DHH student events/Happy Holidays

POPDHH in the Communities

Duncan and Nanaimo
On November 7th, Terry and John visited the Cowichan Valley and Nanaimo districts for a day of ASL Activities and pizza. The students told us:
“My favourite part was the Elephant Game because it was fun! I really enjoy getting together with other DHH kids.” – Ellis, grade 6
“It was super fun and I liked meeting new DHH kids but I do wish there were some games for the older group of kids.” – Aedyn, grade 9
From a parent of a grade 2 student who had diligently taken home her sheet of alphabet signs – “Ember is excitedly working on the sign alphabet!”
Comox Valley – contribution by Katelin Miller, TDHH
The Comox Valley and Campbell River school districts were happy to welcome back John and Terry on November 8th, for an ASL activity day in Courtenay.  Students said “John and Terry are SO funny!!!” “I loved learning ASL!”  “I liked getting together with friends and eating pizza!”. Students and teachers are looking forward to doing this event again next year!
Kootenays – contribution by Angela Walenius, TDHH

November 27th – 29th: John came to our town to meet several of our students. He did some fantastic activities with Emma and Keira at the high school.  He told ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’, and the interpreter Rebekah relayed the story to those who did not understand ASL.
John worked individually with each student and in groups.  He even convinced Hudson to part with a cinnamon bun that his cooking class created (Angela got one too).
  
John also went to Twin Rivers and introduced himself to Owen’s class. He taught us how to get a Deaf person’s attention and practiced finger spelling students’ names.The class told us how much they enjoyed hot and cold game, meeting someone who only signs to communicate, meeting someone who uses an interpreter, and especially how John acted out the animals they needed to guess.
 
John spent the first evening with our two communication facilitators and the TDHH,  so they could practice their ASL and learn more from him.
On Tuesday evening, families and school staff joined John for dinner and a Q&A session. We had 12 people in attendance!
It was sad to see John leave the next morning. Unfortunately, John and Rebekah learned why the airport is called CANCELgar as their flight was cancelled due to inclement weather. Luckily, they met a fellow traveller, who offered them a lift to Kelowna where they caught a flight back home.
North and West Vancouver – Contribution by the Teachers: Rhena Tevendale, Heather Chiles, Roanne Greiff and Emily Greenman
On Thursday, December 14th, the amazing POPDHH team of Terry Maloney and John Warren visited the North Shore for a day of ASL activities at Sutherland Secondary School. Students from the North and West Vancouver school districts gathered, with grades kindergarten to grade 6 in the morning and grades 7 to 12 in the afternoon.
 
For some, this was the first time they had gathered with other students who have hearing differences. The primary school students really enjoyed meeting each other, comparing hearing technologies and participating in the ASL activities run by Terry and John. They learned to sign the alphabet, experimented with using gestures and had a wonderful time using basic signs to play games.
At lunch, the grade 7-12 students enjoyed  pizza and meeting students from other schools.  For some of these students, it was their first time learning any signs, as well as their first time meeting a culturally Deaf role model.  The afternoon group enjoyed learning about Deaf culture, helped each other learn the ASL alphabet and introduce themselves, and practiced drawing and gesture activities.
Most students were nervous and apprehensive about attending, but by the end of the sessions, it was clear that they felt connected and enjoyed their experience. Standing back and observing, it was fun to see students comparing technologies, asking  questions and sharing experiences.
Thank you to the POPDHH Team!
Contact us if you are interested in hosting ASL Activities in your area.

Langley Students Visit the Circus Lab

With generous support from POPDHH, the Langley School District was able to do a multi-part field trip that saw over 30 DHH students visit Circus Labs. Students learned a variety of circus arts, such as posing and swinging on the trapeze, getting cocooned in aerial silks, learning juggling, and flying high on the specialized trampoline. Because we were able to go twice and keep the relational momentum going, we noticed a big uptick in the way students were supporting, assisting and cheering for each other as they learned these fun but challenging skills. The Langley staff had some good learning too, with about 25 DM students to connect, in 4 different groups in the same space, we got some practice setting up those Roger Touches…and learned there is a “master connect” mode for when we needed to sync the 4 DMs from each group to a master DM so we could address the whole gaggle! Fantastic fun, the Circus Staff was incredible with access and our kids loved this trip. Strongly recommended for those nearby.

Students said it best:
I found it really fun. And I got to meet some new friends. I like the trampoline, the silks and the trapeze. On the silks I did the backpack, it was really fun. I liked it. – N, grade 4
It was pretty fun. I enjoyed doing the trapeze and the silks. I also enjoyed playing on the trampoline. I did not like the balance because I kept falling over. It really hurt. YES, I would go again! I made two new friends too. – R, grade 4
I liked everything. I’m a gymnast, so everything was easy. I learned new things like doing a trust fall on the trampoline. My favourite part was the balance beam. – B, grade 3

Thank you for making this possible, POPDHH!
Do you have an event or activity to plan for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing students in your district? Need some financial support to make it happen? Click here to apply.

From the Community

Children and Youth with Support Needs Engagement Session
Reciprocal Consulting Inc and Kristen Pranzl are hosting a virtual engagement session on Monday, January 29th from 1:00 to 3:00pm to hear from parents and guardians of children and youth who are part of the deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind community; specifically feedback on the unique needs and priorities regarding supports and services. This information will inform the new service framework for the Children and Youth with Special Needs service framework that MCFD is working on.
In addition to the virtual engagement session, one on one interviews can also be set up. The engagement session and any interviews will be supported by interpreters. A $50 e-gift card will be provided to all those who participate in the virtual engagement session or a one-on-one interview.Furthermore, a survey is available in multiple languages:


 Please distribute to any parents/or guardians who may be interested in this opportunity.
Email  teamleads@reciprocalconsulting.ca if you would like to register for the virtual session, schedule an interview, or have any questions or concerns about this work.
Our mailing address is:
Provincial Outreach Program: Deaf and Hard of Hearing
4446 Watling Street Burnaby, BC V5J 5H3
Voice: 604-296-9062 Fax: 604-296-9063
Text: 778-889-5663 Email: office@popdhh.ca
To unsubscribe, email office@popdhh.ca, but we’ll be sad to see you go!