Learn ♦ Experience ♦ Thrive
Winter 2020-21 | Eagles #31
December • January • February • March



Presented by CORE

Message from the Superintendent
Greetings from the land
of ORANGE and BLACK!
 
We are pleased to present this newsletter after a long and difficult winter. During the months of the surge in COVID-19 cases, CSD found itself struggling to keep the school operational, as we had to keep all of our essential workers (e.g. Plant Operations, Business Office, Human Resources) home. They were not allowed on campus unless the task at hand was considered essential. We truly want to take this opportunity to recognize the commitment that was put forth by those essential workers who continued to come on campus, as needed, to keep the school operational.
 
Before we start enjoying reading this newsletter, I want to acknowledge the pain experienced by members of the Asian American communities across the country. The senseless acts upon those individuals were and continue to be very painful to witness. CSD does not condone any form of harassment, discrimination, bullying, hate speech or mental/physical harm upon any individual. Together, we will continue to battle this serious societal injustice and inequity. Again, my heart goes out to all of those who have been affected by racism. 
 
Throughout this edition, you will have the opportunity to reflect upon the virtual activities that have taken place for our students and families. These virtual performances, panel discussions, historical presentations, ASL classes, community webinars, and much more, were made possible by our students, teachers, and staff, along with the organizers of each event. Two examples of meaningful events that we celebrated during the month of February were Black History Month and Lunar New Year. We will continue to be committed to insuring that such celebrations are done regularly throughout the year.
 
While CSD continues to operate with a skeleton crew and staggered work schedules, we will work hard virtually. We are hopeful that the school will reopen in the very near future, and that our students will be able to return to campus. The health and safety of our students and staff has to be a priority. In the meantime, I cannot emphasize enough about the resiliency, passion, and innovation demonstrated by our students, staff and families. I look forward to reconnecting with each one of you once again.
 
With heartfelt gratitude,


Clark Brooke, Ed.S.
Superintendent
California School for the Deaf, Fremont
39350 Gallaudet Drive
Fremont, CA 94538
510-344-6010 Videophone
510-823-6071 Spanish Callers
Congratulations to all of the CSD students who won at this year's National Literacy Competition
High School Winners
Adrian Ruiz
Elementary Winners
Devon Miller, Camila Garcia Diaz
Alrhey Margarejo, Hoa Quach
Middle School Winners
Lelan Gonzales
Jax Carpenter
Sevan Ikeda
West Regional Academic Bowl
Back-to-back Champions
By Alan Davary | High School Instructional Principal
In February, our Academic Bowl team competed against 19 other Deaf schools and mainstream programs in the West Regional Academic Bowl competition. Academic Bowl is a competition hosted by Gallaudet University, where Deaf high school students compete in answering knowledge-based questions.

While many things have been lost during the pandemic, we are grateful that the Academic Bowl tradition has continued and our students were able to compete from the safety of their homes. In order to make this work, the Academic Bowl format was changed – gone are the buzzers and face-to-face competition, and instead teams played individually on Zoom with the Gallaudet officers. Then at the end of each day, teams scores were compared with their opponents thus determining who advanced in the tournament. While the traditional format rewarded speed as the first player to buzz-in got to answer the question, the modified format favored team collaboration and teamwork as players had ample time to discuss and decide on answers.

In February 2020, shortly before the pandemic shutdown schools across the country, our CSD Eagles won the 2020 West Regional Academic Bowl competition in Honolulu, Hawaii and we went on to place second at the Nationals. This year we returned all four players and successfully defended our title as West Regional champions.

Going into the regional competition, we secured the #1 seed in the Gallaudet screening test, giving us a favorable position in the competition’s 20-team bracket. Our first match was against Downey High School in Southern California which we won 75-5. With eight teams left, our next match was against the Oregon School for the Deaf and we advanced winning 87-21. In the semifinals, we beat the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind 79-40. In our first three matches, our players did an excellent job discussing and providing team answers in the first and third rounds; and answering individually in the second. We had the highest tournament match scores in each of the first three matches!

