WI Times Spring 2014 Vol. CXXXV No. 3

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Wisconsin Times

Editorial Staff

Wisconsin School for the Deaf The school is part of the Department of Public Instruction, Division for Learning Services: Equity and Advocacy. As such, its goals are the same as those set forth by the department for all youth in the state. The school serves as a first-line alternative placement option for parents and school systems seeking appropriate programming for children and youth that are deaf or hard of hearing. The students are provided a comprehensive academic, vocational, and social education learning environment, uniquely programmed for a personalized education in both a day school and residential setting. As a part of the free public school system of the state, no charge is made for room, board, tuition, and concomitant activities.

Admission criteria are established by law (s. 115.52, WI Stats.) and require local district referral. Such local district referrals are then evaluated by the school for appropriateness, leading to acceptance or alternative recommendations. In recognition of individual integrity, the mission of the Wisconsin School for the Deaf is to provide an American Sign Language environment to promote excellence in the development of deaf and hard of hearing children in all areas of life through the use of ASL and English.

The mission is accomplished with the belief that, for most deaf children, ASL is the accessible, dominant language used for communication and thinking, while English, a spoken and written language, is learned as a second language. For some deaf and hard of hearing students who have previously acquired English, ASL is learned as a second language.

The Wisconsin School for the Deaf strives to foster competencies in these two languages as well as to develop cross-cultural sensitivity among the entire student body.

Preschool programs are offered for local children under the age of six on a day-school basis. Regular academics provide normal and unique curricula from grades one through 12. An extensive pre- and vocational training program is provided as part of the total grade 7-12 curriculum. The social education program for residential students is a continuous informal and formal program developing self-management and social living skills through child care counselors, facilities and numerous school related organizations and activities. For further information, write to: Director, Wisconsin School for the Deaf, 309 W. Walworth Avenue, Delavan, WI 53115.

Consultant: Alex H. Slappey Co-Editors: Rebecca Epple & Amy Dignan Reporters: Lori Lindau, Heather Martens, Maryann Barnett Contributing Reporters: Dr. Connie Gartner, Dean Kemp, Marla Walsh Sports Editor: Brian Lievens Photographer: Bill Wilson, Amy Dignan, & WSD Staff Proofreader: Lori Lindau Circulation Manager: Therese Pohl-Markowitz Layout Advisor: Bill Wilson

BELOW: Fall 2013 Nationally recognized sports awards.

DeafDigest Sports 8-Man Football Player of the Year – Jose Zepeda-Amador 8-Man Football All-Americans – Tanner Evans, Daniel Romero, and Zominique Walker Volleyball All-American – Lyssa Matsche

National Deaf Interscholastic Athletic Association 8-Man Football All-Americans First Team: Jose Zepeda-Amador Second Team: Daniel Romero and Zominique Walker Honorable Mention: Michael Lawson Division II Volleyball All-Americans First Team: Kori Koss Second Team: Lyssa Matsche Honorable Mention: Anna Dorst

FRONT & BACK COVER: Various winter scenes and activities around the WSD campus.

The State of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Dr Tony Evers, State Superintendent Michael Thompson, Deputy State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor, Assistant State Superintendent Division of Learning Support: Equity and Advocacy Dr. Stephanie Petska, Director, Special Education

Wisconsin School for the Deaf Alex H. Slappey, Director

2 - The Wisconsin Times

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and WSD are equal opportunity employers functioning under an Affirmative Action Plan.

Elementary School News

By Lori Lindau

The Christmas Tree Ship The WSD Elementary students took part in a virtual field trip recently. We were connected with Gaye-Lynne at the Milwaukee Public Museum to read the story, The Christmas Tree Ship: the Story of Captain Santa by Rochelle M. Pennington. The story, set at the turn of the 20th century, features a captain who brought fresh Christmas trees from the Upper Peninsula in Michigan to Chicago every year. One year, the ship sank near Two Rivers, Wisconsin. The story ends with the captain’s family carrying on his tradition. After reading the story, the students, along with Gaye-Lynne made an ornament for their home tree. The ornament was a symbol of all the elements in the story. We had fun!

Elementary Holiday Gift Exchange This holiday season, elementary students learned two important lessons: keeping a secret and the gift of giving. First, students drew the name of another elementary student and had to promise to keep the name a secret.

The name of the student and a short list of their favorite items were sent home with their new secret pal. Students were asked to buy a $10-15 item, wrap and label it and bring it to school to place under the tree.

The day of the gift exchange, all the eager students headed to the round room to sit around the tree. As Ms. Urdahl chose one gift at a time, the student giving the gift came up to present their gift to their pal. Each time Ms. Urdahl reached for a gift, students hollered and pointed to the gift they wanted her to choose next. They could barely contain their excitement. Everyone enjoyed receiving gifts, but the pleasure in giving a gift to a friend and the pride of watching their friends’ faces light up as they opened their presents was priceless.

After gifts were opened and the wrapping paper was recycled, we all sat down to enjoy milk and cookies made by baker extraordinaire, Ivy, in the WSD cafeteria.

2013-14 Winter - 3

Children’s Book Week 2013 Each year in Wisconsin, children nominate their favorite books for the Golden Archer Award. During Children’s Book Week, children all over the state vote for their favorite book. Votes are tallied and a winner if chosen. During Children’s Book Week at WSD, all the elementary classes make their way to the library each morning to enjoy a Deaf adult signing the one of the books nominated for the Golden Archer award.

This year the story signers were: Katy Schmidt, Joel Mankowski, Travis Waala, Tianna Galloway and Robert Paul. Following each story, students were divided into small groups for a variety of activities designed to coordinate with each story. David Copeland and Christopher Rawlings, WSD’s ASL Specialists, engaged students in an ASL lesson using the SmartBoard.

Nell Fleming, WSD’s Librarian, asked students to summarize the story and describe what they liked (or didn’t like) about the story using an iPad with a video camera. Kari Todd, WSD’s Literacy Specialist, had a variety of creative ‘paper and pencil’ activities focusing on English literacy. Patty Kostechka, WSD’s Educational Assistant in the library, provided fun activities everyday incorporating pictures, colored pencils, yarn, paint sticks and loads of laughter.

Thanks to WSD’s Bilingual Specialist, Karla Gunn, for recruiting the story signers and hard work coordinating this eagerly anticipated annual event.

Preschool Winter Wonderland The preschool class has been having fun experiencing the excitement of winter while staying indoors protected from the bitter cold. They learned about putting things in order from the bottom to top when they built their own snowman.

