getti ng to know the other actors. I probably would never have had the opportunity to talk with some of the cast just in everyday life at school, but when we got together for rehearsals, I got to learn so much about each one of them.

YESENIA MARTINEZSkunk Man

I am from Mexico. I came to America to visit and then I became a student at California School for the Deaf. It is much bett er for me here than in Mexico. I don’t know very much American Sign Language, but the other students helped me with my lines.

I played the Skunk Man where I was supposed to stand in the middle of the stage, in front of the goat.

Continued from Page 5

California News 7

DONNA MELENAEvaline Prendick & Cat Man

It was very challenging to merge a cat and a human into my character. For the cat, I was supposed to act snobby and fussy at the same ti me.

This was my fi rst ti me acti ng in the school play. I thought it would be easy, but it ended up being really hard! I had to learn my lines and memorize where I was supposed to be on stage. When I fi nally learned how to move on stage, it became a lot more fun for me.

YORDI MORALESHelmar Johannsen

Last year, I had a big role in the spring play; but this year, since I’m managing the basketball team, I had to just do a small roll in the boat scene at the beginning of the play. I also helped out on the crew with opening and closing the curtains, moving the props for the diff erent acts, makeup, and costume changes.

TAYLOR NIXCharles Doyle & Hyena Man

I liked playing the role of Hyena Man. I had to make my signs really small and laugh all the ti me.

This was my fi rst year acti ng in the play; last year, I helped with the stage crew. I liked doing the acti ng because I learned more American Sign Language. Also, I liked it that we got lots of opportuniti es to help each other during rehearsals.

MAYA PENNMystery Man

Being in the play taught me a lot about ti me management. We rehearsed for two hours. Then we had an hour break. Then we rehearsed for two more hours. During the course of the evening, I had to fi nd a way to get all my homework done and memorize my lines. The most important thing was that I memorized my lines.

Anderson Twins Comedy Show Comes to CSD

A show the whole family can enjoy! Siblings will relate to the unique relati onship between the two

brothers. Have your brothers or sisters made up signs that your parents can’t

understand? Were you ever stuck trying to decide who should get more of your

att enti on—your Deaf child or your hearing child? Have you ever wondered whether you should discipline your Deaf

and hearing children diff erently?

Levi is a graduate of New Mexico School for the Deaf. Clay, his hearing brother, is fl uent in American Sign Language. How oft en do you get to see twin brothers—one Deaf, one hearing—on stage talking about their experience as Deaf/hearing individuals, or perhaps as “twins?” Hence, the Anderson Twins. They describe themselves is “a tad heavy and bald,” and their show as “a humorous perspecti ve on life as twins, having a mixed Deaf and hearing family.”

The Anderson Twins will perform at California School for the Deaf, in the Klopping Theater, Friday, April 27, at 7:00 p.m. The show will be voice interpreted. Tickets are $11. You can purchase them in advance from CSD Outreach or at the door.

8 California News

First time ever winning all three championships during the same season

43 Deaf Prep National championships in the history of CSD

Ftd

4ct

Girls Basketball

Boys BasketballBoys Basketball

WrestlingWrestling

California News 9

Congratulations ChampionsBy Kevin Kovacs

We have had one of the most successful winter sports season combined.

It was the result of a school-wide eff ort, along with our fantasti c parent support. We are proud of our student-athletes for their accomplishments this season. Our coaches have done a tremendous job leading our teams all winter.

Varsity Boys Basketball fi nished the season with a record of 24-6, which is the most victories ever in a season. The team won the Clerc Classic and the Western States Basketball Classic. It was the second ti me ever for team to win the league championship (since 1986). The team also won the league playoff s fi nishing both the regular season and league post season undefeated for the fi rst ti me ever. The team won the fi rst round in Division V for the second ti me ever (2006 being the fi rst). This allowed the team to host the second round Division V playoff s for the fi rst ti me ever. (Our season ended on a 6-point loss to perennial power University High School in S.F.) Our boys were selected as Deaf Prep NATIONAL CHAMPIONS by NDIAA and DeafDigest Sports.

Varsity Girls Basketball completed a successful season as WSBC and fi rst ti me ever Clerc Classic champions, defeati ng the defending champs, Indiana School for the Deaf at Indiana. The team fi nished third in a very competi ti ve league and made it to the league championship where they lost to rival Emery. Our hopes for qualifying forthe North Coast Secti on did not come true, nevertheless the Eagles had one of the best seasons in school history. They completed the season with a record of 15-10. Our girls were selected as Deaf Prep NATIONAL CHAMPIONS by NDIAA and DeafDigest Sports.

Varsity Cheerleading did a wonderful job supporti ng all of our teams this season. They signed the nati onal anthem for many of our games. They made sure our fans were involved in all of our games and supported the teams to soar higher. The cheerleading team also won the Western State Cheerleading Classic for the third ti me in a row.

Varsity Wrestling had another great season! Even though the team had a heartbreaking loss at the Willigan Tournament, losing by one point to Model Secondary School for the Deaf, 39-38, they bounced back the next day in the individual tournament, with fi ve fi rst place winners. The team fi nished the regular season undefeated and won the league playoff championship. The Eagles sent 10 wrestlers to the North Coast Secti on playoff s. They all had the experience of grappling with the best wrestlers in the North Coast Secti on, regardless of school size. Shawn Benavente got the fi ft h place medal in the 220 pound class. He almost made it to the state; the top four fi nishers qualify for the state. We are proud of our wrestlers, including Shawn for representi ng CSD at NCS! Our wrestlers were selected as Deaf Prep Co-NATIONAL CHAMPIONS by NDIAA.

As you can see, there were a lot of accomplishments and records made and broken this winter season. We can be proud of our Eagles and their teams. The success of our teams is att ributed to all of us here at CSD, as well as our supporters outside of CSD, since we all have had some impact on our student-athletes in one way or another.

Thank you for your tremendous support and creati ng great memories that we all can cherish! Please share this with other CSD alumni, family, and friends.