In the championship match, we faced our rival and sister-school, the California School for the Deaf at Riverside. The match was livestreamed on the Gallaudet Youth Programs’ Facebook page and is still available for viewing. While both teams played the match separately with the Gallaudet officers, Gallaudet edited the videos to make it look as if we played each other in real-time. In the first round, our Eagles jumped to an early 8-point lead over the Riverside Cubs. However, the Cubs fought back and narrowed our lead to 2 points about halfway into the first round. CSD then caught fire and never looked back – finishing the first round with a large 18-point lead (46 to 28).

In the second round, where individual players took turns answering questions, we showed why we were not only the strongest but also deepest team in the tournament. We answered 10 out of the 20 second round questions correctly while Riverside answered 5 correctly. CSD went into the third and final round with a commanding 66-38 lead. In the third round, teams once again worked together to answer 15 questions. Our Eagles answered 9 out of the 15 questions correctly while the Cubs got 8 out of 15. The final score was 93 to 62 and CSD had one of the highest championship match scores in history.  
We won!
Following our championship victory, Gallaudet recognized teams and gave individual awards. All four of our players, Naomi Brock, Courtney Bronson, Donovan Holmes and Chang-May Tan, received individual awards. Naomi, Courtney, and Chang-May were named All-Stars; and Donovan was named Most Outstanding Player for the second year in a row. Never before in Academic Bowl history has a team had all four players receive individual awards in a competition. Often several players, if not the whole team, knew the answers to the questions. These awards are a testimony to the depth and strength of our team as well as their commitment to working hard and preparing for their matches.

CSD and their coaches, Allison Gibbons and Andrew Phillips, are incredibly proud of our players and their historic accomplishment. They next compete in the Nationals, April 26–30, and you can follow them on the Gallaudet Youth Programs’ Facebook page. 
Elementary Trivia Cup Club
By Joey Baer | Elementary Principal
When Gallaudet University Youth Programs announced that they would host their annual online The Trivia Cup competition last November, 13 of our elementary students participated. Their experience was very positive. It inspired us to establish new Trivia Cup Club that will meet twice a month on Wednesdays. Any of our elementary students are welcome to join the club. Along with our annual Spelling Bee contest, this will provide an excellent opportunity for your child to build their confidence in competition and is good preparation for Battle of the Books (Middle School) and Academic Bowl (High School).
It is always good for our students to refresh what they learned and at the same time, learn new things. An emphasis on spelling and knowing facts will be part of this learning experience. The Trivia Cup Club uses the Kahoot! app. The topics will vary each time we meet.

Three of our participants would like to share some comments about participating in the Elementary Trivia Cup Club:
Jordan Hom (3rd grade): I enjoyed playing Kahoot! I learned more about my strengths and weaknesses on how to answer correctly. I love the challenge and competition.
Heath Rogerson (2nd grade): I find this Kahoot! game a challenging experience. I learned that there are many other Deaf students from different schools in different states!
Devika Kadu (4th grade): I really enjoyed playing Kahoot! because it helped me to know myself more on how much I know and don’t know. The spelling part is somewhat more difficult than the multiple choice. But overall, I really enjoyed the competition. Now I know more about other students from different states. 
As always, our Elementary department continues to find ways to create more opportunities for our students. 
Kudos to Janika & Natalee
By Joey Baer | Elementary Principal
Janika and Natalee represented our Elementary School when they shared some holiday stories with the California Department of Education staff at their Holiday All-Staff meeting. See the certificates of recognition they received below.
Student Recognition
for Fall 2020
Resiliency Recognition

In addition to the Honor Roll for Fall 2020, CSD Middle School and High School departments are recognizing students with Resiliency Recognition. Despite the challenges presented in distance learning, the individuals listed for Resiliency Recognition have demonstrated resilience by attending classes on Zoom, putting in their best effort, and/or maintaining communication with their teachers and the school. Keep it up!
Seven CSD Junior National Association of the Deaf seniors spotlighted in this special edition
  • Talia Boren
  • Jalina Dietz
  • Jayvon Harmon
  • Chloe Harmount
  • Jasmine Jimenez Lara
  • Reza Mosher
  • Amy Ngo

“We are very fortunate and appreciative of their involvement with the Jr. NAD organization, and look forward to seeing them write their own chapters after they fly out of our Eagle nest in June.”