2013-14 Winter - 4

The have worked on using a shovel by pushing a white box through cones. They also felt how cold ice can be while they were chipping away at ice cubes to free the penguins who were frozen inside. Even more fun, was looking at the ice through a magnifying glass.

Colonial Times in Miss Abigail’s Class The fifth graders studied the Colonial times. They read books featuring fascinating characters, cooked using their natural resources, dressed in simple Colonial dresses, pants and vests, and got a taste of what school may have been like long ago.

Each student read a library book about Colonial times. They presented their book report to the class in ASL including what they learned, what was interesting, what they liked and did not like about the book. After reading through a variety of books, students chose new names for themselves for the month-long unit. Caitlyn, Katie, Ellie, T.J., Jaeden, and Jalila became Elenor, Maye, Rayya, Jack, Jackie Lee and Scarlet.

Some of the details of Colonial life were intriguing and fun to learn. Students made hornbooks and wrote only with chalk. They realized a one-room schoolhouse would be very strange with every age, and likely your siblings, in the same class. They were treated as Colonial teachers would treat students. Students who misbehaved were embarrassed publically and disciplined harshly. Fifth graders learned quickly that their ‘new’ teacher meant business.

Experiencing day-to-day school life without the modern conveniences was a challenge too. No colored pencils or markers, no highlighters, no spiral notebooks or three-ring binders? The worst part of all, no technology! No computers, no texting, no email, no laptops, no iPads, no Smart Boards? How could young students in Colonial times have possibly lived without them?

Fifth grade students and their teacher learned a great deal and thoroughly enjoyed the escape to simpler times even if only for a couple days.

LEFT: The serious and hard working students in Miss Abigail’s classroom.

Front Row: Jackie Lee (Jaeden), Miss Abigail (Ms. Alyson Urdahl) and Jack (T.J.).

Back Row: Scarlet (Jalila), Maye (Katie), Rayya (Ellie), Elenor (Caitlyn), ABOVE: Jack (T.J.), Rayya (Ellie), and Jackie Lee (Jaeden), make wax candles the Colonial way!

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Deaf Community Connections EDITOR’S NOTE: WSD aims to develop the whole child: academically, culturally, linguistically, socially, and emotionally. Highlighted in this issue are the importance of Deaf role models as well as showcasing Deaf culture and humor through the avenue of theatrical performances from the Deaf perspective.

Winter ASL Performance WSD’s annual winter drama performance came with a new director and a new vision. Christopher Rawlings, in his first year as WSD’s ASL specialist, met the challenge of directing the winter play by highlighting the uniqueness of ASL. Each elementary class performed their own skit.

Just like the yarn in warm winter sweater, each of the skits wove seamlessly into the next. The preschooler’s skit brought to life the famous Deaf joke ‘T-I-M-B-E-R.’

The Kindergarten class’ skit poked fun at words with multiple meanings. The first graders story was a legend describing the difficulty of choosing just the right Christmas tree in a forest filled with beautiful trees.

The second and third graders adapted their favorite story, The Gruffalo, by Julia Donaldson, the story of a mouse who has an amazing knack for scaring all the animals in the forest.

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The fourth graders dramatized the folktale, The Rabbit in the Moon. Finally, the fifth graders created their own play about a wolf who is deceived by all the forest animals only to find out they wanted to surprise her with a holiday party.

These talented fifth graders had full creative control including writing the script for the interpreter, determining who played which characters, and editing to be sure the audience would understand their vision.

Also featured were the traditional ‘12 Days of Christmas,’ performed by WSD’s Elementary ASL Club, an A to Z ASL poem entitled, “What I Want for Christmas’ featuring all the elementary students, a touching tribute to families from the Sign Song Dancers and Rhythm Club and a much anticipated visit from Santa Claus.

ABOVE & BELOW: Rehearsal for the big show.

Thanks to this year’s senior class. Some of the seniors donned costumes and took the stage to add just the right touch to the younger students’ skits. Other seniors helped decorate and set up the Lee Gymnasium for the big night. For all their help, seniors were given a ‘Christmas bonus’ to include in their checkbooks for their budgeting class with Therese Pohl-Markowitz.

As long as we’re on the subject of Therese, a big THANK YOU goes out to Therese and Karen Copeland for their marvelous costumes.

They worked tirelessly sewing, altering and organizing almost 40 costumes! Seeing each and every student come on stage in their adorable, unique, sometimes recycled costumes makes the performance so much more special for all the viewers. Therese has been sewing costumes for the WSD winter plays for over 20 years! She will be retiring at the end of this year. Therese may not be at WSD everyday, but her joyous spirit and her priceless costumes will be here for everyone to treasure.

Parents, siblings, extended families, WSD staff, friends and alums came to see this year’s performance and they were IMPRESSED! Christopher did a fantastic job directing his first WSD winter play. We look forward to many more to come!

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Literacy Link Dog and Cat By Erian Danke When my dog, Buddy, died I was very sad.

The next week, my dad surprised me with a cat! I opened the box and saw a cute black and white cat. I named her Meow. We play all the time together. Her favorite toy is a red laser. She chases the light all over the house. It is funny to watch.

Doll House By Hope Johnson On Christmas Eve, Dad and I opened presents. Dad hid my presents so I couldn’t see them. I screamed because I was so excited! I got my favorite Barbie and Barbie camper. My Dad finished the camper. Then Dad showed me a very big box. I was shocked! It was a new, giant dollhouse.

Puppy By Aliciamaria Arispe When I was three or four years old, my step dad surprised us with a new puppy. When my mom was sleeping, my step dad woke up my mom. My mom felt something on her. She woke up and saw a cute puppy. Then I screamed “puppy”! Then I petted my mom’s puppy dog. His name is Tutu. Then I was very tired of petting Tutu I told my mom I was going bed. My mom said, “ok”. In the morning, I saw Tutu sleeping in the box I said “aw!” He looked tan with white spots. The dog is so funny!!

When he woke up, he was excited to see me. I so loved Tutu.

Then Tutu died! I screamed “why?” My mom wouldn’t tell me if he was hit by a car or shot. Then I got a new dog. Her name is Heaven. She is so smart! Heaven is black. And she can see a ghost!

