Itinerant Teacher Info Night

It is impossible to cover all the important details a parent will want to know about mainstreaming their deaf and hard of hearing child into their neighbourhood or private school.  But four itinerant teachers helped to bridge that gap on Thursday January 19th.  Two Children’s Hearing and Speech Centre Itinerant Teachers, Judith Jordan and Brenda Temple, talked about how to choose a school, the specifics of itinerant services and the critical element of a strong language foundation for academic and social skills. 

We were pleased to welcome two itinerant teachers from the public school system Terry Parson Tylka from West Vancouver and Nancy Norman from Richmond School District.  They explained the logistics of accessing services and assistive technology.  

Similarities and differences between independent and public schools were discussed in the presentations, followed by a Questions and Answers opportunity. 

Everything that was said underscored CHSC’s commitment to working with families to ensure their children are ready to learn and flourish in a mainstream school.

Talking Tip

This month’s talking tip comes from Susan Winkler, Early Childhood Educator, Pre-Kindergarten class:

The Importance of Photo Documentation
Photo documentation is a key tool used by Early Childhood Educators. It serves many purposes. Most of all it gives opportunities for children to revisit their experiences. Photos are about what children are doing, learning and grasping, and they are a reflection of interactions among children. Documenting children’s daily experiences and ongoing projects gives meaning and identity to all that the children do. It is through the documentation that we are able to gain insight into the thoughts of the children to determine further investigation for working on topics, create a history of the work and generate further interest.  Using photos of experiences is a tool in developing and expanding children’s langue as children love to look at themselves.  It gives parents and children opportunities to review the language.

For more info see "The Art of Awareness: How Observation Can Transform your Teaching" by Deb Curtis and Margie Carter

Sometimes a little makes a Hero

We are pleased to have several new members join our Hearing Hero Club.  This is individuals giving a monthly gift to support the funding needs of the school.   It’s an easy way to make a regular contribution and not even think about it until you get the tax receipt.  For as little as $5 a month we can get you started.  Contact sleclair@childrenshearing.ca to become a Hearing Hero.