Samantha Braidi & Daniel Girard
CSD Jr. NAD Advisors
We cannot believe that April is right around the corner. Before we know it, we will be wrapping up the 2020-2021 school year and celebrating our Class of 2021 seniors. We want to take this time to recognize our seniors who have been involved with the Jr. NAD organization this year (some of them have been involved for a few years). The NAD Youth Programs created a special 2021 National Deaf Youth Day: Senior Edition Jr. NADmag recognizing Jr. NAD seniors from different schools and programs. March is the month that we recognize and celebrate our Deaf youth.
New Class of 2021 website
The Class of 2021 website is a great way for seniors to keep up-to-date on the lastest CSD commencement information

You can visit the website at: 2021seniors.csdeagles.net
Middle School students display their literacy skills at Battle of the Books
By Rory Osbrink | Middle School Principal
CSD Middle School's Blue and Buff Battle of the Books teams have completed all the preliminary and playoff matches and our Green team has completed the National competition. Our players, Juan Berry-Berlinski, Jaden Dingel, Jalena Dingel, Benjamin Olivas Guererro, Logan Pendergraft, Leonardo Hatch, Hayden Cervantes, Gabriela Bibb, Sevan Ikeda, and Lelan Gonzales were all very impressive. They showed dedication, teamwork, and good sportsmanship. We are all very proud of them. This year, the Green team advanced to the National competition and placed 5th! The Buff team has advanced to the Nationals as well this year and will compete April 5–11.
GO CSD BOTB!
Buff Team
  • Gabrielle Bibb
  • Lelan Gonzales
  • Sevan Ikeda
  • Chaperone: Charlene Kuyrkendall
Blue Team
  • Logan Pendergraft
  • Leonardo Hatch
  • Hayden Cervantes
  • Chaperone: Michael Foust
Green Team
  • Juan Berry Berlinski
  • Jaden Dingel
  • Jalena Dingel
  • Ben Olivas Guerrero
  • Chaperone: Keila Simos
Warm welcome to our 2020-2021 teacher interns!
Learn more about our exciting teacher interns from their links below
Janele Mae Alarcon
High School
from Western Oregon University
Early Childhood
from Western Oregon University
Middle School
from University of Minnesota
High School
from University of Minnesota
Early Start
from San Francisco State University
“I chose California School for the Deaf for my internship because my son is a student here. The school has warmly welcomed me and made me feel comfortable. I wanted to be part of a school that offers full access to language through American Sign Language, and so many of the other schools do not.”
“I have visited CSD a few times before, and have always been amazed at its big Deaf school environment that includes plenty of after-school activities and sports. The staff is always up-to-speed with issues related to Deaf Education and the community, striving to be the best. I appreciate being part of it, virtually, at least.”
“My ultimate long-term goal is to obtain a Ph.D. in ASL Linguistics; to learn additional signed languages; and to develop programs that promote language acquisition, beginning in infancy, for Deaf children and their families, while continuing to bring the art of dance into the Deaf community, particularly for underprivileged children.”
Covid-19 Vaccine Town Hall Webinar
Contributed by JAC Cook | School & Community Resources Coordinator
On February 26, CSD High School students and staff attended a Covid‑19 Town Hall webinar presented by Sutter Health. Topics of discussion included vaccine safety measures, effectiveness, side effects, and a question and answer period.
Three CSD high school students—Chang-May Tan, Nate Goff and Sophia Morales—made up the student panel, asking questions to the Sutter Health doctors. (Special thanks goes to teachers Anna Woodbury and Sinju Engineer for working with our students on presenting their questions.)