Wisconsin Dells By Cayden Rawlings My family packed clothes, gifts and food. Then we climbed in the van and drove north. We arrived at the hotel and searched for our room number. We waited for my uncle’s family and grandma and grandpa. Everyone arrived. We waited for Pizza Hut to arrive and then we ate until we were full. “Who wants gifts?” The children all yelled, “Yes!” Grandma said, “Ok, Ok!” My uncle’s girlfriend played Santa and handed out the gifts. After, we went swimming. There were many different areas to pick that had pools or hot tubs. My favorite part was the hot tub outside where I could feel the snow falling but I was nice and warm in the water. I really enjoy the Wisconsin Dells.

Christmas Break By Tania Rooker My mom sister and I and my brothers made chicken barbeque. At night I opened presents. I saw a big TV. Now I have a big TV in my bedroom. My mom gave me a Monster High bear and Monster High dolls. My grandma gave me clothes. In the morning, my family ate breakfast. At night, we ate dinner. My dad gave me a new movie, Despicable Me 2. My mom, Dad and I made cookies. We decorated cookies with pink frosting.

During Christmas break I watched TV and played with my Monster High dolls. Christmas break was fun.

2013-14 Winter - 8

No Appreciation for Punishment

By Anthony Lange There was a woman who had to go somewhere.

She had a mother goat. She didn’t know what to do with the mother goat. She decided to ask the old woman to take care of the mother goat. The baby goats were left at home without the mother goat. The woman left over night. While she was gone, the hyena was walking around and saw the baby goats. Guess what happened? The baby goats were eaten by the hyena! The next day, the mother goat come back and saw the baby goats were dead.

So she decided to make a well, and then cover the well with baby goat bones. When the hyena came back and saw the baby goats’ bones, he jumped into the well. The mother goat walked way. The donkey heard a scram “HELP!” He didn’t know who it was. The donkey saw a hyena in the well and he said, “I’ll make you a deal. If I help you out of there, you can’t eat me, ok?” The hyena said, “Deal!” The donkey put his tail down in the well. The hyena climbed up the donkey’s tail. He made it! But the bad news was that he planned to eat the donkey. The donkey said, “No! Remember our deal?”

Just then a hare walked up and asked what was going on. The donkey said, “I just helped him out of the well and now he wants to eat me.” The hare replied, “No way! You helped him out? How?” The donkey said, “with my tail.” The hare said, “Show me!” Then, the hyena climbed back down into the well and said, “See? That’s how we did it.” The donkey and hare left the hyena in the well.

They walked away.

That’s his punishment!

Adaptive Education Department

by Heather Martens

Learning The Ways Around Town WSD staff members, Troy Truelove and Bethany Constable, worked with Chloe Goetsch, Roberto Gonzalez, and Jon Post, teaching the concepts of safety, weather, and making purchases. They learned to use money wisely, to identify the lowest price for an item, to identify sale items, to locate items in various stores, and most importantly what to do if you are lost in a store. For the safety part of the unit, Tonyia Fulton worked with this group and Julian Ortiz to learn how to walk in the parking lot, to look both ways to make sure traffic is clear, and to identify various traffic and safety signs around town. Students learned what each color of a stoplight means and when it is safe to walk across the street. The group visited Piggly Wiggly, Wal-Mart, and Pet Smart. They walked downtown searching for signs they learned in class. During their weekly community outings, students had the opportunity to show off what they learned.

Middle School News

By Maryann Barnett

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2013-14 Winter - 9

High School News

By Maryann Barnett

Washington, Illinois Tornado High school science teacher, Mrs. Martha Muller joined the WSD family last year. This year, WSD students and staff enveloped her with love, warmth, food, cash and more. Mrs. Muller’s family still lives in Washington, Illinois which is located eight miles from Peoria. On Sunday, November 17th an EF4 tornado blew through the town, destroying more than 1,000 homes. Luckily, the Muller home was NOT in the path of the tornado. However, many of Mrs. Muller’s friends and neighbors lost their homes and all of their belongings.

The following morning, fellow WSD science teacher, Ms. Amy Dignan, sent out a campus-wide announcement explaining the incident and asking staff to donate to Washington residents. She placed large plastic bins outside Mrs. Muller’s classroom. By Friday, three large bins were overflowing with non-perishable food items, blankets, clothing, as well as cleaning, medical, and personal hygiene items. Some people donated cash to Mrs. Muller to be used to help her friends and neighbors in need.

The WSD Middle School Student Body Council immediately decided to join in to help. They asked the entire student body to bring more non-perishable food items to school so Mrs. Muller could replenish the shelves when she returned to Washington for winter break. Once again, Mrs. Muller had an outpouring of support, and another car full of donations to share with Washington residents.

Mrs. Muller reports that county and state police as well as the United States Coast Guard and the National Guard arrived in Washington, Illinois immediately. The groups quickly encircled the damaged area to ensure the safety of property owners. Many people were forced to live in hotels or with friends and neighbors. Some traveled to stay with friends or relatives. Although the schools were untouched, due to the many students and staff who were affected, classes were not held until the following Thursday. Luckily, most of the places of worship were untouched and were quickly called upon to respond.

Homeowners were given five-gallon buckets for collecting items they could salvage. Mrs. Muller and her daughters assisted residents in walking through the rubble and searching for important papers, memorabilia, photographs, or other personal items. It was a labor of love for them, as they knew many of those whom they helped.

Mrs. Muller said it would take many years for the area to return to normalcy. She also sends a message from the residents of Washington, Illinois to all of the students and staff from WSD who donated “Thank You WSD for all the support.”

RIGHT: The members of the Middle School Student Body Council pose with Mrs. Muller and many of the items collected.

The council members are from left to right: Faith, Keisha, Madison, Dakota, (Mrs. Muller) and Lucero.

2013-14 Winter - 10

Decorating Doors During Homecoming week the whole school participated in a door-decorating contest. Due to the excitement in the fall, many teachers decided to repeat this idea with a winter holiday theme.

Some are doors look like large wrapped boxes, some include a collection of stockings, and there are several doors with detailed designs, which took students a great deal of time and effort to complete. The doors have all gotten great feedback and it seems this may be a tradition in the making!

What Happened to the Student Body Council?

For years, WSD has had a middle school and a high school Student Body Council (SBC).

However, at a recent regular meeting of the high school SBC, discussion of a name change occurred. High schools across Wisconsin and the nation have been changing the name of this club to Student Government. This discussion led to the group to officially asking WSD Principal, Mrs. Marla Walsh for permission to change the name. The students felt the new name described their group more ABOVE Seated Left to Right: Anthony, Lyssa, Anna accurately. The group uses a relaxed form Standing Left to Right: Advior Michelle Mickle, Josiah, Damon, of Parliamentary procedures, which is more Teresa, Malia and Zominique governmental than council in nature.

