Learn ♦ Experience ♦ Thrive
November/December 2019 | Eagles #25
Student Leaders share their experience
during a panel discussion at Open House
Kia Thao, Justine Locatelli, Miles Gonzalez, and Liliana Ortiz
(Scroll down for the full story)

[Photo Description: (above) Three high school students are seated on stage watching Miles,
who is standing to give his presentation in ASL. (below)) Head shot of Clark Brooke who has a beard and mustache. He is wearing a black shirt with an orange tie. Clark is smiling in the photo.]
Greetings from the land
of ORANGE and BLACK !

Message from
the School Superintendent
 



Happy Holidays! 

Our November/December CalNews is filled with in-depth information on what California School for the Deaf has been doing for our students. We are fortunate to have such high-quality programming available to the Deaf students who are referred to us. It is unfortunate that we cannot directly serve all of the 15,000 Deaf students in the state of California; however, we can serve those students through modeling best practices; being an awesome resource; and by inviting families, school districts, and community organizations to be a part of our school, both directly and indirectly.

Over the past couple of years, we have invested in student development activities, family outreach efforts, and positive restorative practices through our newly developed Multi-Tiered System of Supports . We are confident that our students will graduate with healthy Deaf identities, along with sound academic and career goals. Most importantly, we want our students and families to develop advocacy skills to ensure that every Deaf individual’s rights are protected through social justice efforts.

In recognition that California School for the Deaf has maintained the highest standard of excellence, we have once again earned our six-year accreditation. To this end, we are in the process of setting up planning committees; pursuing goals to address marginalized students; implementing National ASL Standards; and collecting and interpreting academic performance data. We are also working on the areas of need that were identified through our self-study process, as well as by the accrediting teams who visited CSD for the purpose of endorsing our self-study report.

We want to continue building a sense of belonging among our students, families, and the community. To do this, we need to continue asking ourselves hard questions on how to achieve a positive school culture, that is engaging families and empowering ourselves, so that we can design a safe learning environment. We aim to include YOU in the process, by inviting you to participate in our annual survey that will be released in February. 

In closing, it is that time of the year when we spend time with our loved ones. I wish you all a safe and restful holiday break!  

With Eagle Pride,

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
Open House Dazzles Visitors
By JAC Cook | Photography by Verna Dow
Our annual Open House on Veteran's Day was a smashing success! We had approximately 1,000 people from all of the communities who came to be part of the day.
The energy at the gym was amazing! The Deaf Services Faire was packed. There was some good competition for who would win one of the fabulous gift baskets at the annual raffle, hosted by the Association of Families Teachers and Counselors. 
This year, the Deaf Services Fair had a record 41   vendors. In addition to inviting vendors from social agencies to participate, we also invited small business owners who were starting up their own businesses. CSD wishes to support the Deaf Ecosystem and enable it to THRIVE. It was indeed an exciting time for the vendors who participated in this year's Deaf Services Faire. 
All of CSD's academic department fundraising sales were centralized in the big gym, with our student's fundraising sales skyrocketing. Each club sold food that related to their unique culture. The gym never smelled so good as it did with all of the hot food and desserts!

In addition to the cultural food sales, CSD's Culinary Arts Club sold traditional burgers. Our students also sold food at the Eagle's Nest snack bar, which was located just outside of the gym. They had such a long line!
This year, we set up our Open House presentations in TEDx format, which we called CSDx . Presenters presented for 20 minutes on their phenomenal topics. It was a full house at the Klopping Theatre!
Leala Holcomb , Family Education Coordinator for Deaf children ages 0 to 7, gave a presentation on Re-Thinking Language Play for Young Learners: ASL Rhyme & Rhythm. Leala's presentation was perfectly placed in the program, as the students who signed the Eagle Fight Song had just explained to the audience about how they incorporated rhythm into their signing, with the use of a drum accompaniment. Leala helped the audience to gain a fresh perspective on how to make signing fun and playful, by understanding and utilizing the phonology of American Sign Language.
David Eberwein , CORE Supervisor, gave a presentation on “A Snapshot of CSD Today: An Inclusive School & What It Means for the Global Deaf Education Community.”
We had a successful Scholastic Book Fair led by our Librarians and our Media Specialist: Joann Ikeda , Pat Bernstein and Margarita Hatch .
Our student panel gave great testimonies about their life experiences and what California School for the Deaf means to them.