High School Principal Sulghi Hong said, “I would like to thank Anna Woodbury and Sinju Engineer for working with Chang-May Tan, Nate Goff, & Sophia Morales on presenting questions to the doctors at Sutter Health. They asked great questions and made sure that students had the information they would need to make good decisions about Covid-19 vaccines. I believe our students left this town hall webinar knowing what to expect next in the efforts against the Covid-19 pandemic.”

JAC Cook was the moderator for both the community and the high school town halls. CORE made the event possible. California School for the Deaf and the Association of Families Teachers and Counselors co-hosted the event.
Honoring Black History Month
Dr. Liann Osborne
The Daily Moth interviewed the first Black Deaf administrator from California School for the Deaf

California Association of the Deaf featured Dr. Osborne as part of Black Deaf History Month
Unity for Diversity hosts
First-ever two-part virtual Zoom Movie Night
featuring “Harriet”

By Samantha Braidi | High School Teacher
On February 24, Unity for Diversity hosted a virtual Zoom movie night that featured the movie “Harriet”, a movie based on Harriet Tubman's journey to freedom on the Underground Railroad, in honor of February's Black History Month and March's Womxn History Month. This was the first part of the two-part series.

This movie night consisted of three parts: First, the movie facilitators gave a brief introduction to the history of the Underground Railroad, which started right before the Civil War, along with basic actual information about Harriet Tubman in association to the movie. Second, the students got to watch the first hour of the movie and process their thoughts and feelings with their peers and staff. During the intermission, the movie facilitators briefed them about the Fugitive Slave Act so they could understand the second hour of the movie. Lastly, the students got to watch the second hour and again had good discussions with their peers and staff. Students were asked to compile questions for the follow-up event featuring guest speaker, Pauline Dunn.

Overall, the movie night was a great success and we look forward to hosting more movie nights both virtually and in-person when CSD re-opens!
Guest Speaker Pauline Dunn shares her experience walking in Harriet's shoes

A week later, on March 3, Unity for Diversity hosted the second part of this two-part series with student hosts I'yanna Love and Patricia Patron-Carreon. They invited Pauline Dunn as our guest speaker to share her inspiring story of retracing the Underground Railroad with a group of women that she is currently a member, Daughters of the Underground.
In September 2020, Dunn and seven other women retraced the same 116‑mile stretch, from Harriet Tubman's childhood home at the Brodess Plantation to Kennett Square, Pennsylvania where she first achieved freedom! Dunn reminisced on how emotional the journey was, after seeing what Harriet and the enslaved people had endured on their escape and being welcomed and cheered on by 200 people in Kennett Square. While walking on that 116-mile stretch, Pauline and her group got to see some stations where the enslaved people were hidden and resting. They also got to see the general store where Harriet got hit in the head, causing the frequent “visions” that Harriet had on her journey to freedom. 

Pauline said this was an unforgettable journey for her and the group, Daughters of the
Underground. She also reminded us
about the importance of calling each other into action towards transformative justice, especially after the Black Lives Matter movement and anti-Asian hate crimes that have been happening lately. Having been inspired by this experience, they decided to set a few new walking goals. First, they plan to walk from Kennett Square to Canada, where Harriet settled and resided for the rest of her life with her second husband and family. Second, they plan to walk on another Underground stretch in the Midwest, from Mississippi to Ohio. Last but not least, they plan to walk the same path that civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama! 

We look forward to hearing more stories from Pauline about these next retracements!
Harriet Tubman: Hero of the Underground Railroad
Signed by Ann Lynn Parker
“Martin's Big Words”

Signed by Samuel Brown
“I Have a Dream”

Signed by Jayvon Harmon
“Superheroes are Everywhere in American Sign Language”

Signed by
Liann Osborne & CSD students
“Daddy, There's a Noise Outside”