Spring RecessApril 9 - 13

High School Academic Bowl at Gallaudet University

April 12 - 17Hoy Tournamentat CSD Riverside

April 20 - 21Berg-Seeger Track

at Arizona School for the Deaf & Blind

April 20 - 21Anderson Twins

April 27FHA-HERO

Fresno State Conference & Competition

April 28 - May 1Cinco de Mayo Festival

May 3High School Prom

May 11Career/Technical Education

CompetitionMay 17

Middle School Jr. EaglesASB Weekend

May 18 - 20Memorial Day Holiday

May 28Viewing of CSD's New

Promotional Video & PSA'sJune 1

Elementary & Middle School Promotions

June 7High School Graduation

June 8Last Day of School

June 8IEP WeekJune 11-15

Mark Your Calendar

10 California News

By Keila Classen

On March 13, CSD celebrated Pah! Day. This holiday began as an anniversary celebrati on

of the Deaf President Now movement at Gallaudet University in the late 1980’s. It has morphed into a celebrati on of the individual and collecti ve successes of the Deaf community. For elementary students, it’s a day to learn about their potenti al, meet Deaf role models in a variety of fi elds, and be inspired to set and accomplish goals for themselves. “Pah!” is the mouth movement made for the sign “success” or “fi nally!” Pah! Day is a day elementary students learn more about reasons they should be proud to be Deaf, and receive strong messages of hope and encouragement for their future.

This year, elementary students had an opening assembly during which the history of Pah! Day was briefl y touched upon. Then, they rotated between several stati ons that had live or recorded talks given by successful Deaf individuals. They were:

Missy Keast (someone elementary students see oft en because of her ASL story DVDs) explained to students what it was like to be a storyteller and how she makes her DVD series.

Rory Osbrink shared his experiences as a cyclist in the Deaf Olympics.

Darlene Hajduk walked students through her daily life as veterinary technician.

Rosa Lee Timm shared her talent on video and represented the many successful Deaf actors and performers.

Wayne Bett s, Jr. talked about fi lmmaking and his current job at Convo making marketi ng materials.

Drago Renteria brought his dog and showed what he does as a dog trainer. He also talked about being a business owner.

Adam Jarashow explained about the Deaf-owned restaurant Mozzeria where he is a waiter. He also talked about his teaching career.

Each guest conti nued to insti ll in students that they could do anything they set their mind to. Students had the opportunity to fi lm what they aspired to be in their future at one of the stati ons.

The day closed with an assembly where everything the students learned was summed up for them. They took a group photo signing “Pah!” representi ng all the successes of the Deaf community: past, present, and future.

Refl ecti ng on Pah! Day and reasons they’re proud to be Deaf, fourth grade students wrote these quotes:

“I’m proud to be Deaf because Deaf people can do anything without fear. I’m proud of Deaf people like Rory who is brave and joined bicycle races or Rosa Lee who is a famous Deaf performer and happens to be African American.” – anonymous student

“I’m proud to be Deaf because Deaf and hearing people are equal; our cultures are equal. We can do anything hearing people can do, and we’re all humans.” – Matt hew

“I like the Deaf community because we can play sports.” – Ashley

“I’m proud to be Deaf because I can be an actor and make a movie in Hollywood. I can be a police off er and help people. I can become a teacher at a residenti al school. I can be a vet and help animals!” – Nancy

Elementary Celebrates Deaf Pah! Day

Elementary students close their celebration by signing “Pah!”

California News 11

By Laura Peterson & Katie Canfi eld

Building on the recently approved Expected Schoolwide Learning Results, CSD hosted a Mission Vision Summit to develop new

statements, in the fi rst revision since the early 1990s. On February 29, a group of about 65 stakeholders, representi ng parents, students, staff , and community members, were invited to join in draft ing the next vision and mission statements. The summit was a great success! It provided the opportunity to discuss CSD’s strengths and goals for the future.

The organizing committ ee worked with facilitators to identi fy acti viti es and small group work that led to the proposed vision and mission statements. Additi onally, parti cipants were shown a video in which students from early childhood educati on to high school were asked what they value about CSD. The values that the students identi fi ed were taken into account when working on the draft s. By the aft ernoon, the groups had an opportunity come together to provide feedback on the draft statements.

The next step includes a survey for staff , parents, and the community to provide feedback on the draft statements. The new vision and mission will lead our eff orts in providing outstanding educati on for years to come.

A School with a New Vision

Mother Daughter Team

Parents, students, staff, and community hard at work.

Stakeholders at the 2012 Mission Vision Summit

12 California News

By Meta Metal

A fi lm crew which was hosted by Julie Rems-Smario of CSD Outreach had a very busy

week March 5-9, on the California School for the Deaf campus fi lming classrooms, sporti ng events, cott age life, extra-curricular acti viti es, parent interviews, and student comments. The week’s worth of footage will be used to create a promoti onal video that will reach out to parents of Deaf children, inviti ng them to visit CSD. The video will also become a resource for local educati onal agencies that have Deaf children in their district.

The video will feature testi monials from parents of CSD students, what CSD off ers through a student’s eyes, and comments on how the CSD community feels about being at the school. It will be fully accessible through voice-over and capti ons, with special att enti on to the voice-over matching the character of the signer.

A public viewing of the school’s new promoti onal video will be held on Friday, June 1, from 7:00-9:00 p.m., in the Klopping Theater. For more informati on, contact CSD Outreach.

Meet the CrewJules Dameron is the director of

California School for the Deaf’s new promoti onal video. Jules grew up in Minneapolis, Minn. She started her schooling in a Deaf only program. She was home schooled for a year and a half, and then att ended a mainstream program for high school. From there, she went to Gallaudet University for her bachelor’s degree in television and fi lm. She then transferred to the University of Southern California where she got her master’s of fi ne arts degree in fi lm directi ng.