Click video (left) to get a sampling of what our panelists had to say.
Courtney Bronson: How has California School for the Deaf helped to prepare you to find your place in the world after you graduate? How has the school helped you become a better person?

Justine Locatelli: This school has provided me with work experience, career awareness, and career exploration which have enabled me to increase my confidence. So that when I go out into the world, I will know how to call for an interpreter. I know how to communicate with hearing people. I can write with them; I can gesture with them. All of this has helped to build my confidence.
Liliana Ortiz: Communication is different for me here at school where I turn off my voice and communicate fully in American Sign Language. Whereas at home, I use my voice to talk with my parents, and my brothers and sisters in English and Spanish. Sometimes I sign, too, but then I am talking and signing at the same time. So I 'wear different hats' depending on where I am. But I believe communication is very important in developing a bond and connecting to the person you are communicating with. Thank you.

Miles Gonzalez: I see the wealth of resources that are available to hearing people; whereas Deaf people don’t have those same resources. My goal is to become a businessman. I want to own my own film company. I would like to invest the profits from my business so that I can provide opportunities to Deaf people and make American Sign Language more accessible. My goal is to give back to the community.

(Also on the panel – Kia Thao . Unfortunately, we don't have any video footage of her comments.)
[Photo Description: (1) (1)  DCARA booth at Deaf Services Faire. The booth has business cards, pamphlets, pens and paper, as well as some beverages. Two people at the booth are signing. One person is watching them sign. There are other booths and visitors in the background. (2) Two students on stage signing the Eagle Fight Song. One person is behind them waving the Eagle flag. It is a high energy photo. (3) JAC Cook is standing on stage signing “Go Eagles!”. The audience is mirroring her. (4) A booth with hand-painted cards and a sign that says “Hello”. (5) Students selling their baked goods. (6) Leala Holcomb standing on stage signing. The slide behind her says “ASL phonological Awareness”. There are circles with various parts of ASL phonology, such as: How many syllables does the signed word have; blending the “5-hand” on the forehead—how many signs can you come up with; substituting the handshape; are cheese & paper the same sign? (7) David Eberwein standing on stage giving his presentation. The slide behind him says, “CSD: Over 150 Years of Excellence”. The slide includes several points that give an overview about the school. (8) Joann Ikeda (standing) and Pat Bernstein (seated) helping customers at the annual Book Fair in the library. Lots of whimsical and festive snow-like decorations are dangling from the ceiling. (9) Four high school students are sitting on stage. They are the student panel. One of the students is signing, while the other three students are watching her. (11) Video with Miles Gonzalez signing.]
Battle of the Books
CSD's Buff & Blue teams heading for Nationals
By Rory Osbink
The months of November and December have been a very busy time for our Battle of the Books teams. All three teams, Blue, Buff, and Green, had very dedicated participants. There was a lot of reading and studying happening! Each team had three books to read and know through and through. 

We are very proud of the hard work and commitment that the players on all three teams demonstrated. The Blue and Buff teams have made it into the national competition! They will receive four books to prepare. Then in early April, they will fly to Gallaudet University to participate the nationals. Each team will compete against seven other schools. Please congratulate all of our hard-working players!
Blue Team : Coached by Elizabeth Kunze
[Photo Description: (Three middle school students (Mirella Frijmersum, Aidan Kulchinsky-Cassidy and Sevan Ikeda) are seated at a table with their white boards and markers in front of them. Their hands are folded. There is an orange-and-black CSD Eagles sign in the background. Coach Beth Kunze is standing behind the students.]
Buff Team : Coached by Scott O'Donnell
[Photo Description: (Three middle school students (Faith Brune, Gabriella Bibb, and Zoe Bell) are seated at a table with their white boards and markers in front of them. Their hands are folded. There is an orange-and-black CSD Eagles sign in the background. Coach Scott O’Donnell is standing behind the students.]
CSD hosts its 4 th annual CSD Classic
By Warren Keller
Thank you everybody for making the 4 th Annual CSD Classic a wonderful tournament! This includes all of the visiting teams, and our parents and volunteers, who contributed to making the tournament happen. The competition level was great, as 19 of 24 games were within 20 points, and so many games were decided within the final minutes. We are already excited about next year!
BOYS RESULTS:
  1. CSD
  2. South Fork
  3. Athenian
  4. Emery
  5. Fremont Christian
  6. Madison Park
  7. Leadership Hayward
  8. Averroes
GIRLS RESULTS:
  1. Ferndale
  2. South Fork
  3. CSD
  4. Castlemont
  5. Emery
  6. Leadership Hayward
  7. Averroes
  8. Madison Park
CSD Boys Basketball: Tournament Champions

