HCDB
Section
Section
Section
for the
Deaf and Blind
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| Hawaii Center for the Deaf and Blind | | |||||
| Administrator's Message |
| May 2009 |
HCDB, Loving It! The yearbook theme captures my feelings about the Hawaii Center for the Deaf and the Blind (HCDB). After being a part of this school, for a mere sixteen years, I am still loving it! When I joined the staff of HCDB, we had less than fifty students, and were considered the “school of last resort”. Since then, we have had a steady enrollment between seventy-five and eighty-five students, and are considered the “school of first choice” for a bilingual, ASL and English, education. This school year, we have been especially focused on the development of the whole child. ACADEMICS: • Accelerated Reader (AR) – The students have achieved their goal of reading 3,000 books. In line with this year’s theme, “Under the Sea”, I sat in a dunking booth getting very wet! Since SY2006-2007, when HCDB implemented the AR program, our students have gained an average of 2.3 grade levels on the STAR reading test and had an average increase of 19% on the Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test (SDRT). • Writing All Day, Everyday – HCDB has recommitted itself to providing students opportunities to improve their writing skills. Writer’s Workshop has been incorporated into the English and Language Arts programs. The content areas are using journals and the 5-sentence paragraph to encourage writing. • Academic ASL Approach (A3) – This program has given the faculty the skills to help the students compose using ASL. The students compose their essays through ASL and document the composition using the webcam. That composition is revised and will very often be translated into printed English. • Accelerated Math (AM) – With the assistance of the AM program, our students have shown great improvements in the area of math. Of the students with disabilities statewide, 8.5% score at a proficient level or higher for math on the Hawaii State Assessment. However, HCDB students exceeded the state average in math, with 11% scoring proficient! • Portfolios – This school year we have implemented the use of student portfolios to document the students’ progress throughout the year. They select their best pieces of work from all of their classes, and reflect on why they feel it qualifies as a quality piece. The teachers have shown the portfolios to the parents during IEP meetings and at our Open House. WELLNESS: • School-wide Exercise – Twice a week, for twenty minutes, the students and staff exercise on together. People are walking, stretching and participating in different circuit training exercises. • Healthy Eating – The Power Up with Produce Program (PUPP) provides the students and staff an opportunity to taste a variety of fruits and vegetables. Our school garden has been revitalized and has produced vegetables that have been used in the cafeteria. • Athletics – We continue to encourage and support our athletic programs, including Special Olympics. This year we have had students participate in football, bowling, wrestling, golf, and diving. We are appreciative to Kalani High School for welcoming our students onto their teams. FAMILY SUPPORT: • Family ASL Classes – Our Family ASL classes provided instruction at three sites on Oahu, as well as one site on Maui. Parents and their deaf/hard-of-hearing children have formed bonds and improved their communication skills. • Family Learning Vacation (FLV) – This three-day camp brought together families with deaf/hard-of-hearing children, professionals and community resources. The families learned about their child’s deafness and strategies in working with them. • Shared Reading Project (SRP) – The SRP program was the focus of the FLV. The families that attended have received ten tutoring sessions from a deaf adult. The tutors taught the parents how to read in ASL to their child. As it is every year, we say good-bye and best wishes to our three seniors, and give many thanks to the staff who have served HCDB well and are now moving on. On behalf of HCDB, I want to express our appreciation for the hard work and dedication of Harry Hayler (counselor) and Naomi Murakami (speech/language therapist) who will be retiring this year. They have given over 70 years of service to deaf/hard-of-hearing students in Hawaii. As always, it has been a memorable year, and I LOVED IT! Sydney F. Dickerson, Administrator |