Jules’ mom was an actress. Her dad was involved in media producti on. So it was no accident that their daughter should grow up to become a fi lmmaker. It all started when Jules was seven and her family had a reunion. They had a VHS camcorder hooked up to a television so that they could watch themselves on video as they were fi lming their reunion. It was through that experience that Jules realized she wanted to become a fi lmmaker. She kept asking her dad to buy her a camcorder, but her dad said he could not aff ord one. Finally, when Jules was 13, her dad bought her a used camcorder and

CSD's New Promotional Videoshe was able to begin making movies. A year later, she was doing video editi ng using Adobe Premier.

By the ti me she was 17, Jules had made her very fi rst feature fi lm, “You Can’t Hear Me with Your Eyes Closed.” It was 28 minutes long. Jules was taking a fi lmmaking class at the ti me, and the teacher gave the students the opti on of writi ng a paper on fi lmmaking or making their own fi lm. Out of 30 students, Jules was the only one who opted to make her own fi lm. It was a story about a Deaf kid and a hearing kid who were forced to do a project together, and their process of discovering ways to communicate with each other.

Jules was responsible for writi ng the script, casti ng the characters, and doing the fi lming, editi ng, directi ng, and producing of her own piece. She even found a way to fi lm inside a real classroom with a teacher playing the role of one of her characters. She used a Deaf student for the Deaf main character and a hearing student for the hearing main character.

Her dad told her that he was impressed with the fi lm she produced, because the storyline made sense and the fi lm fl owed well throughout. From then on, Jules knew she had a future in fi lm.

“Before I started fi lming the promoti onal video for California School for the Deaf, I fi rst needed to understand the mission and vision of the school. I realized that I wasn’t just creati ng an adverti sement for the school, instead I was supporti ng a good cause by making a fi lm that would show parents what a great environment the school provides for Deaf children, where they can arti culate complicated thoughts through American Sign Language.”

You can see more of Jules’ work at www.julesdameron.com

Gungaa

Jules Shaka

California News 13

Gungaa Tuvshinbat assisted the director with operati ng the camera and setti ng up the lighti ng during the fi lming.

Gungaa was born hearing in Mongolia but became deaf when she was fi ve years old. She went to a Deaf school for just one year before her family moved to Moscow where she went to a hearing school. Even though she couldn’t learn anything at the hearing school, she was able to make lots of friends through sports acti viti es, ballet lessons, and art classes. She learned her reading and writi ng from her mom at home.

Gungaa used many diff erent modes of communicati on during her travels. When she was very young, she learned to speak from her family. Then she learned Mongolian sign language and basic Mongolian language while att ending a Deaf school in Mongolia. Aft er that, she learned some Russian from her mom. At the hearing school in Moscow, she developed a way of communicati ng through body language and gestures. Most recently, she learned American Sign Language and English while living in the United States.

Ever since she was a very young child, Gungaa has had a fascinati on for art. She got a bachelor of fi ne arts degree from the Mongolian University of Culture and Art. Gungaa spent a lot of ti me with her father who was a fi lmmaker and cameraman. She traveled with him while he was making fi lms and was inspired to follow in his footsteps. Aft er graduati ng from Berkeley City College where she majored in video producti on, Gungaa started taking courses toward her master’s degree in cinematography and fi lm directi ng for television. She has also done photo exhibiti ons overseas.

When her friends asked her if she would like to be a part of a fi lmmaking crew for a video to show how Deaf students develop using American Sign Language at a school

for Deaf students, she jumped at the opportunity.

Gungaa has already visited the California School for the Deaf many ti mes since her fi nance graduated from the school. She loves the school’s rich history and the fact that Charlie Chaplin’s fi lms were inspired by a Deaf student from the school. She is proud to be a part of the school’s history through making a fi lm about it. She found it interesti ng to watch how the Deaf kids learn. She said, “Hearing kids listen with their ears, but their eyes might sti ll be wandering; whereas when Deaf kids learn, they watch everything and listen with their eyes.” More than anything, Gungaa wishes she could pick up the enti re California School for the Deaf—including the campus and all of the Deaf teachers—and transport the school to Mongolia.

Shaka Jamal Redmond recorded the sound for the CSD promoti onal video. Shaka has a master’s degree in cinematography from San Francisco State and does the sound mixing for one of the regular television shows that appears on the Discovery channel.

It is Shaka’s fi rst ti me working with a Deaf fi lm crew. In fact, he had never met any Deaf fi lmmakers before working on this project, and just recently learned that there was a Deaf fi lm festi val in Washington, DC.

“My job is to ensure that they get the sound clearly. The director wants to make sure that the background sounds come across in the fi lm. If the children are signing, we want to be able to hear when their hands hit together.”

While fi lming inside the classrooms, Shaka was impressed with the small class sizes. He said, “In a public school with 40 students, no one noti ces if a child isn’t paying att enti on; while here at California School for the Deaf, the teacher noti ces each child. The students look engaged and the teachers are passionate about their work.”

Filming at the Deaf school reminded Shaka of his ti me in the Peace Corps when he visited South Africa where there are over 11 languages being spoken and he struggled trying to communicate. Shaka said, “It made me realize how much I didn’t know about other cultures and other languages.” About being at California School for the Deaf, Shaka said, “It has been a humbling experience for me to use a diff erent part of my brain and personality than I normally use.” Shaka communicated with the American Sign Language users through an interpreter, though he took every opportunity he could to learn to sign for himself. He was very proud of learning to sign “good morning” and “building.”

Shaka had this to say about the opportunity to learn some new signs in American Sign Language, “If you learn other languages, you become more human. Around the world, people communicate in so many diff erent languages in so many diff erent ways. Our ability to share with one another helps to keep us alive, whether we are just saying “good morning,” or whether we are sharing our deepest inner thoughts.

Filming with sound has had its individual challenges, such as whether to incorporate the interpreter as part of the background sound track or whether to record the interpreter later as a voice-over.

When asked what part of this experience Shaka will take away with him into his future life, Shaka responded that he has a 20-month old son who started learning to sign when he was just 6 months old (since Shaka had read that children can learn to sign before they can learn to speak). Through Shaka's experience being part of the fi lm crew at CSD, he has become even more moti vated to conti nue teaching his son new signs and working with his son on expanding his sign language repertoire.