CSD Girls Basketball: 3 rd Place

Leonardo Vergara
Tournament All Star

Robert Gregor
Tournament All Star

Jaylen Johnson
Tournament Most Valuable Player
Esther Biser
Tournament All Star


[Photo Description: Team and individual photos in the gym. The players are holding up their award certificates. There is a “Home of the Eagles” sign behind them, and a big eagle painted on the floor. Lots or orange and black everywhere.]
CSD Eagles Student-Athletes have done it again!
By Warren Keller
People often refer to CSD as the “Stanford of Deaf Schools”

Well, our CSD student-athletes have done it again! They won the Northern Coast Section GPA Pennant in the sports of Football and Cheerleading . This is both teams’ second straight time earning a pennant.

Altogether, this is California School for the Deaf Athletics' eleventh pennant since we made academic achievement one of our primary goals. We have been on a hot academic streak since the spring of 2017! It is no wonder that our teams are always competitive; it is because our student-athletes do a good job of taking care of business on and off the field. All of our fall sports teams did exceptionally well academically, this year, but there were other schools with even higher averages in some of the other sports.
[Photo Description: High School Principals Sulghi Hong and Alan Davary standing side-by-side, each holding up one of the NCS scholastic pennants: Sulghi has the Sideline Cheer pennant and Alan has the Football Division 7 pennant.]
Our fall 2019 sports grade point averages are as follows:
  • Varsity Fall Cheerleading – 3.62
  • Varsity Girls Cross Country – 3.54
  • Junior Varsity Volleyball – 3.47
  • Varsity Boys Cross Country – 3.44
  • Varsity Volleyball – 3.44
  • Varsity Football – 3.37

When a student-athlete puts on a CSD uniform, you know that they have already met the highest standard of expectations on and off the field. This is made possible by a team effort from the cabinet, principals, teachers, coaches, cottage counselors, parents, support staff, our youth programs, and finally the players for working hard this fall season. If it takes a village to raise a child, then we have one heck of a village to raise our Athletics teams!
CSD students create permanent exhibit
Don Baer's historical Deaf Wax Statues
By Frank Lester & Michelle Aguilar | Photos by Verna Dow
Photo Above:
  • Martha Koetz (Don's classmate - Class of 1979)
  • Cindy Martin Sasser (Don's classmate - Class of 1979)
  • Carolyn Baer (Don's sister)
  • Jennifer Baer (Don's sister)
  • Donald Baer (Don's father)
  • David Hegarty (Don's close friend)
The Teachers
Frank Lester was the summer school teacher whose Deaf History class did the initial preparation for the display of the Deaf wax statues at California School for the Deaf. (Scroll down for more details.) Frank is pictured here with Jennifer Baer, one of Don Baer's sisters.
Michelle Aguilar, whose Service Learning class designed and set up the Deaf wax exhibit, greets the Baer family.
The Display
Don Baer’s Deaf Wax Collection Museum at California School for the Deaf had its grand opening ceremony as a part of the Open House program.

The Deaf Wax Collection project started when Joey Baer, coordinator of CSD's 2019 Summer Program, worked with the school administration to secure a room for the exhibit. The room they selected had two windows, which was perfect for viewing the display. It was located in the school library, an appropriate place for such an exhibit where Deaf history should be. Joey was also able to pinpoint the location where the Deaf Wax collection had previously been stored. Once all of the planning and organizing was accomplished, the summer school Deaf History class was able to start preparing the statues and assembling the display for exhibition.

