Happy 2025!

Our program was awarded a grant from the Ministry of Education to participate in the provincial K-12 Literacy Supports Initiative (read more about it here).  We have been working on developing resources and materials that can be used to monitor and support the unique literacy needs of students who are Deaf/deaf and hard of hearing (DHH).  This initiative will benefit all students who are deaf and hard of hearing regardless of their hearing levels, listening devices and communication modalities.

We are thrilled to welcome two Early Literacy Specialists to the POPDHH Team: Tracey Sweetapple, TDHH, and Dana Zimmer, ASL Teacher. You can look forward to learning more about early literacy screening and intervention tools, professional learning opportunities that we are organizing, and the increased capacity for outreach visits.

Lunch and Learn

The next session of the 2024-2025 lineup is coming up on Thursday, February 13th, from 11:45 am to 12:30 pm.

Topic:

• Team and Program Updates from The Cochlear Implant Program, BC Children’s Hospital, Selma Karsan, MSc RAUD
• Brief take-away messages from the International Cochlear Implant Conference 2024, Tamara Lister, MSc RSLP

If you haven’t yet, please register: https://forms.gle/ZMvntMNYfM4AeiMf6

ASL interpretation and captioning will be provided.

Students’ Corner

Submitted by Riann Batch, TDHH, Quesnel

A12 years old Parker Johnson from Quesnel just won the creative category in the Tiger Science Challenge at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf/ Rochester Institute of Technology. He’s earned a full scholarship to their DHH STEM Science Camp in Rochester NY and an iPad mini. Read the full story below.
https://www.quesnelobserver.com/community/quesnel-student-wins-science-challenge-for-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-youth-7733635

Congratulations to Parker, Parker’s family and Teachers!

From the Community

SD20 Kootenay-Columbia
American Sign Language Interpreter (ASL)

SD23 Central Okanagan
Sign Language Interpreter

SD35 Langley
Special Education Assistant – Deaf and Hard of Hearing

SD36 Surrey
Educational Visual Language Interpreter

SD41 Burnaby
BC Provincial Outreach Program: Deaf and Hard of Hearing – American Sign Language Specialist (Professional Exempt)
Deaf / Blind Intervenor
Education Assistant – BCSD (Casual)
Sign Language Interpreter – Casual On-Call / Temporary Full-time
Sign Language Interpreter
Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (BCSD)

SD43 Coquitlam
Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (0.2FTE)
VISUAL LANGUAGE INTERPRETER

SD44 North Vancouver
Education Assistant with Sign Language Skills

SD 69 Qualicum
Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (0.4 FTE Temporary)

SD71 Comox Valley
Temporary Program Worker – Interpreter – Elementary/Secondary

SD73 Kamloops-Thompson
Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Registered Sign Language Interpreter (RSLI)

SD84 Vancouver Island West
Language Acquisition Support Worker (LASW)
Sign Language Interpreter

SD91 Nechako Lakes
 ASL Interpreter (FLES) AMENDED

Maaqtusiis Elementary Band School
Special Education Assistant (One-on-One)