14 California News

A Backstage Pass

The Island of Dr. Moreau

Photographs byStanley Matsumoto &Ethan Bernstein

California News 15

16 California News

Mainstream Students Day JAC taught a lesson in each of the schools below. The lesson combined science terms such as vivisecti on, theater vocabulary from The Island of Dr. Moreau, and American literature based on the 1800s.

Annie Pennycook Elementary SchoolVallejo

Edison High SchoolStockton

Harding Elementary SchoolEl Cerrito

Bridge ProgramLoma Vista Campus, Concord

Franklin Elementary SchoolOakland

Stella Brockman Elementary School Manteca

Sierra High School Manteca

John O'Connell High SchoolSan Francisco

César Chávez Elementary SchoolSan Francisco

Cordelia Hills Elementary SchoolFairfi eld

Rodriguez High SchoolFairfi eld

Dewey ElementarySacramento area

Outreach provides literacy support to mainstream schools

Superintendent Sean greets the visitors.

Students participate in a receptive skills activity with Thing 1.

Mainstream students eat lunch after watching the high school spring play.

The real Cat in The Hat.

Dr. Seuss & Literacy Day

Students from Cesar Chavez Elementary School in San Francisco pose for a group photograph with their ASL storyteller, JAC.

California News 17California News

More than 40 states are implementing the Common Core State Standards, which provide consistent learning goals for

students regardless of their background or where they live. These standards are designed to make sure that all students

graduate from high school with the knowledge and skills necessary for success in college and career.

To help students meet these goals, Smarter Balanced is working with educators and parents to develop assessments that

will replace current state assessments in English language arts/literacy and mathematics in the 2014-15 school year. The

Smarter Balanced assessment system will provide teachers with new tools to monitor student progress and resources to

meet each student’s unique needs.

Key Features of Smarter Balanced

Measures student achievement and growth in English

language arts/literacy and mathematics in grades 3-8

and high school.

Includes accommodations for students with disabilities

and English language learners so that all students can

demonstrate what they know.

Administered online with questions and performance tasks

that measure critical thinking and problem solving skills.

Expectations of student performance linked to international

benchmarks.

Preparation for College and Career

A high school diploma should mean students are ready to

take their next step in life—by going to college, pursuing

career training or entering the workforce. Smarter Balanced

assessments measure college and career readiness so

that parents and teachers can help them stay on track to

graduation.

Supporting Teaching and Learning

In addition to a year-end assessment, teachers will be able

to administer interim assessments throughout the school

year to monitor student progress. Results from the interim

assessment will be available quickly, giving teachers the

information they need to address student needs before

the end of the year. In addition, teachers will have access

to a digital library of resources and professional learning

opportunities to help students succeed.

Feedback for Teachers and Parents

An online system will provide clear, easy-to-understand reports

on student performance for teachers, parents and schools.

Teachers can use these reports to inform their instruction,

and parents will have better information about their child’s

progress. Parents will also be able to see how student

achievement at their school compares to performance at the

district and state level.

LEARN MORE AND GET INVOLVED

Visit SmarterBalanced.org to learn more about the Smarter

Balanced Assessment Consortium and signup to receive our

monthly eNewsletter. For more information, please contact

Info@SmarterBalanced.org.

Assessment Implementation Timeline

Winter/Spring 2013—Pilot testing of assessments

in a sample of schools

Spring 2014—Field testing of summative and

interim assessments

2014-15 School Year—Implementation of

assessment system

Smarter Balanced and Parents:

Preparing Students for Success after High School

SmarterBalanced.org

New Assessment Program in CaliforniaIn coming years, the California Department of Educati on, including the California School for the Deaf, will be implementi ng a new set of standards called the Common Core State Standards. These standards will be consistent from grade to grade, in over 40 states. Along with the new standards, a new assessment system is being developed by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consorti um. California is one of the major partners in the development of this new system. The following fact sheet provides more informati on on this new assessment, as well as a website where you can get more informati on.

18 California News

The arrival of spring also means that it’s the ti me of year for testi ng. Your child will be taking a variety of tests to assess their skills and/or progress made during the school year. Please be aware of the test dates. (See side bar.)

Here is what you can do to best prepare your child. Your child needs:

A least 8 hours of sleep every night, especially before and during testi ng

A nutriti ous breakfast every morning before school

Comfortable clothes To avoid stressful situati ons

before and during testi ng Your support and

encouragement You to be positi ve on testi ng days

Contact any of the following staff members if you have questi ons or concerns (fi rst initi al, last name @csdf-cde.ca.gov):

Your child’s teacher or principal Michele Tompkins

Teacher Specialist, ECE Nancy Brill

Elementary Literacy Coach Janice Orton

Middle School Literacy Coach Kate Kovacs

High School Literacy Coach Brenda Call

Math Teacher Specialist Michele Berke

Student Outcomes Specialist

2012 SPRING TESTING

Early Childhood Educati on (pre-school/pre-kindergarten) ASL: April 30 – June 1 DRDP: March 1 – April 30

Early Childhood Educati on (Kindergarten) ASL: April 30 – June 1 Observati on Survey: April 30 – June 1 Instructi onal Reading Level: April 30 – June 1 6 Traits Writi ng: April 30 – June 1

Special Needs ASL: (Elem: May 7 – 18; MS: April 16-27; HS: April 30 – May 11) MAP Reading, Language, Math

(Grades 6-12):April 16 – May 4 CAPA (Grades 2-11): April 16 – May 18 Observati on Survey (Elem): May 14 – 18 Instructi onal Reading Level

(Grades 1-5): March 5 - 30 DRA (Grades 6-8): March 5 - 30 6 Traits Writi ng:

(Elem: May 7 – 18; MS: April 2 -6; HS: May 11 – 18) SSSQ: March 26 – May 11

Elementary ASL: April 16 – May 18 Observati on Survey: April 16 – May 18 Instructi onal Reading Level: April 16 – May 18 6 Traits Writi ng: April 16 – May 18 MAP Reading, Language, Math

(Grades 3-5): April 23 – June 1 CA STAR (Grades 2-5): April 17 - 27

Middle School ASL: April 2 - 27 DRA: March 5 - 30 6 Traits Writi ng: April 2-27 MAP Reading, Language, Math: April 2 - 27 CA STAR (Grades 6-8): May 3, 4, 7, 8

High School ASL: April 30 – May 11 6 Traits Writi ng: May 1 – 31 MAP Reading, Language, Math: April 23 – May 14 CA STAR: April 23 - 26

Physical Educati on Physical Fitness Test (Grades 5-10): late May

California News 19

EXÁMENES DE LA PRIMAVERA Pronto va a llegar la primavera, y es la temporada de los exámenes. Su hijo va a tomar diferentes exámenes para evaluar sus habilidades o el progreso que ha hecho durante el año escolar. Por favor, tome en cuenta las fechas de los exámenes. (Vea la columna de la derecha.)