Frank Lester was assigned to teach Deaf History during the 2019   summer school. What better project for the students in a Deaf History class than to retrieve the collection, put the pieces together, identify each of the 11   historical figures, and research them.

With summer school being only three weeks in duration, Michelle Aguilar’s fall 2019   Service Learning students picked up where Frank Lester’s students left off, preparing the display so that it would be ready in time for the unveiling at Open House.  



 VIDEO : Tribute to Don Baer by Martha Koetz of California School for the Deaf.
The Artist
After starting his education at California School for the Deaf-Riverside, Don Baer transferred to California School for the Deaf-Berkeley where he graduated in 1979.

Don created a legacy by using his unique talents to create life-size three-dimensional wax figures promoting Deaf history and awareness. He founded DeafWax, a non-profit organization, for exhibiting his wax figures that have been shown in many venues throughout California and Texas.
The Exhibit
The Deaf wax figures are actually mannequins with wax heads and hands. Don Baer spearheaded the project and was the main artist who created the heads; while Joseph “Joey” McRoberts, a member of Don's team, created most of the hands. Joseph will be meeting Michelle Aguilar's class in January 2020.
CSD's Deaf History and Service Learning students carefully attended to every detail of the exhibit, making sure that all aspects of the display were accurate.

In order to complete the project, Michelle Aguilar researched the time period that each Deaf historical figure was alive, and made sure that the clothing for each wax statue accurately depicted their place in history. Michelle even went to the Los Angeles Fashion District to scout out the perfect accessories for each outfit.

The exhibit surrounding the wax figures includes real-life photographs of the historical figures. There is also a display with photographs of Don Baer creating the wax figures in his studio.

Don used "Deaf Heritage: A Narrative History of Deaf America" By Jack R. Gannon as an inspiration for his Deaf historical figures, so Michelle's class has continued to utilize that book for reference, as well.
[Photo Description: (1) CSD staff and Baer family pose in front of two windows looking in on the wax statue display. (2) Frank Lester standing next to the Schreiber statue and Jennifer Baer standing next to the Low statue. There is a photo of Bernard Bragg in the background. (3) Michelle Aguilar is standing chatting with Carolyn and Donald Baer who are seated. They are in the library. There is a crowd of people in the background. (4) Photo display with labels including: The creator of the first Deaf wax collection; Artist; Molds and mold-making; Don’s sketch of costumes; Agility; and Sculpture tools. (5) Video of Martha Koetz signing with the picture of a superhero in the background. (6-9) Photos of the wax statues on display. (10-20) Thumbnail headshots of each Deaf historical figures from the Deaf wax exhibit.]
Talon Media Presents...
"I'll Be Your Tour Guide"



VIDEO : Jayvon enters his first day at Talon Media with a tour guide. He meets his colleagues in the workforce who have different personalities. Click on video link to watch Jayvon's tour.
Leadership students travel to New York
to represent CSD at Jr. NAD Conference
By Daniel Girard
CSD Jr NAD poses with Alex Abenchuchan from the Daily Moth
Liliana Ortiz, Daniel Girard, Talia Boren, Alex Abenchuchan,
Reza Mosher, Jayvon Harmon, and Tiffany Kutsov
November 6-10, California School for the Deaf’s Junior National Association of the Deaf organization sent Talia Boren (junior), Jayvon Harmon (junior), Tiffany Kutsov (senior), Reza Mosher (junior), Liliana Ortiz (senior and 2017-2019 Jr. NAD Ambassador) and Daniel Girard (Jr. NAD Advisor) to Rochester School for the Deaf for the 27 th biennia l Jr. NAD National Conference .  
Conference Theme:
“Perspective, Empathize, Influence”
Carrie Fisher, Conference Coordinator, shared this message with our Jr. NAD group...