Signed by
Mirella Frijmersum-Di Pietro
Zuzu African Acrobats
By Liann Osborne | Career/Technical Education Principal
Unity for Diversity at California School for the Deaf (Fremont) hosted a Black History Month event featuring the Zuzu African Acrobats on February 16. The performers originated from Nairobi, Kenya. Their performances are a blend of circus and acrobatic style incited by a popular dance with African music playing in the background. According to the show's host, the acrobatic techniques have been passed down by an oral tradition. The show lasted for an hour with Q & A in between periodical breaks, followed by a concise narration on the importance of orality in Bantu culture. And how cultural legacies have been preserved for generations through the power of oral storytelling. CSD students and staff had the opportunity to hit the pause button and watch the enlightening show to get a taste of Kenya. 
CSD alum Samuel Brown represents Black Deaf youth in America
By Liann Osborne | CTE Principal

Isidore Niygabo, National Black Deaf Advocates President, reached out to the California School for the Deaf superintendent, asking to connect with Samuel Brown, a class of 2020 graduate. Niygabo wanted to have Samuel Brown be a part of the panel honoring Black History Month in February. This event was sponsored by CONVO.
Samuel Brown represented young generations from across the United States as an amazing Black Deaf young man. During the panel, the host asked Samuel two questions:

What was his experience with the police?
Brown responded that he had become accustomed to mistreatment from the police and realized that it was not good to become apathetic about something so unjust. This question was something he would need to reconsider and have an honest self-reflection on what it meant to be a Black Deaf young man in America. Also, to critically explore his role in confronting a system designed to oppress him and his people.

What advice did he have for the older generation in working with youths?
Brown described a memorable experience he had at the Youth Empowerment Summit (Y.E.S.) program. The Y.E.S. program gave him a sense of belonging, seeing more Black Deaf peers from different Deaf schools. Brown believes that the Y.E.S. program should be included in the Diversity organizations, where Black Deaf students can learn what it means to lead while Black, and the importance of being open to possibilities as a way of growing. He firmly believes that it should begin in early childhood education and elementary education because they deserve to know and feel that they matter in school. Brown fondly recalled the Collegiate Black Deaf Student Leadership Institute offered through Y.E.S. program. He learned the following activities:
  1. Understanding their own leadership styles
  2. Understanding the dynamics of oppression
  3. Conflict resolution

CSD continues to be amazed by Samuel Brown’s leadership and awareness of social justice issues out there. We are so proud of him.
Michael Estrada '81
First African American wrestling coach in CSD history.
Honoring Lunar New Year
“D is for Dragon Dance”
Signed by our CSD students

About Lunar New Year
Unity for Diversity sponsors (Asian Pacific Islanders Club) took the time to collaborated with the Bay Area Asian Deaf Association (BAADA) to produce this video. Lunar New Year is celebrated for one month around the world.
From our South Korean alumni
Unity for Diversity sponsors (Asian Pacific Islanders Club) took the time to collaborated with the Bay Area Asian Deaf Association (BAADA) to produce this video. Lunar New Year is celebrated for one month around the world.
Message from
Superintendent Clark Brooke
I wanted to take a moment to reinforce the message on #stopasianhate. Such senseless acts and continuous oppression against the Asian American community and other marginalized groups over the years in our country must be eliminated.

How can we ensure a safe space for all? It has to begin with ourselves, in our classrooms and residential programs. Education is the key to social reforms in our country. As we navigate through the most difficult time in our lives, battling the pandemic, we must continue to remind ourselves that bullying, harassment and discrimination of any form is unacceptable.
Check out this great resource...
Upcoming guest speakers
Intersectionality of the Deaf Experience
Storysigning from CSD Library
“Let's Go for a Drive!”

Signed by Joann Ikeda
“The Rabbit Listened”

Signed by Joann Ikeda
“Federico and the Wolf”

Signed by Leslie Firl
“A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo”

Signed by River Frank
“Ninja!”

Signed by Kristopher Hatch
“Strictly No Elephants”

Signed by Jason Dietz
Families with Deaf children learn to sign
By Lilly Benedict | Family Education Coordinator
Does “Deaf” apply to those children who are Hard of Hearing? Deaf is an umbrella term for various hearing levels, incorporating a whole-child viewpoint.