In wanting to align themselves with similar clubs in local high schools, it was voted that the WSD high school group, formerly known as the Student Body Council or SBC would be known as the Student Body Government or SBG. High School social studies teacher, Mrs. Michelle Mickle is the sponsor of the high school group. The SBG meets two times a month. The mission of the group is to foster student leaders, to promote a positive school environment, to address students’ concerns and to use positive action to encourage change.

Mrs. Mickle reported that SBG in currently involved with two projects. One project is coordinating with Mrs. Kari Todd, who leads the Student Literacy Center. SBG students would like to go into the elementary classes to read with the younger students. The second project is to assist with the WSD blood drive, scheduled for Wednesday, February 19, 2014. SBG participants will help to set up the gym, visit with people who come to donate blood, offer snacks, and clean up the gym following the event.

The 2013-2014 WSD High School Student Body Government representatives include: President Anna Dorst, Vice President Anthony Lange, Secretary Teresa Baumgartner, Treasurer Malia Christenson and Sergeant at Arms Damon Hopp. In addition, class representatives include: Alex Kubiske, Josiah Kleist, Gunner Hahn, Lyssa Matsche and Zominique Walker.

2013-14 Winter - 11

Huff Happenings

by Heather Martens

G.I.R.L.S. Girls In Real Life Situations is a social group offered to WSD’s young ladies with a counseling perspective.

The group focuses on promoting healthy relationships among the girls and their peers as well as shaping their thoughts, feelings, and insights on life. A curriculum is followed and there is a new topic relating to teens each week.

The group meets Wednesdays at eight o’clock for an hour in the Student Support Center in the dorm. Groups are broken down by ages. The current focus is on the middle school aged girls. The high school girls group will be set up next. Jamie Chapin plans on adding a group for the elementary girls too. The group will be run through first semester with the potential to become a yearlong program if there is enough interest.

Jamie usually opens with a fun icebreaker or group activity. Once the girls have shown that they are calm and comfortable, they proceed to a close up discussion, reflection and review. Topics include: who am I? body image, making choices, communication, emotions, friendship, relationships, self-esteem, stress, reaching out, tough times, and who I am.

Jamie hopes that the girls will gain knowledge and learn that their feelings are normal, especially during the middle school phase. Every girl has a story to tell. Every girl benefits from learning that they are not alone.

Having support is essential. This is a confidential group where the girls are safe to express their thoughts and feelings.

New Techies The dorm students and staff have been waiting for quite some time for new computers. The old computers were frustrating for everyone due to outdated programs, speed and memory issues. Updated computers were requested because students are required to complete more and more of their assignments using a computer.

Their patience was worth the wait. Students may use one of the 20 new computers to create Power Point Presentations, to search the Internet or to type research papers.

Other new equipment received included: ten iPads, updated Video Phones that included a new kiosk, and WiFi access everywhere in the building. Additional requests were made for a Go Pro video camera, replacement of the computers in the senior and junior students’ bedrooms, and five laptops for the FBC. Watching the students and staff reactions to the new equipment has been priceless. Everyone in the dorm sends a huge thank you to Constance Gartner and everybody school wide for supporting Student Life and making this upgrade possible.

Holiday Cheer In anticipation of the holiday break and the visit from Santa Claus the elementary and middle school dorm staff wanted to spread the holiday cheer with the children on the floor. The boys’ side was in charge of the munchies while the girls’ side was in charge of the entertainment. Making a human Christmas tree was one activity. Using the materials provided, Eric Hameister and Jenna Miller were morphed into Christmas trees. Presents were laid out in front of the children and they were told they could open their presents on one condition. They had to wear oven mitts! Opening presents was a struggle for the youngsters. They were so tempted to take the mitts off their hands, but they had their mind set on seeing what was underneath the wrapping paper. The night was filled with laughter. Children were sent to bed after brushing their teeth with dreams of sugarplums awaiting them.

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Sharing Hobbies In lieu of doing their Performance Improvement Plan, (PIP), the dorm staff created an activity sharing a hobby or an activity they were previously taught. Each area was given a list of criteria to follow when creating their activity. The criteria were the questions what, who, where, why, how, and when. Each staff explained their hobby or activity including what they needed to make the activity a success. Their activities were submitted prior for approval from their supervisor.

Eric Hameister, who works with elementary and middle school boys, had a project building wooden stools. He taught the boys to use every piece of wood if possible. He cut all the wood at home, and brought it back for the boys to complete their projects. The boys were responsible for applying the stain and varnish before assembling the stool. Those who participated in this activity brought their stool home to give to someone as a gift.

Carlos Lopez, who also works with the elementary and middle school boys, shared a lesson on making cookies.

He had a recipe for the boys to follow. They measured the dry and wet ingredients. Once the ingredients were mixed thoroughly, the dough was rolled out so the boys could use the holiday cookie cutters. After the cookies came out of the oven and cooled off, they were beautifully decorated with frosting from the kitchen. The cookies were shared with the residents of Twin Oaks assisted living facility in Delafield.

The elementary and middle school boys brought holiday cheer to the residents of Willowfield Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Delavan. Sandra Waala and the boys made holiday cards and handed them out to the residents. Broad grins and sparkling eyes were thanks enough. One of the boys even got a smooch on the cheek!

Michelle Johnson saw a great ornament idea on Pinterest and shared the activity with the elementary and middle school girls. After gathering all the materials needed to make the ornament, the girls made an ILY ornament using their own hand as a guide. The girls measured and mixed the ingredients carefully, and then rolled the dough flat and smooth. After the hand shapes were cut out, the middle and ring fingers were folded down. Finally, they went into the oven. Once they cooled, they were painted and a ribbon was added. The lovely ornaments were carefully wrapped, brought home and given as gifts.

2013-14 Winter - 13

Firebird Sports By: Brian Lievens

High School Girls Basketball First Half of the Season Record: 3-6 Neesam Classic at Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf WSD 29 at Minnesota Deaf 64 The Lady Firebirds faced a Goliath task in taking on the Minnesota Trojans without senior Kori Koss.

The Trojans obliterated the Firebirds by 35 points. However, Wisconsin continued to fight and never gave up. The Lady Firebirds were led by junior Elizabeth Besaw who scored 11 points to go with four steals and senior KaYoua Xiong who had ten points. Xiong made five out of six free throws in the game.

