CALIFORNIA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF, RIVERSIDE
IONS T C E L F E R PAWSITIVE en ilies, Staff, & Fri m a F r fo on ti a News and Inform
ds
DECEMBER 2009
Message from Mal Midst this holiday season, I would like to touch on the gift that is most important to your child…your time.
I recently read a study that was trying to determine what made students successful in school. There were many students involved in the research and the results showed that students who are most successful are the students who have parental involvement both at home and at school.
CSDR has parents who fall into this category. Parents like Angelo---who has been actively involved in his daughter’s education here at CSDR for many years. Angelo recently came to CSDR for a special event and I had a chance to observe what a strong relationship he has with his daughter. He is involved in her life here at the school and he makes a point of involving her in his work.
Most of us know how important it is to spend time with our children, but I wonder how many parents have really given thought to what family life is like for a deaf child. Do they participate in family discussions? Are they able to pass along to their child the value of a strong work ethic? What about instilling in their child the concept of right or wrong?
See Mal ( page 2 )
Wo r l d ’s L o n g e s t P i z z a ! By Staff Writer CSDR and Chef Angelo Capozi have broken the record for the World ’ s Longest Pizza! On November 24, Chef Angelo, Master Chef and a parent of CSDR middle school student Trystany, and his skilled team of volunteers began baking pizzas. The team worked together to shape the dough, add sauce and cheese, bake, and box and deliver the pizzas to tables that were laid end-to-end at the front of the school. They didn ’ t stop until they completed the 1,700 foot pizza! The event was recorded for the Guinness Book of World Records! CSDR would like to thank Chef Angelo for including the school in this historical event.
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PAWSITIVE REFLECTIONS
Mal (cont’d from page 1) Well, there are many deaf children who
sporting events where children
do not have this kind of learning envi-
learn the importance of teamwork.
ronment at home. At CSDR we strive to meet some of those needs by pro-
I believe CSDR offers the best
viding positive role models, programs
possible learning environment for
that focus on character building, and
a deaf child, but nothing can re-
place time spent as a family. So please remember that the best presents for your child is your presence. Happy Holidays!
A V i s i t Fr o m D e a f A c t r e s s P h y l l i s Fr e l i ch By Erika Thompson, ASL/English specialist
(This is the first in a series of articles on actress Phyliss Frelich’s visit to CSDR)
concepts, word play, and wit. Our CSDR high school students en-
Thirty years ago, the Broadway play “ C hildren of a Lesser God ” made a breakthrough in changing the world ’ s perspectives on Deaf people for the better. Deaf actress Phyllis Frelich won the Best Actress Tony Award for her role as “ Sarah, ” an intelligent and powerfully outspoken deaf woman who chose not to use her voice to speak. We remember Marlee Matlin eventually winning an Oscar for this same role. However, most people do not realize that the original play was written for Phyllis, the “ r eal-life Sarah” with the same personality and beliefs, and that Phyllis, along with her hearing husband, worked closely with playwright Mark Medoff to contribute to the play script to accurately reflect the fully functional and fulfilled lives of deaf people. “ C hildren… ” emphasizes that the ability to speak does not necessarily reflect intellect, that the signed language of ASL equals spoken English, and that deaf people use this beautiful visual language to express abstract
joyed watching the revival of this play at Deaf West Theatre ( DWT ) in North Hollywood on school field trips in October and November, 2009. “ Seeing the play is the best thing that has ever happened to me, ” says senior Jacqueline Barajas. Teacher Deanne Bray-Kotsur had her students read and study the “ C hildren… ” script as literature prior to attending the play. Deanne, also a deaf actress who first began her acting career with DWT, wants to see a stronger bridge between English literature and American Sign Language theatre. “ The play ‘ Children… ’ should be a part of every high school curriculum, particularly for American Literature, because it was the first deaf political play and it had an impact on our society, ” says Bray-Kotsur.
DECEMBER 2009
PAGE 3
C r e at i n g To m o r r ow ' s L e a d e r s ! By Staff Writer, Residential Program During October 16 – 18, a group of 19 CSDR students spent a wonderful weekend at a resort in Big Bear, to participate in a fun-filled Leadership Retreat! The retreat included leadership training, guest speakers, team-building activities, sharing experiences, reflections, and even a scavenger hunt. After the retreat, student leaders commented on how much they loved the experience and at the same time gained some confidence about taking a leadership role at CSDR. Congratulations to everyone who participated in the Leadership Retreat!