Aquí está lo que puede hacer para preparar mejor a su hijo. Su hijo necesita:

por lo menos 8 horas de sueño todas las noches, especialmente antes y durante los exámenes

un desayuno nutriti vo todas las mañanas antes de venir a la escuela

ropa cómoda evitar situaciones estresantes

antes y durante el período de los exámenes

que lo apoye y lo anime que Ud. tenga una acti tud

positi va durante los exámenes

Póngase en contacto con los siguien-tes miembros del personal si ti ene alguna pregunta o preocupación (primera inicial del nombre junto con el apellido @csdf-cde.ca.gov)

El maestro o director del departamento de su hijo

Michele Tompkins, Maestra Especialista, ECE (Educación Temprana)

Nancy Brill, Maestra de Lectoescritura de la Primaria

Janice Orton, Maestra de Lectoescritura de la Secundaria

Kate Kovacs, Maestra de Lectoescritura de la Preparatoria

Brenda Call, Maestra Especialista de Matemáti cas

Michele Berke, Maestra Especialista en los Resultados de los Estudiantes

Educación Temprana (preescolar y pre-K) ASL: del 30 de abril al 1º de junio DRDP: del 1º de marzo al 30 de abril

Educación Temprana (Kindergarten) ASL: del 30 de abril al 1º de junio Observaciones: del 30 de abril al 1º de junio Nivel de Lectura de Instrucción: del 30 de abril al 1º de junio Las 6 Característi cas de la Escritura:

del 30 de abril al 1º de junio

Necesidades Especiales ASL: (Primaria: 7 al 18 de mayo; Secundaria: del 16 al 27 de abril;

Preparatoria: del 30 de abril al 11 de mayo) MAP Lectura, Lenguaje y Matemáti cas (6º al 12º grado):

del 16 de abril al 4 de mayo CAPA (2º al 11º grado): del 16 de abril al 18 de mayo Observaciones: (Primaria): del 14 al 18 de mayo Nivel de Lectura de Instrucción (1º al 5º grado):

del 5 al 30 de marzo DRA (6º al 8º grado): del 5 al 30 de marzo Las 6 Característi cas de la Escritura

(Primaria: del 7 al 18 de mayo, Secundaria: del 2 al 6 de abril, Preparatoria: del 11 al 18 de mayo)

SSSQ: del 26 de marzo al 11 de mayo

Primaria ASL: del 16 de abril al 18 de mayo Observaciones: del 16 de abril al 18 de mayo Nivel de Lectura de Instrucción: del 16 de abril al 18 de mayo Las 6 Característi cas de la Escritura:

del 16 de abril al 18 de mayo MAP Lectura, Lenguaje y Matemáti cas (3º al 5º grado):

del 23 de abril al 1º de junio CA STAR (2º al 5º grado): del 17 al 27 de abril

Secundaria ASL: del 2 al 27 de abril DRA: del 5 al 30 de marzo MAP Lectura, Lenguaje y Matemáti cas: del 2 al 27 de abril CA STAR (6º al 8º grado): 3, 4, 7 y 8 de mayo

Preparatoria ASL: del 30 de abril al 11 de mayo 6 Característi cas de la Escritura: del 1º al 31 de mayo MAP Lectura, Lenguaje y Matemáti cas (6º al 12º grado):

del 23 de abril al 14 de mayo CA STAR: del 23 al 26 de abril

Educación Física Prueba de Condición Física (5º al 10º grado): fi nes de mayo

20 California News

By Anna Woodbury

On March 2, the high school revived its math and science Olympiad. The math and

science Olympiad gives high school students a chance to work in diverse teams of three to four students and complete a building challenge. Prior years’ building challenges include stomp rockets, mousetrap cars, balloon racers, and mini catapults. This year’s challenge was popsicle sti ck bridges. Given a limited amount of popsicle sti cks and masking tape, each team tried to build a bridge that would hold the most weight while sti ll meeti ng some building requirements for height, width, and length. Every team was focused on their goal and was able to build a bridge that would hold a minimum amount of weight in order to qualify for full-scale testi ng in the gym.

Aft er completi ng their building and small scale testi ng in the classrooms, students brought their fi nal products to the gym for the formal weighing challenge. All students looked on in anti cipati on as their bridges and their fellow classmates’ bridges were tested. As a new twist this year: teams did not compete to win prizes for themselves but instead earned points towards a cash prize for their class.

In the aft ernoon, the traditi on of class competi ti on conti nued as students parti cipated in “Minute to Win It” acti viti es. New this year, the staff joined in the competi ti on along with the classes of 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. You could feel the tension in the air as students tried to beat the clock and complete their challenges in less than a minute.

“I enjoyed the Olympiad, but I sure didn’t like that we were so limited with tape! Actually, I thought it was good practi ce for the future because we need to learn how to conserve supplies. The ti me limit put a lot of pressure on us. I was so sure our bridge would fail, but we made it into the second round! I was so thrilled. I also enjoyed observing other groups’ bridges. It was interesti ng to see how everyone thought diff erently.”

– Aneiya Russell

“I think it’s great that the math and science Olympiad provided some interesti ng challenges for me, as well as everyone else.”