WSD 43 at Iowa Deaf 8 The second day of the Neesam Classic, WSD girls came back with a bang beating Iowa handily. Senior KaYoua Xiong and junior Elizabeth Besaw led team with 12 points each. Anna Dorst contributed 8 points. KaYoua also led team with 11 steals.

WSD 33 at Rock County Christian School 63 The Lady Firebirds had their first Indian Trail Conference game against Rock County. Unfortunately, they fell to Rock County Christian School. The girls played hard against the stout defense of Rock County. The team showed improvement in their defense and their rebounding. After an ankle injury, senior Kori Koss returned to the lineup and promptly led the team in scoring with 16 points. Junior Alaqua Cox improved her rebounding skills contributing ten.

WSD 31 at Mountain Top Christian School 73 The Lady Firebirds competed at ABOVE: Ka Youa Xiong looking for a pass.

Mountain Top Christian Academy BELOW: Kori Koss going for another lay-up. in Horicon, an hour and half away.

Although the team fell to MTCA, WSD 30 at Early View Academy 34 the ladies ran the offensive well. The Early View provided the Lady Firebirds with a measuring stick to coaches saw an increase in the team’s see how good the Lady Firebirds were. Wisconsin opened the game aggressiveness. Alaqua Cox showed with a two-point lead at the end of the first quarter but lost the lead in continued improvement with 11 the second quarter. The Lady Firebirds attempted a comeback in the rebounds. Kori Koss led the team with third quarter by scoring seven points to the opponents’ two points but 17 points and nine rebounds. Senior Early View scored 17 points in the final quarter, handing the Lady Anna Dorst added eight points. The Firebirds their fourth loss of the season. Alaqua Cox continued to Lady Firebirds looked forward to the rebound well with eight boards. Senior KaYoua Xiong led the team winter break to rest and rejuvenate for with 12 points while senior Kori Koss contributed with eight steals the remainder of the season. and eight points.

2013-14 Winter - 14

Union Grove Christian School 38 at WSD 20 The Lady Firebirds fell to Union Grove Christian School by 18 points.

With only six players, the girls gave it their all. The game was very close until the fourth quarter when the girls ran out of steam. Kori Koss had 14 points and eight rebounds.

WSD’s Triple Threat Senior Starters are: LEFT - Kori Koss making a drive to the basket.

BELOW - Ka Youa Xiong tossing in a jump shot.

RIGHT - Anna Dorst shooting a free throw.

Rock County Christian School 28 at WSD 50 WSD played an exciting game in beating Rock County Christian School for their first conference and home win! With a full team, the girls were on fire carrying out plays well and making a lot of shots. Kori Koss had 22 points while KaYoua Xiong supplemented the scoring with 16 points. There was good rebounding by Alaqua Cox and Katelyn Miller. The coach tried new plays that were successful against RCCS. BELOW: Senior Anna Dorst bringing the ball down the court.

Salam School 13 at WSD 46 Once again, the Lady Firebirds were on fire beating the Salam Stars. All the girls got some good playing time and even got to try out different positions to develop some new skills.

KaYoua Xiong continued her hot scoring with 17 points while Koss added 16 points to go with nine steals. Alaqua Cox and Elizabeth Besaw added nine and eight rebounds respectively.

Mountain Top Christian Academy 63 at WSD 31 Wisconsin played an exciting game against Mountain Top at home. WSD challenged the Cougars and only trailed by ten at the half. The Firebirds kept the game within reach until the fourth quarter, which their opponent dominated. Kori Koss had a great night scoring 19 of WSD’s 31 points.

2013-14 Winter - 15

High School Boys Basketball First Half of the Season Record: 4-6 Neesam Classic at the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf WSD 38 at Minnesota Deaf 55 The Firebirds opened the 2013-2014 season with a loss to the Trojans of Minnesota. The Trojans blitzed the Firebirds in the first half by scoring 31 points while WSD scored only 16 points. The boys attempted to come back in the second half, scoring 22 points but the Trojans scored added two more points.

Freshman Jerome Payne, playing on the varsity for the first time, led the team scoring with 14 points.

With12 points, senior Gunner Hahn supplemented the scoring. Senior Tanner Evans led the team with five rebounds while Payne had five steals to pace the defense. Junior point guard Zominique Walker distributed the ball with four assists.

WSD 37 at Iowa Deaf 39 In the second game out of three games at the Neesam Classic, Wisconsin lost a heartbreaker to Iowa by only two points. WSD led by four points at halftime but lost the lead in the second half. Tanner Evans was great defensively gathering 12 rebounds and five steals. The team had a total of 23 steals but that did not help the team win the game. Hahn collected seven rebounds and scored ten points. Freshman Payne continued to lead the team in scoring with 13 points.

WSD 79 at Metro Deaf 21 Metro Deaf suffered from an angry Firebirds team who had lost the two previous games. Wisconsin obliterated Metro with a great offense which scored 48 points in the first half. The defense then clamped down on the speedy Leopards by allowing only four points in the second half. Junior Damon Hopp finally woke up in the third game and led the team in scoring with 28 points. Gunner Hahn added 22 points inside the paint. Senior Jose Zepeda-Amador made 100% of his free throws.

WSD 47 at Rock County Christian School 76 Rock County raced to a huge lead over the Firebirds. By halftime the score was 48-20. The Firebirds attempted to come back in the second half to no avail as the opponents’ defense was too strong. Jerome Payne and Damon Hopp led the team with 13 points each. With 10 rebounds, Tanner Evans showed his rebounding prowess.

Junior Zominique Walker had four steals and two assists. The team suffered 27 turnovers which denied them an opportunity to win the game.

2013-14 Winter - 16

RIGHT: Senior Tanner Evans does a fake shot before canning two points.

Tanner has had a great season, improving in every aspect in each game.

LEFT: Freshman Jerome Payne had a stellar year starting in many games.

Here he drives that ball towards the hoop.

WSD 33 at Mountain Top Christian Academy 47 After driving an hour and half to Horicon, the Firebirds opened the game listless. Wisconsin allowed Mountain Top to score 26 points and contributed only eight of their own first half points.

Mountain Top loosened its clamp on the Firebirds in the second half, allowing WSD to score 25 points. It was too late for the Firebirds to escape the game with a win. Jerome Payne continued his excellent freshman year scoring 16 points. Gunner Hahn chipped in five points and led the team in rebounding with seven. Damon Hopp was hot and cold this season as evidenced in his scoring only five points in this game, but he fought hard for six rebounds. After this game and a 1-4 record, the team was ready for winter break.