Top left to right: Raymart Tinio, Brandon Castro, Sean Huber, Maria Guzman, Emily Forsberg, Maj Lesti, Alexa Ontiveros and Paul Padilla Bottom left to right: Alberto Aguilar, Dylan Patterson, Brandi Shepherd, Fabiana Pedro, Juan Renteria, Magaly Jimenez, Paradise Larizza, Shani Ambrester, Robert Saldana, Natnail Weldekiros, and Joshua Collins
W h at i s t h e Pe a k P r o g r a m ? By Farley Warshaw, Director of Residence During the 2007-08 academic year,
The Residential Life division adapted the
CSDR ’ s administration, in conjunction
program to fit the needs of
with the leaders from the aca-
their deaf students and called
demic and
it the Peak Program, symboliz-
residential divi-
sions, began the collaborative
ing the students ’ “ climb ”
efforts of
toward excellence. The phi-
new model
researching a of supporting
losophy behind the Peak Pro-
students with emphasis on
gram is to provide all the com-
teaching social skills. After
ponents of a family-style nur-
much research, CSDR
turing environment, instruction
adopted a model from Boys
that focuses on appropriate
Town in Nebraska. This
behavior, and a systematic
model has been used for
approach so that students
more than 25 years and the
can track their own progress.
program continues to be successful.
The results of the program have been extremely successful.
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PAWSITIVE REFLECTIONS
Assistance League Suppor ts CSDR Students By Lorna Rutherford, Social Worker New shirts! New pants! New shoes!
ored t-shirts, new jeans, jackets and
traumatized children through distribu-
The Assistance League of Riverside
backpacks.
tion by police and emergency rooms;
has clothes galore!
was receiving digital watches.
The Assistance
League is a charitable organization with goals, one of which is to help school children with basic clothing needs. The Counseling Services so-
The highlight of their trip
and Memorial Scholarship, which provides a scholarship to a deserving high
The Assistance League ’s motto is
school senior who plans to become a
“ C aring and Commitment in Action ”
teacher.
and they run a dozen different philanthropic programs to help young people
The Assistance League also operates
and their families. Some of their pro-
a thrift shop which recently was voted
grams are: Operation School Bell,
“ B est Thrift Shop in Riverside. ” You
which provides new clothing for stu-
can visit their excellent shop at 3707
dents in need; Operation Snack Attack,
Sunnyside Drive, Riverside, CA 92506.
which provides weekly nutritious snacks
They also accept donations of service-
In November, for example, some of our
for needy students, My Fun Stuff, which
able used items and can provide you
CSDR students visited the Assistance
provides activity kits to young children
with a receipt for tax purposes. Pro-
League facility. Their smiles went from
who are in the waiting room of Parkview
ceeds from the gift shop help fund their
Community Hospital; Operation Bear
many projects.
cial workers Darlene Wadler and Lorna Rutherford work with the Assistance League in getting the clothing need and their other services to our students.
ear to ear as they chose brightly col-
Pals, which provides teddy bears to
C h e ck i n g fo r S c o l i o s i s By Youlandean Johnson, RN
Scoliosis is a condition where the
Before the student is examined, a noti-
Please monitor your child for the most
spine curves to the side. Usually it is
fication/information letter is sent to the
common signs of curvature of the
a painless condition and the symp-
student ’ s parent/guardian to advise
spine:
them of the upcoming exam. Parents
•
toms may not be noticed right away. For many children a visual exam of their backs is part of their regular physical exam. Checking for Scoliosis is one of the
If during the exam the student is noted
screening services provided by most
to have some curving of the spine,
schools for 7th grade female and 8th
their parents will be notified that the
grade male students. It is usually
student needs to contact their doctor
during this period of adolescence that
for a follow-up exam and possible
a curve in the spine can occur.
other shoulder
have the option of refusing the exam for their child.
•
One arm looks longer than the other arm
•
Walks with a limp but denies an injury
•
Has an uneven waist
•
Pants legs appear uneven at the hemline
treatment. Scoliosis can occur at any age.
One shoulder is higher than the
•
Entire body leans to one side
DECEMBER 2009
PAGE 5
Go Cubs! By Tonisha Burden & Cindy Beth Ross
Wow, what school spirit! On November 13, CSDR had a school-wide Pep Rally to support our football team ’ s upcoming Homecoming game against Maryland School for the Deaf. Each department did an activity to show
port and love for our school. Our Spe-
Thank you to all of our Special
cial Needs students and staff did their
Needs students and staff for dedi-
part to support CSDR by posting ban-
cating their time and efforts to
ners and decorating “ GO CUBS ” with
show their school spirit!
red cups on the outside fence at the football field facing Arlington Avenue.
their spirit for our school and for our students and staff show so much sup-
M i d d l e S ch o o l P r i d e By Staff Writer, Middle School As Homecoming Spirit Week filled the campus with pride, the Middle School Student Body Government ( S BG ) Officers helped bring spirit to the school with ‘ Face Paint ’ day! Officers painted paw prints on students and staff alike. It was fantastic to see everyone walking the halls with Cub Pride! Way to go SBG!