– Cesar Ortega-Romo

“It was a great day!” – Austi n Lundberg

“Many students enjoyed parti cipati ng in the math and science Olympiad. I think we should have it at least twice a month to keep students moti vated and involved with math and science acti viti es.”

– Cody Mitchell

“I enjoyed the math and science Olympiad. It was fun to make a bridge. We made some mistakes, but we learned from our mistakes about what we needed to improve.”

– Claudia Barthelmess

“The math and science Olympiad was fun and enjoyable for everyone. It’s a great experience to learn about teamwork and hard work”

– Hobart Nichols, William Vaillancour & Audrey Lagasca

“The math and science event was competi ti ve, creati ve, challenging, trippin’, and fun!”

– Ocean White, Jasmine Sanchez & Evelynn Robles-Ponce

High SchoolMath & Science

Olympiad

Senior Team #44 carefully tapes their sticks together.

California News 21

Sophomore Team #7 discusses bridge building ideas.

Mijail Enriquez Baiz and Adam Wemmer try to build a soda can pyramid to earn points for the freshmen class.

Junior Team #41 watches as their bridge takes on more weight.

Generous Donation toCSD Museum Fund

California School for the Deaf alumnus Robert Zunino, class of 1965, and his wife Diane donated $500 to the museum fund, along with a donati on of $1,300

from the Sonoma Deaf Club. With over 150 years of history, CSD cherishes having a museum where the school can showcase and archive the arti facts it has so carefully preserved. Donati ons such as this, to the museum fund, go a long way in keeping the museum alive.

22 California News

What are the benefi ts of having a family educati on tour at California School for the Deaf?

Each family tour is tailored with the goal of meeti ng the family’s parti cular needs and interests. Some of the benefi ts are:

Become educated about the high quality of educati on and accessibility for Deaf and hard-of-hearing children who are 0-21 years of age (early childhood through high school). A great opportunity for families, guardians, and extended family members!

Meet with school staff , including the superintendent, principals, and other professionals, as appropriate

Have your child's high school transcript reviewed

Consult with career center and transiti on services staff , as appropriate

Observe classes in acti on See other parts of the campus,

such as the library and gym Visit the cott ages

Reap the opportunity for Deaf and hard-of-hearing children to interact with peers

Meet with admissions personnel Receive a packet of informati onal

materials

How many families have taken the tours, so far, this year?The family educati on coordinator has given over 50 tours, with many more to come!

How long does the tour take?Typically, the tour takes up to two hours.

Can the family bring an advocate, social worker, teacher, or local school district person to join the tour?Yes

How do I request a family educati on tour?For ages 0 to 6, contact:Laura T. Petersen Family Educati on Coordinator ltpetersen@csdf-cde.ca.gov 510-794-3751 videophone 510-344-6191 Spanish 510-794-3707

For ages from 6-21, (elementary to high school), contact:Lilly Crisman Family Educati on Coordinatorlcrisman@csdf-cde.ca.gov510-344-6188 Spanish 510-794-3707

Request a tour online at: www.csdeagles.com/outreach • On the right column, click TOURS • Scroll down to the bott om • Click the orange highlighted text:• “Sign up for family tour” • Complete the survey and SUBMIT

Testi monies from families who visited CSD and later enrolled their children at the schoolPARENT ONE: My husband Matt and I were very reluctant to send our daughter to the California School for the Deaf as we didn't know how to balance the importance of her educati on versus family. Touring the school helped solidify the importance of her educati on while maintaining the value of family. By taking the opportunity to tour the school, we were given the gift of seeing the quality of educati on that our daughter had been missing in our local district. Though we have always understood the value and importance of our daughter being able to interact with both peers and educators who are able to communicate without the necessity of using an interpreter, when touring the school, we were able to see exactly how greatly benefi cial such an educati on can truly be. We were shown a beauti ful campus that was well groomed, as well as cott ages that were clean and free-fl owing, allowing the children who lived there to interact and play aft er school with a central locati on for doing homework. We were

Are you the parent of a Deaf child?Consider a Family Education Tour

California News 23

introduced to caregivers and educators who were friendly, informati ve, and well trained in their specifi c fi eld. The most joyous experience of our tour was watching our daughter's eyes twinkle with excitement as she watched all the acti viti es, both in the classroom and in the cott age. The amazement she exhibited when she realized that she could freely communicate with everyone—from the teachers, to the students, to the staff —without the need of an interpreter was priceless. It gave us peace of mind knowing that she would be safe and could ask for help from anyone if needed. We had the unexpected, but eye-opening, experience of using an interpreter (as many of the staff were Deaf). That experience allowed us to understand how our daughter feels when she can't understand things that happen around her in our hearing world. Needless to say, we were very grateful for the opportunity to tour the campus, as it allowed us the chance to see how benefi cial this school would be for our daughter and our family.

Many kind thanks,—Matt and Manett e Stanley

PARENT TWO: My husband and I have two smart yet funny sons: our younger son is Deaf and the older is hearing. Last spring, we realized that our younger son wasn't getti ng full access to his educati on—not by a long shot. There were 31 kids in his classroom, including two Deaf and two hard of hearing, and only one teacher whom my son said he didn't always understand. So I reached out to CSD outreach and set up a visit. We were living in Southern California, so the trip, and a possible move, would be a big commitment. My fi rst family tour to CSD was just me and my younger son; the impact was immediate: our son sat in the fi rst grade classroom, completely at ease and engaged. He told me that he

“understood everything the teacher said.” And when he visited the second graders during PE, two kids spontaneously invited him to join them for lunch. He was thrilled. He told me that he liked the nice kids so much, and that he wanted to try the new school. I was hooked. A few weeks later, my husband came for his tour. A few weeks aft er that, we returned for a family trip—all four of us: me, my husband, and both sons.