WSD 27 at Early View Academy 53 The boys’ team lost a disappointing game against Early View Academy.

WSD was only down by three points at the end of the first quarter but EVA locked the Firebirds down the rest of the game. The opponents scored 28 points in the fourth quarter to run away with a win, leaving the Firebirds with a bitter taste in their mouths. Zominique Walker had five steals while Damon Hopp and Gunner Hahn both had six rebounds. Tanner Evans provided senior leadership with eight points.

LEFT: Senior Anthony Lange makes a drive for the basket.

RIGHT: Junior Zom Walker completes a lay-up.

WSD 43 at Oak Hill Christian School 51 The Wisconsin boys made it a competitive game in the second half but the lack of offense in the first half hurt the team. Both teams were similar statistically but Oak Hill proved to be better offensively. Jerome Payne led the team with 18 points and four steals. Damon Hopp and Tanner Evans contributed six rebounds each while Hopp had seven points.

Union Grove Christian School 20 at WSD 39 The Firebirds notched their second win of the season on their home floor. After six away games, the home floor was good to WSD. Scoring only eight points in the first half, the Firebirds glowed in a blaze with 31 points in the second half, shocking Union Grove into submission. The Firebirds had 25 steals as a team with junior Zominique Walker and freshman Jerome Payne leading the team with eight steals each.

Payne continued to lead the team in scoring with 14 points while Walker chipped in nine points. Seniors Jose Zepeda-Amador and Tanner Evans had nine rebounds each.

BELOW: Senior Jose Zepeda-Amador gets fouled scrambling for a loose ball.

Rock County Christian School 26 at WSD 43 The home cooking must have been just the right trick for the Wisconsin team as evident in their two game winning streak. Rock County beat the boys during their last meeting, but WSD learned from the first game and beat Rock County easily. WSD jumped on their opponents in the first half with 31 points to 12 points. WSD chilled a bit in the second half but the lead was too great for the opponents to surmount. Zominique Walker led the defense with seven steals and also contributed five assists. Damon Hopp got hot scoring ten points.

Mountain Top Christian Academy 38 at WSD 42 Continuing the Firebirds’ hot winning streak at home, Wisconsin beat Mountain Top by only four points. After being down by four points at halftime, the Firebirds came back in the third quarter.

Freshman Jerome Payne played started at point guard for the first time and contributed two assists and four points. Damon Hopp led the team with seven rebounds while scoring ten points on another end. Senior Jose Zepeda-Amador also provided six rebounds to stabilize the backcourt for the Firebirds.

2013-14 Winter - 17

Middle School Boys Basketball The boys’ basketball team improved their basketball skills as well as their basketball intelligence this year. The boys showed great teamwork and scored many points. Eighth graders Wyatt Stoller, Perles Payne, and Dakota Kangas will be sorely missed next year, as they will be joining the high school team.

This year’s middle school team was coached by Darrick Dubois and assisted by Steven Healy. Their season record was five wins and ten losses.

ABOVE: Dakota Kangas sprints past the screen towards the hoop.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Montaro Walker reaches for the rebound.

Wyatt Stoller goes for the lay-up.

Payne Winfield shows his quick maneuvers and ball handling!

Middle School Girls Basketball Being scrappy, the middle school girls’ basketball team earned a 1-12 record for the season including two cancelled games. The girls worked very hard in practice and improved their skills. The team began to play better together throughout the season.

BELOW: Lucero Uriostegui looks for the pass.

ABOVE: Faith Sims recovers the ball and saves it from a turnover.

LEFT: Keisha Payne drives that ball to the basket!

Eighth grader Madison Anderson will be missed by the team next year as she will enter high school. However, the core of the team will remain the same.

The “B” team played two games this season and won one of them.

2013-14 Winter - 18

Special Olympics State Bowling Tournament AMF Bowlero Lanes in Milwaukee was the site of the Special Olympics state bowling tournament. Three Firebird bowlers advanced to the tournament in their respective divisions.

Senior Brandaun Carter bowled his way to a third place in his division. Not to be outdone, fellow senior Charlotte Fleege placed fifth in her division. Alex Kubiske, bowling in his final year at WSD, succeeded in bowling two turkeys, two sets of three straight strikes. Alex’s performance earned a third place finish in his division. Congratulations WSD Bowlers!

Seniors Alex and Branduan let you know who’s #1!

Anthonly Bole shows off his awards.

Senior Charly Fleege prepares for a strike.

Refereeing Special Olympics Basketball Senior Anna Dorst was the first WSD female in school history to referee a Special Olympics basketball game last year.

This year, senior Kori Koss had an opportunity to referee a Special Olympics basketball game alongside Anna making it two female referees! Athletic Director Matthew Eby also assisted during the game. Congrats, ladies!

Special Olympics Snowshoe Team Annually, WSD students participate in the Special Olympics Snowshoe Competition. However, due to the extreme polar vortex of 2014, all the races have been canceled to date. The athletes are looking forward to participating on next year’s team.

ABOVE: Anna and Kori getting the job done!

2013-14 Winter - 19

SEPTEMBER Tao Yi Page, Milwaukee Julian Ortiz, Fort Atkinson 6th grade - Volleyball 7th grade - Bowling

OCTOBER Anthony Bole, Lake Geneva 7th grade - Bowling

Keisha Payne, Milwaukee 7th grade - Volleyball

Athletes of the Month WSD’s Athlete of the Month Award was established to recognize both the athletic and academic efforts of our athletes. Athletic Director Matthew Eby and the coaches select two WSD athletes, one male and one female, each month from both the middle school and high school departments who demonstrate sportsmanship and respect to coaches, officials, and teammates. The coaches also consider the athlete’s enthusiasm, support, commitment, honesty, and personal success as well as academic achievements.

DECEMBER Payne Winfield, Milwaukee Paige Sheffield, Lake Geneva 7th grade - Basketball 7th grade - Basketball 2013-14 Winter - 20

NOVEMBER Lucero Uriostegui, Prairie du Sac 7th grade - Basketball

Montaro Walker, Milwaukee 7th grade - Basketball

JANUARY Jazmin Victorino, Lake Geneva 7th grade - Basketball

Wyatt Stoller, Janesville 8th grade - Basketball

SEPTEMBER Tanner Evans, Madison Anna Dorst, Campbellsport Senior - Football Senior - Volleyball

OCTOBER Thomas Benish, Racine Sophomore - Football

Alaqua Cox, Keshena Junior - Volleyball

For more sports information check us out at Twitter and Insta-gram and Facebook.

