August 20th, 2014 Dear Families of Illinois State Elementary School, We look forward to next week when we will

start a year of meaningful learning off strong for your children! We wanted to bring to your attention that this year our school is pleased to welcome several students who are deaf and hard of hearing to our classrooms. These students learn in the same ways that all of our students do. We encourage you to speak with your students about what to expect when they arrive at school for the 2014-2015 school year. Some topics of conversation may include: Understanding the Meaning of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Some children will be deaf while others will be hard of hearing. A hearing impairment includes any impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a childs educational performance. Deafness involves a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification. These children make use of their other 4 senses despite their inability to hear well, and take part in many of the same pastimes as any child would. Describing the Reasons for Changes in Classroom Setting The major change to our classrooms this year is that they will be carpeted. Having this extra layer on the floor allows sounds to be absorbed so that hard of hearing children can more clearly focus on the sounds they need to hear. We will have corkboards surrounding many of our classroom walls and the hallways for the same effect. None of these design changes impair the learning environment whatsoever. Deaf and Hard of Hearing Simulation Lessons During the school year we will bring in specialists once a month to demonstrate different lessons of disability awareness. The first one to start off our school year will involve Deaf and Hard of Hearing awareness. In this lesson children will explore the misconceptions of being deaf or hard of hearing, and experience simulations to better understand what it is like to be in that position. Hearing tests will also be provided to all students through our school nurse. Encourage Socialization Our students who are deaf and hard of hearing have the same social capacities as all of our students but have to work harder sometimes due to the language barrier. Encourage your students to interact and befriend all students in their classroom to create an effective community of learners. We will implement elements of American Sign Language into our curriculum, but if you would like your child to become familiar with the alphabet before coming to school the following website has a great lesson. www.funbrain.com/signs/

Thank you for your time! We look forward to seeing many old and new faces very soon! Sincerely,

Stefanie Guggenheim
Stefanie Guggenheim Co-Principal And

Lizzy Carroll
Lizzy Carroll Co-Principal