Did you know that California School for the Deaf serves students with varied hearing levels? Deaf children have the human right to American Sign Language. This refers to Deaf children from the spectrum of hearing levels. Families who learn ASL provide the best gift they can possibly bestow upon their Deaf child. Our classes are available to families with Deaf children, from babies through school age, who live in Northern California..

What level of classes are available to families with Deaf children?
Beginning, Intermediate, Conversational, and Sibling.

  • Beginning ASL Class is suitable for those who have no prior knowledge of ASL and those who possess a very basic signing level.

  • Intermediate ASL Class is for those who are in between beginning and conversational levels, or have taken our beginning class and feel ready to move forward, or have practiced through interacting with Deaf individuals.

  • Conversational ASL Class is for those who feel comfortable conversing with Deaf individuals and are ready for an in-depth conceptual and interactive conversation experience in receptive and expressive ASL.

  • Sibling ASL Class is for children ages 5 to 12. Both Deaf children and their hearing siblings are welcome to attend.
Fall 2020 was the first time we offered our family ASL classes virtually.
Here are some of the results from our survey:
  • 100 percent of families agreed that our instructors were patient and helpful;
  • 100 percent of families said that learning ASL through Zoom was a new experience for them;
  • 91 percent of families agreed that the lessons were taught at their pace of their learning.
A huge thank you to the wonderful instructors who taught our Family ASL Classes. Having these instructors makes it possible to offer ASL classes at no cost to families with Deaf children. We are happy to announce that we currently have over 250 registrants for our Spring 2021 session!
Pat Bernstein
Nathan Boyes
Volunteer
Klesha Chapman
Yatika Engineer
Rebecca Eyrond
David Hegarty
Margarita Hatch
Giselle Hendrix
Martha Koetz
Tara Lanning

Sultana Peku
Terry Sasser
Andrew Taylor
Anita Vander Court
Regina Wong
Meet Susana Flores

“At California School for the Deaf, the staff all sign, and there is direct communication. Students can look at the Deaf staff and realize they are the same.”
Susana grew up the only Deaf member of a hearing family. Even though her mom tried to support her by learning SEE, it ended up being easier to communicate through speaking and lipreading at home. Her family code-switched between Spanish and English, so Susana would lipread back and forth between the two languages. With lipreading, Susana only got part of the information so she worked hard to piece together the whole meaning of the sentences.

All during elementary school, Susana had an interpreter who used SEE sign. Finally, when she attended middle school, she had better access to language with an ASL interpreter. When she started high school, they tried to have her learn through an oral method, but after a couple of months, it became clear that Susana would learn better with an ASL interpreter. Susana depended on interpreters and friends to get the information at school, and she longed for direct access to information.

All during her childhood years, Susana had almost no access to older Deaf role models, except for seeing a few Deaf high school students from afar, and watching Marlee Matlin in movies.

Susana attended Rochester Institute of Technology for college where she
had a double major of Library Science and Deaf Studies. College life was much better because she had a lot more access to ASL and Deaf professors, and there were opportunities for leadership roles. Susana joined a Latinx club, and became inspired by Deaf leaders such as the former president of Gallaudet University, Robert Davila who was Deaf Latinx like herself. After obtaining bachelor’s degree from RIT, Susana taught ASL at community colleges. From there, she enrolled in Gallaudet University online master’s program in Sign Language Education. She plans to graduate this summer.

A couple of years ago, Susana volunteered at California School for the Deaf in the school's museum assisting another long-time volunteer Mel Pedersen. Through that experience, she realized what she had missed growing up.

Susana has only been the office technician for CSD Student Life for a short time but she is excited about becoming a part of the school. So far, she has mostly been interacting with other staff, but she is very excited about when she will have more interaction with students. She loves the easy communication through ASL, as well as the diversity at the school. She is looking forward to having more of a leadership role when our students return to campus.
Our Jr. NAD hosted a series of inspirational guest speakers from the Deaf Community
By Daniel Girard & Samantha Braidi | Jr. NAD Advisors
Jr. NAD Guest Speaker Student-Produced Preview Video
Each Jr. NAD student was responsible for selecting and hosting one of this year's guest speakers. Here is what a few of them had to say about their presenter. (More videos about the guest speakers coming soon!)