NOVEMBER Brandaun Carter, Milwaukee Senior - Bowling

Charlotte Fleege, Delavan Senior - Bowling

DECEMBER KaYoua Xiong, Milwaukee Jerome Payne, Milwaukee Senior, Basketball Freshman - Basketball

JANUARY Naomi Cinefro, Walworth Sophomore, Basketball

Andrew Coppola, Delavan Freshman - Basketball 2013-14 Winter - 21

Students vs. Staff Basketball Game

ABOVE: PST staff Peter Schultz goes for the layup!

BELOW: Tanner Evans drives past Chip Hurlbut.

At the conclusion of last year’s first staff verses students basketball game, everyone agree that the game should become an annual event. On Tuesday, November 26th, just before Thanksgiving break, enthusiastic spectators filled the bleachers to cheer on their favorite players.

Mr. Slappey, Director of the Wisconsin Educational Services Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing was the coach for the students, while Mrs. Walsh, WSD Principal, was the coach for the staff. Referees for the game were Tom Armato and Darrick Dubois. Prior to the game, it was decided that the students would receive three points for any basket made. Staff would score one or two points; depending upon where the shooter was standing.

By the end of the first quarter, students had a strong 15-8 point lead. By the half, both teams edged forward with a score of 24-19. During the fourth quarter, the staff scored 16 points; however, it was not enough to conquer the students. The final score of the game was 47 – 43.

The healthy competition between the staff and students has grown. In February, WSD will have a staff verses students academic contest.

WE’VE GOT SPIRIT! WSD’s Cheerleading team has put on quite a show at the basketball games this year. They are looking foward to the GPSD Cheerleading competition. At RIGHT the team includes Jasmine Perkins, Coach Julie Holma, Kalu Cha. Not pictured is Madi Conine who recently joined the sqaud.

2013-14 Winter - 22

ABOVE: Boys Assistant Basketball Coach and MS teacher, Troy Truelove, attempts to shoot around Tanner Evans’ block.

BELOW: WSD’s littlest fans get into the spirit of the game!

Mock Wedding

Students in the Marriage and Family class culminated the semester studies with a Mock Wedding. Within the new Chesebro Building is the Great Hall. Folding chairs were set, and the aisle awaited flower petals. Elementary students, Mia Eldred and Calvin Cuppy were asked to be the flower girl and ring bearer.

Celebrant of the faux vows was WSD ASL Specialist, Mr. David Copeland.

Behavioral Specialist, Mrs. Polly Slappey was the mother of all three brides, but walked Toni Lovrek down the aisle to her groom Michael Lawson.

High School Teacher, Mr. James Tomasino, walked both Alaqua Cox and Camille Kangas to their grooms, Gunner Hahn and Damon Hopp, respectively. The three brides shared their bridesmaids: Lyssa Matsche, Teresa Baumgartner and Chandre Kimble, and the shared groomsmen were Tanner Evans, Hailey Przybylski, and Brandon Carter. Mr. Copeland explained some of the vocabulary commonly used in marriage ceremonies including: bond, trials, and commitment as well as the tradition of the wedding ring.

A reception followed in the cafeteria. Two students from Mrs. Turcsany-Lopez’s Foods class catered the event.

Both Daniel Orizaba and Daniel Romera have expressed interest in cooking and food service. Together they made a wedding cake with fondant, hors d’ oerves, fruit punch and lemonade.

The groomsmen each offered a toast to one of the couples. Tanner Evans spoke about the many years he knew the couples, especially Damon. He said, “We have been friends since middle school; we played football, and were trouble makers together; we are best friends. So Damon and Camille, I wish you good luck and a long future together. I am proud of you!” Very nice words Tanner, and we hope that all of our WSD students make positive and long lasting life choices.

2013-14 Winter - 23

New School Staff By: Maryann Barnett & Lori Lindau

Ginger has practically grown up at WSD. It is no surprise that her heart and her career have followed a path to teaching Deaf students. Ginger is a C.O.D.A. (child of Deaf adults) and is bilingual and bi-cultural. Ginger uses both English and ASL fluently. WSD has been a second home for Ginger because her parents are former WSD teachers and two of her siblings are WSD alumni. Ginger has worked at WSD for the past five years in a variety of positions. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and is completing her Master’s degree in Education. When she is not teaching, she is usually outdoors beside the lake, on the lake, or in the lake.

Ginger loves traveling but she is definitely a Wisconsin gal at heart. Ginger looks forward to carrying on her family’s name and continuing the wonderful legacy her family has created at WSD.

John Hurlbut Educational Assistant

Another familiar face returning to WSD is Educational Assistant, John “Chip” Hurlbut, from the WSD class of 2006. Mr. Hurlbut continued his education at Gallaudet University, graduating in 2012 with a degree in Psychology.

Mr. Hurlbut commutes from nearby Lake Geneva, where he shares his home with his dog, Sherlock. Outside of work, Chip enjoys disc golf, video games, and is an avid reader. Favorite authors include Stephen King and Clive Cussler. Chip is a Chicago Bears fan. Asked about his first few weeks at WSD as a staff member, Chip said, “Students can try to fool me, but it won’t work. I was a student here and I know all the tricks!” Welcome back to WSD!

Mrs. Russotto was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. Upon moving to the United States to attend college at RIT/NTID, she met and fell in love with her husband, Sam. They live in Grayslake, Illinois along with their son Tyler, who is sixteen months old. Mrs. Russotto teaches high school English and language arts at WSD. She says she looks forward to having the classroom and her schedule set to her satisfaction. Prior to teaching at WSD, Mrs. Russotto taught at the John Powers Center, and worked as an itinerant teacher in northern Illinois.

Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Russotto loves to read and belongs to a book club. Her latest favorite is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. She also enjoys daily conversations with her sister, who lives in Toronto, Canada. Mrs. Russotto enjoys reality television programs, such as Master Chef and Top Chef as well as crime shows like NCIS and Bones. Asked about her first few weeks at WSD, she says that it has been “busy” and “FUN”. She loves meeting the students and hopes to continue to inspire their love for books. Welcome to Wisconsin and to WSD. 2013-14 Winter - 24

Ginger Aleksinski Teacher

Julie Russotto Teacher

Christopher Rawlings ASL Specialist

Christopher Rawlings is a familiar face at WSD. In fact, he is an alumnus from the class of 1995. Mr. Rawlings is an ASL Specialist.

He also graduated from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science degree in American Sign Language.