We were a bit apprehensive because moving for the purpose of our younger son’s educati on also meant disrupti ng the life of our older son, who was just turning 11. He was a straight A student and a happy kid, and we wanted him to stay that way. What would it mean to take him away from his friends, his school, and his beloved grandparents who lived only a few minutes away? As we took our family tour of CSD, our older son very thoughtf ully considered the classrooms and remarked on the low student-to-teacher rati o. He commented on how nicely the students’ desks were formed in a curve, giving all the children a view of their teachers and of one another. He commented on the cool SMART Boards and laptops.

Finally, he said, “We need to move. My brother needs this school.” At age 11, he didn't care about himself, his needs, his wants. He knew that his brother needed CSD—and he was right. We oft en hear about parents moving far distances so that their children can access the best educati on possible, but that is our responsibility as parents, to do the right thing for our kids. In our case, our two boys showed us a positi ve atti tude and that made the transiti on an easy, joyful experience. Our three family tours gave us the support we needed, and helped set us on the right path. —Anonymous

PARENT THREE: Regarding the family educati on tour, I wanted to let you know that it was phenomenally helpful and thorough. We were amazed and impressed with all the wonderful opportuniti es the school had to off er. We left without a doubt in our minds that your school was the best possible place for our daughter. The staff was informati ve and welcoming. We were grateful for the ti me and kindness everyone showed.Thank you again for your kindness; our daughter Jennifer is thrilled and incredibly happy! —Athena Taylor

24 California News

By Ann Bardsley, Sorenson

Keeping in touch when a child is away from home is crucial for maintaining close

relati onships between parents and children. Students staying in the cott ages at the California School for the Deaf (CSD) stay connected with parents using videophones and video relay service (VRS) technology. Each night, students line up to call their parents using videophones (VPs). These students call mom and dad, their grandparents, and friends to ask advice, report on their day, and get help with homework assignments.

Many VPs are located throughout CSD. “The goal is to respond to and enhance the communicati on needs of the students, faculty, and staff at CSD. We want all Deaf and hard-of-hearing students to have access to communicati on, just like hearing students,” says Mark Call, western regional sales manager for Sorenson

Communicati ons. “Whatever hearing kids have, Deaf kids should have, too. In the old days, this wasn’t true, which wasn’t fair. But today, because of the Americans with Disabiliti es Act, Deaf people have the right to have functi onally-equivalent communicati ons. That means Deaf kids should have communicati ons that are used in the same way hearing people use them.”

VRS calling is the most functi onally-equivalent to placing a phone call for hearing people. VRS empowers Deaf people to converse in real ti me and in what, for most, is their natural language – sign language. The VP and VRS capture the nuances of ASL – gestures, facial expressions, fi ngerspelling and body language. Some VRS providers off er trilingual interpreters, who are fl uent in ASL, Spanish, and English.

Many parents wonder at what age a child can begin using VRS.

Some fi ve-year-olds can begin using VRS, but even young toddlers have used ASL to keep in touch with grandparents and relati ves in other locati ons. Some VRS companies provide professional trainers who install videophones and train families on its use.

Here is a simple guide to help children and parents who are new to VRS and other internet-based communicati on technologies.

Videophone (VP): a device with a camera that can be connected to a TV monitor or computer screen or PC. The VP empowers a Deaf person to conduct a VRS conversati on in ASL with a hearing person through an interpreter. Deaf callers can also place “deaf-to-deaf” or “point-to-point” calls without the assistance of an interpreter if the other Deaf person signs.

Video Relay Service (VRS): VRS is off ered at no cost to the user. (The Federal Communicati ons

Helping Parents and Students Stay Connected through VRS Technology

Photographs used courtesy of Sorenson Communicati ons

California News 25

Commission, or FCC, compensates VRS providers for minutes of usage.) Deaf callers place VRS calls using a VP connected to a TV screen or computer monitor and a high-speed internet connecti on. An ASL interpreter appears on the screen. The Deaf caller signs the message to the interpreter, who, in turn, simultaneously speaks the message to the hearing person who is using a telephone. The hearing person responds and the interpreter signs the message to the Deaf caller. In this way, the interpreter “relays” the call. Hearing people call Deaf people through VRS by simply dialing the Deaf person’s 10-digit VP number.

VRS with Voice Carry Over (VCO): VRS with VCO is used by some Deaf people who use their voice to communicate. With VCO, the Deaf person uses a VP and a standard telephone. The Deaf person speaks the message, which the hearing person can hear, while simultaneously

using the VP. When the hearing person responds, a VRS sign language interpreter signs the reply to the Deaf person through the VP. The Deaf person, then, can respond through the phone by using his or her voice.

Mobile VRS: Several VRS providers have introduced mobile VRS soluti ons – soluti ons that are also functi onally-equivalent to what hearing callers use. Sorenson Communicati ons’ ntouch® PC and ntouch® mobile empower Deaf callers to use VRS while on the go.

With ntouch PC, students can turn their PCs into VPs – at home, at school, at a friend’s house, or at the library. ntouch PC works anywhere there is a high-speed internet or Wi-Fi connecti on and is business and home network-friendly.

ntouch Mobile, used with mobile phones with front-facing cameras, gives users the freedom to make VRS and point-to-point calls anywhere.

IP Relay: a text-based relay service that Deaf individuals use to contact hearing people using instant messaging from a PC or text messaging from a mobile device. The Deaf person sends a message to a Communicati on Assistant (CA), who reads the message to the hearing recipient over a standard phone line.

For more informati on on SVRS technology, visit www.svrs.com or contact Mark Call, at mcall@sorenson.com.