March 2021
Presenter: Melissa Elmira Yingst
Hosts: Jalina Dietz & Jasmine Jimenez Lara
February 2021
Presenter: Renca Dunn
Host: Chang-May Tan
January 2021
Presenter: Julie Rems-Smario
Host: Nate Goff
December 2021
Presenter: Clare Cassidy
Host: Landen Gonzales
November 2020
Presenter: Maureen Klusza
Host: Reza Mosher
October 2020
Presenter: Leila Hanaumi
Host: Talia Boren
Get the student perspective
on the news with Talon Media
Talon Media #16 (2020-2021)
Talon Media #15 (2020-2021)
Talon Media #14 (2020-2021)
Talon Media #13 (2020-2021)
Wellness Series
By Nancy Moser | Supervisor of Counseling Services
In collaboration with academic departments, our school counseling team provided materials for virtual Wellness Series workshops for our students. Workshops were led by our wonderful teachers in small group discussions.
High School
January’s theme focused on the Four Agreements. This is something we have been using effectively with our students for several years. The Four Agreements are: 
  1. Don’t Make Assumptions
  2. Don’t take it Personally
  3. Always do your best
  4. Be Impeccable with your Words  

These agreements are based on a book written by Don Miguel Ruiz. A virtual presentation led to discussions about how to apply the Four Agreements to our daily life.  
February’s theme focused on Healthy Relationships. We also addressed signs of domestic violence and how to seek supports. Our high school teachers reported that students were very engaged with the discussion, and openly discussed questions during this virtual learning wellness series.
Middle School
As part of our Three Habits series for middle school students, our theme for January focused on Think Twice. This interactive virtual lesson focused on how to stop and think first. We introduced an acronym called “T.H.I.N.K.” which is a tool students can use when they stop and think, to decide what action might be most appropriate. Ask your child if they remember what the acronym “T.H.I.N.K” means!
Another acronym, H.A.L.T., was introduced in February. HALT is an acronym that we can use when we are feeling upset, frustrated, or having an “off moment”. 
We can ask ourselves four questions—
  1. Am I hungry?
  2. Am I angry or anxious?
  3. Am I lonely?
  4. Am I tired?

This self-assessment will give us coping tools that we can use to help us focus on needed self-care at the moment. We encourage parents, when your child/teen is having an “off-day,” to quickly assess if the situation may be a HALT-moment, and focus on self-care so that your child/teen can have a better day.

Counseling Services: If you have any concerns about your child’s well-being and/or mental health, please email our Supervisor for Counseling Services, Nancy Moser or by phone at 1(510) 344-6054.  
Early Childhood Education teachers and families working hard to make education fun through distance learning
These packages are just part of the weekly kits being sent home to our Early Childhood Education families!
Kindergarteners love STEAM!
For one of their weekly activities, the kindergarten students became boat builders. The next week, they proved they were great architects and could build strong buildings!
Kindergarteners participate in enriching STEAM activities
Students built with index cards and experimented with designs and techniques. Then they shook their buildings to test for earthquake safety. Many of their buildings fell, BUT the students did not give up. They tried again and learned from their previous designs. See above photos for kindergarteners in action!

More Kindergarten Fun
Virtual Cooking Classes
Elementary Student Life, Cottage 16 had its first virtual cooking class. Students enjoyed watching Norah’s demonstration of how to make a tortilla from scratch. She did an amazing job! It was cool to see some of our students participate in cooking with their parents’ supervision.
High School wishes YOU
a Happy 2021
Important Dates
California School for the Deaf
39350 Gallaudet Drive, 
Fremont, CA 94538
(510) 794-3666
Meta Metal, Editor
Clark Brooke, School Superintendent