Prior to coming to WSD, he taught ASL in Milwaukee at a K-12 private school and at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.

Mr. Rawlings lives in Elkhorn with his two daughters and is engaged to be married to a former WSD staff, Andrea Olson, next summer.

Outside of the classroom, Mr. Rawlings enjoys spending time with his girls. He also enjoys traveling and performing. This past summer he performed with the 5 Eyes Project in both Chicago and Milwaukee.

Camping and social activities fill any free time. He is proud to say his local beach volleyball team took the championship place this past summer. He was, is and always will be a Detroit Lions fan.

Christopher is no stranger to WSD staff either. From 2000- 2002, he worked as an Educational Assistant, and last year was hired as a part time teacher in the middle school. Christopher is “thrilled to finally be on staff at WSD!” We are thrilled to have you here too.

Matt Palma is a familiar face at WSD. Mr. Palma says he thinks he may have been a substitute in each one of the classrooms over the last two years. Hard of hearing himself since the age of five, he was in a nearby school district but did not require an interpreter. Mr. Palma learned the basics of ASL from Tom Harbison while he was in high school. He later learned Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) and became fluent in KSL before American Sign Language when he was in the Peace Corps for three years, stationed in Kenya at a school for the Deaf. There, a little girl noticed the dimple in his chin and gave him his name sign. To us, it is the sign for ‘red.’ He says Kenyan Sign Language is very different than American Sign Language. The sign for bathroom is our sign for ’house’ as they use outhouses. The sign for Kenya looks like our letter ‘x’, but with the thumb fully wrapped by the pointer. While in Kenya, Mr. Palma taught classes and led a project to provide books to four different libraries. The school year in Kenya is nine months, but instead of vacation during the months of June, July and August, students are home for the months of April, August and December.

This gives the students the ability to continue to help at home on family farms during the times when the help is most needed.

Prior to going to Kenya, Mr. Palma earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse in economics and a master’s degree in sports administration. He was able to intern at the headquarters of the NFL in New York City and meet both Brett Favre and Bart Starr. Upon his return from Kenya in 2011, he took ASL courses at Gallaudet and has been working to improve his ASL skills since his employment here. He is Matt Palma currently pursuing his teacher certification and works as the Teacher middle school science teacher. When asked what he likes best about WSD, Matt said, “The students here are wonderful.”

We think so too. Welcome Matt.

2013-14 Winter - 25

Mr. Truelove is a new face in the WSD Middle School Department. He comes to us from Indiana where he was born and raised in the small town of Washington, two and a half hours south of Indianapolis. He is a graduate of the Indiana School for the Deaf. He grew up with fellow WSD staff member, Darrick Dubois.

Mr. Truelove has a bachelor’s degree in history from Gallaudet University. He has ten years of experience coaching the JV basketball team from ISD and four years as the head coach of their baseball team. In addition, Mr. Truelove has six years experience coaching a neighborhood Little League team. He is a Colts fan, a Bears fan, and a huge Indiana University basketball fan.

Besides classroom experience, Mr. Truelove brings years of experience working in adult group home settings. He recently settled in nearby Elkhorn, Wisconsin.

Asked about his first weeks here at WSD, Mr. Truelove states that “everyone has been helpful and friendly and I can ask anything.”

Welcome to Wisconsin and to WSD.

Laura Barker Office Assistant

2013-14 Winter - 26

Troy Truelove Teacher

Brand new to WSD is Office Assistant, Mrs. Laura Barker.

Mrs. Barker commutes daily from Milwaukee where she lives with her husband and two daughters. Mrs. Barker graduated from the Interpreter Training Program at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. She traveled with a Deaf Mission to Kanyakumari, India upon graduation. She has worked in Tennessee and Reno, Nevada (ask her about her job there!) before returning to Milwaukee. She married and was a stay at home mom for years.

Asked what she likes to do in her free time, and Mrs. Barker says, “sewing”. She was involved in 4-H with her daughters for years and enjoys making clothing and costumes. She recently completed costumes for her family to wear to Colonial Williamsburg.

Asked about her thoughts about her first few weeks at WSD, Laura says she is confident and patient that she WILL learn everyone’s name. She currently uses last year’s photo poster as a reference! She is also slowly learning the many acronyms used, such as: PBIS, AMT, LMC, and TPM. On Mrs. Barker’s first day of work, she was involved in the moving of the educational offices from Robinson Hall into the brand new Chesebro Hall. That made for a grand welcome!

New Dorm Staff By: Heather Martens

Jeffrey Rawlings Assistant Dean of Students

Familiar Face, New Position Jeffrey Rawlings was a student here at WSD from the fall of 1984 until he graduated in June of 1997. He returned to WSD as a Child Care Counselor for four years then became a lead worker for eight years. He recently accepted the Assistant Dean of Students position. One of Jeff’s goals is to keep everybody updated and in the loop by creating vlogs for those involved in Student Life. He hopes to help people understand how the department operates and to enhance communication between the school, the dorm, and the parents.

Improving staff morale, modifying the PBIS program, and updating technology in the dorm are some of his top priorities. Jeff also hopes to create a social networking atmosphere into the FBC similar to the experience at Starbucks. The Firebird Center’s additions of new tables, booths, and chairs and the recent Wi-Fi updates are helping to meet this goal. Jeff is also interested in developing a new transition program to help the older students learn about the real world by developing skills in budgeting, cooking, home maintenance, and finding jobs. After attending a Student Life conference in Washington, D.C., Jeff is looking forward to implementing some new ideas and highlighting additional resources in the near future. He is still getting his feet wet and is taking his new job one step at a time.

Charles Garmon Charles joins us from St. Louis, Missouri. He attended school at Mac Murray College in Jacksonville, Illinois. Charles enjoys playing football and chilling with his buddies. He is having a great time bonding with his newborn daughter, Dahlia, born on January 27th, 2014. Shifting between daddy duty and working with high school boys in the dorm has become a new routine for Charles.

Steven Healy Steven hails from Hoffman Estates, a suburb of Chicago. His family later moved to Florida and he was a 2007 graduate of Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind. Steven attended Florida State College in Jacksonville where he studied construction & manufacturing.

Steven currently works with elementary and middle school boys in the dorms. He is also an uncle to three WSD boys!

Outside WSD, Steven enjoys playing sports and joining his nephews in their activities. Last summer, Steven ran in The Color Run 5K race. In his spare, time he can be found working on cars with his brother, Kevin, or is chilling with his eighteen month old son, Luke.

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