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PAWSITIVE REFLECTIONS
Highlights from the Shasta Dor m By Dorm Staff Writer Here are a few highlights from the
other students outside of their area
Shasta dorm area:
and to interact with staff.
This year we have seen a lot of per-
Shasta ’s weekly bowling is still won-
sonal growth in our students, courtesy
derful, as always, as we strive to
of the Peak Program. This program is
teach our students sportsmanship.
an effective teaching tool that helps
They are looking forward to our an-
our students better understand how
nual competition with Fremont that
their behavior, both positive and
will be in February 2010.
negative, impacts others. Character Counts! is still used in conjunction with Peak to reinforce that a student ’ s attitude, behavior, and social skills can make a huge difference in the quality of the student ’ s life.
Shasta Area ’s recycling program is strong as ever and this year our students are very enthusiastic as they travel around campus collecting items to recycle. The program gives students the opportunity to chat with
Learning About Harvests By Kerry Hile, ECE Instructor
The
pre-kindergarten
curriculum
theme for October and November was
“ h arvest. ”
The
students
learned what is inside a pumpkin, how it grows, and the weight and size of pumpkins. We went to visit a pumpkin farm. We had a fun time visiting there and bringing some pumpkins home with us.
The students gave a performance called, “ T he Big Pumpkin. ” They helped to decorate a play setting/background for a stage and made props for the play. The students did a wonderful job “ a cting ” with their cute costumes in front of the audience. We wanted to thank our students' parents for all of their support with the play. The play turned out to be a big success!
DECEMBER
2009
PAGE 7
C A H S E E C l a s s H a r d at Wo r k By Staff Writer
Recently the students in the CAHSEE
Learning that good writers write about
Before they knew it they had almost the
classes worked on writing skills related
what they know, the students wrote
whole essay completed. Next, they just
to the essay portion of the test. After
about the earthquake evacuation drill
had to develop the introductory para-
they just experienced that morning.
graph on their own and then copy from
They found it easy to use the four
the four squares to complete the entire
squares on a folded piece of paper to
essay.
practice with writing topic sentences, they worked on developing supporting sentences in a paragraph. They were introduced to the Four Square Writing method as a way of organizing their writing and developing supporting sentences in a paragraph.
organize the information that they shared as a group about the morning ’s event. Filling out the squares made it easy to write a topic sentence in each square and fill in the details to create supporting
sentences
f or
each
Last they edited and revised the essay and copied the final draft to hand in. The results of the drill and writing about it both proved to be enjoyable learning experiences.
paragraph.
Kindergarten Cubbies Show School Pride! By Kindergarten Staff Writer This year ’ s homecoming pep rally was one of our best memories from CSDR. We were able to attend the pep rally in tshirts that showed our support for our beloved school, CSDR. We made a banner and we also gave a skit at the pep rally. ( We believe that we melted everyone ’ s hearts during our cute skit. ) We were inspired by seeing the whole school together in unity and in celebration of the CSDR spirit. At the end of the pep rally we were sure worn out!
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PAWSITIVE REFLECTIONS
Elementary Sports Program By Nancy Moore, Sports Coordinator It was a great season for our Elemen-
We recently had a pizza/trophy
tary flag football and cheerleading
ceremony party for all of the
teams! I cannot believe it ’ s already
teams. The parents and the
over. Boy, where did the time go?
coaches had fun playing football against the student players. The
I ’ d like to thank all of the coaches for their dedication and hard work. I ’ d also like to thank the parents for being the greatest fans and the team moms for working so hard.
students were thrilled to see their own parents and coaches playing. The adults were great role models for the players. It was a great day!
P l a n t O p e r at i o n s I m p r ove s D o r m By Staff Writer
CSDR ’s current dormitories are in sad shape. New cottages are currently being built, but they won ’t be ready for the students until next year. The Middle School Boy’s dorm was especially bad. The crew in Plant Operations hated to see the boys spend another year in those surroundings, so they gathered together and made some fantastic changes to the dorm. They built some dividers between the beds so the boys could have some privacy. The also built desks for the students, repainted the rooms, and made several other improvements. They did all of this in addition to their regular work duties. To thank the men and women who helped with the project, the boys and their dorm counselors bought a cake and made a huge banner. They also had an official ribbon cutting ceremony. Thank you Plant Operations!