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26 California News

FEAST students att ended the spring leadership meeti ng and qualifying competi ti on in

Sunnyvale for Future Homemakers of America – Home Economics Related Occupati ons (FHA-HERO) that was held on February 11. The students were accompanied by two teacher advisors, CSD’s career/technical educati on principal, four interpreters, two volunteers, and a support staff member. Out of the 18 students from California School for the Deaf who att ended this year’s leadership meeti ng, nine students won awards and qualifi ed to move on to the state competi ti on that will be held April 28 through May 1. Results from the qualifying competi ti on are as follows:

Commercial Food Preparati on Tabitha Benavides, Yordi Morales

(2nd Place) Qualifi ed for State Competi ti on

Cynthia Marquez-Campos, Grecia Marti nez, Ada Olvera (5th Place) Qualifi ed for State Competi ti on

Christi na Call, Alexandero Morales, Marilee Williams

Mersadies Villar, Miguel Meza Cruz, Ruby Marti nez

Salad Preparati on David Kudatsky (2nd place)

Qualifi ed for State Competi ti on Joshua Mora (4th place)

Qualifi ed for State Competi ti on

Culinary Arts DisplayDecorati ng Wedding Cakes Jeongin Mun

Breads Yesenia Marti nez (1st Place)

Qualifi ed for State Competi ti on Taylor Nix (2nd place)

Qualifi ed for State Competi ti on

FHA-HERO student observers Did not compete Michaela Patt on Alivia Alberigi

A multi tude of judges, who are respected professionals from the Bay Area and surrounding communiti es, parti cipated by giving scores, criti ques, and feedback to the FHA-HERO student members. Students were able to parti cipate directly with the judges, as the judges asked them questi ons about their projects and recipes. Aft er the judging was complete, the judges met

with students to share honest advice and positi ve comments that the students would be able to apply to future competi ti ons, work experience, and their careers.

Aft er the competi ti ons were fi nished, everyone was able to view the culinary arts displays up close. It was a real treat to see the creati vity and imagine new ideas for future competi ti ons!

The event also included FHA-HERO general session meeti ngs with opening and closing ceremonies, the nati onal anthem, meeti ng minutes, offi cer reports, student voti ng for state offi cers, community involvement reports, raffl e prize drawings, interacti ve games for the students, opportuniti es to meet and greet friends, and of course, awards and certi fi cate presentati ons.

FHA-HERO is a state-sponsored club through the California Department of Educati on. Its goal is “to help youth assume their roles in society through home economics careers and technology educati on in the areas of personal growth, family life, career preparati on, and community involvement.” CSD has its own branch of the organizati on.

FHA-HERO Advisors Debbie Call, Frank Lester

FHA-HERO CSD Club Offi cersPresident Joshua MoraVice President Yordi MoralesSecretary Audrey LagascaTreasurer Jeongin Mun

Nine FEAST students win awards & qualify for state competition

California News 27

By Mary Mesa

Did You Feel the EARTHQUAKE in Fremont on February 4?

The seismic rector scale hit a 7, at Hillman’s Cloverleaf Family Bowl in Fremont, at the seventh annual special needs intra-mural bowling event, “The Batt le of California.” Aft er a fun-fi lled day at the California Academy of Science, at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, the students burned up the lanes at the bowling alley. Both teams took to the lanes and gave it all they could for the trophy at stake!

The comradely both teams shared for each other was heartwarming. In the end, it came down to four players. Representi ng the students, were Tyler Waring for Riverside and Antonio Lara Esquivel for Fremont. The bowlers representi ng the supervising counselors were Peter Stecher, special needs supervising counselor for Riverside and Mary Mesa, special needs supervising counselor for Fremont. Tyler bowled a 120 score and Antonio an 88 score, Peter bowled 109 to Mary’s 92. The traveling trophy made its way to Riverside this year. But there is always next year with the hopes of the Mighty Eagles bringing it home to proudly show off .

Students get ready for the welcome party

At the California Academy of Science

What was your favorite part of the special needs intra-mural bowling weekend?

“The fi sh museum, bowling, and the movie; I liked it all.” – Jesus Garcia, MS

“Friday night, we had the welcome party. Then Saturday, we had the SF museum, the diff erent animals, and bowling. Sunday, we had the movie ‘Sherlock Holmes.’”– Brandy Beers, HS

“Visiti ng San Francisco was fun. The bowling was fun, too.” – Kim Jardin, HS

“I liked the movie ‘Sherlock Holmes.’”– Chris Levintow, HS

“I had fun at the Academy of Science in San Francisco.” – Walter Baldwin, HS

Antonio bowling for Fremont team

“I liked going to see the animals in San Francisco and talking with my friends from Riverside.” – Jasmine Urti z, HS

“I liked the San Francisco museum.” – Scott Stadnisky, MS

“I enjoyed the animals at the science academy.” – Jade Stephens, HS

“I loved the trip to San Francisco.” – Travis Combs-Beard, HS

“I enjoyed eati ng with my friends at Cott age 2 and the Mexican food we had for dinner.” – Ashante Walters, HS

“My favorite was bowling. It was lots of fun.” – Doaa Ayoub, MS

“I liked getti ng strikes at Cloverleaf Bowl, the walk at the SF science museum, and the burritos for dinner on Sunday.” – James Sonabandhit, HS

“It is ‘YES’ I like bowling.” – Adrienne Jesso, HS

“My favorite was the bowling. I really like to bowl.” – Evan Eriksson, HS

“I enjoyed watching the movie ‘The Adventures of Tin Tin’ on Sunday.” – Moses Schugg, HS

“I really enjoyed the fi eld trip; there was lots to enjoy, and of course the BOWLING.” – Taylor Nix, HS

Riverside vs Fremont Bowling

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TheDateJUNE 1

CSD Promotional Videos & PSA's

Applebee's Wall Display

Former CSD parent Kenneth Rothschild dined in many Applebee’s restaurants in various parts of the country. While dining, he always enjoyed seeing the wall displays touti ng the local schools. That was why he was disappointed that there was no wall display for California School for the Deaf (CSD) at either of the Fremont Applebee’s locati ons. He contacted the restaurant’s customer service and was able to arrange for CSD to get its very own display on the wall next to one of the booths at the Applebee’s on Boscell Road, in the Pacifi c Commons Shopping Center, in Fremont.

CSD Outreach worked with Applebee’s marketi ng coordinator Heather Banaszek selecti ng photographs, getti ng them framed, and fi nally mounted on the wall at the restaurant. Thanks to photographers Alison Taggart-Barone and Stanley Matsumoto, our students are “front and center” above one of the booths at Applebee’s.

You can get an idea of the display from the pictures in this publicati on, or bett er yet, go see them at Applebee’s!