“The world needs more love, less hate. 
  • Perspective: Put ourselves in other people’s shoes.
  • Empathize: Understand where they are coming from.
  • Influence: Guide others as you lead.” 
The 2019 Jr. NAD Conference attracted:
  • 27 Schools
  • 80 Jr. NAD Leaders
  • 43 Jr. NAD Advisors
The conference kicked off with an Opening Ceremony, at Rochester School for the Deaf’s auditorium, with Brandon Williams as the keynote presenter and Jr.   NAD That! Entertainment by ROC That group. Brandon’s presentation focused on the conference theme and encouraged Jr. NAD leaders to apply the theme with different projects, activities and discussions throughout the conference. 

Before wrapping up the night, Jr. NAD leaders were assigned to one of the four special projects:
  1. ASL Entertainment Project
  2. George W. Veditz Video Project
  3. Jr. NAD Youth Ambassador Program
  4. Roundtable/Action Plan
On Thursday, November 7, the Jr. NAD conference took place at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf

On Friday, November 8, the conference continued at Rochester School for the Deaf campus. 

The conference committee designed the conference with workshop presenters and activities that tied in with the conference theme. 

Here is the list of workshop titles and presenters:

  • “Growing the Deaf Ecosystem with Social Media” Sarah Gordon and Melissa Yingst with CONVO

  • “Life is a Journey, Not a Destination” Rhonda Voight

  • “Using Social Media Responsibly” Pamela Conley

  • “Building Leadership Within You” Tami Santimyer and Bradley Bourgeois from Gallaudet University

  • “A Journey with their identities” Panel Discussion with Melmira

  • “Power of Mentorship” Domonic Gordine – National Association of the Deaf 2018-2020 Youth Ambassador

  • “Unleash your Power” Mia Sanchez

  • “Building Future Deaf Leaders’ Navigational Capital” Jason Listman from Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute for the Deaf

  •  Video Projects Alex Abenchuchan with Daily Moth
Leadership Students represent CSD
Reza Mosher represents California School for the Deaf as she presents her VIS during the ambassadorship program.
.
Talia Boren represents California School for the Deaf as she presents her VIS during the ambassadorship program.
Liliana Ortiz did an amazing job wrapping up her term by sharing her experience as the
2017-2019 Jr. NAD Ambassador , before passing on the torch to Annabelle Scroggins, 2019-2021 Jr. NAD Ambassador, from Texas School for the Deaf.

Liliana is pictured here with CSD's Jr.   NAD Advisor Daniel Girard, along with Talia Boren and Reza Mosher. .
Leadership Students visit Niagara Falls
On the last day of the conference, Jr.   NAD participants were treated to a fun field trip to Niagara Falls. They sure got an early taste of winter! Niagara Falls was a great place to take pictures. 

After the field trip, everyone returned to Rochester School for the Deaf for the General Assembly, where delegates made the motions that they had created in their Roundtable and Action Plans group, to be brought to the National Association of the Deaf conference next summer in Chicago. During the General Assembly, Aubrie Bauer and Natnail Tolossa, from Model Secondary School for the Deaf, were selected to be the Jr.   NAD delegates to represent Jr.   NAD at the 2020 National Association of the Deaf conference. 

The day concluded with everyone dressing up for the banquet, which featured a delicious Italian buffet, presentations, ASL entertainment videos, awards and dancing.  Jayvon Harmon and Tiffany Kutsov , from California School for the Deaf, were part of the George W. Veditz Video Project. Jayvon and Tiffany created two video projects that were shown during the banquet!
Upcoming Jr. NAD Conferences
  • California School for the Deaf, Riverside will host the 2021 Jr. NAD conference. 

  • St. Mary School for the Deaf, in New York won the bid to host the Jr. NAD conference in 2023

  • June 30 - July 5 2020, National Association of the Deaf will host its 55th Biennial conference in Chicago, Illinois
[Photo Description: (1) Cartoon character signing “Perspective, Empathy, Influence”. Caption below it reads: This year’s theme is Perspective, Empathize, Influence and is centered on understanding others’ views, internalizing them, and sharing these newfound perspectives with the world around us. (2) Junior NAD logo (3) Five CSD student representatives pose by the wildcat statue at Rochester School for the Deaf. (4) Reza Mosher giving her presentation. The slide behind her reads: “California School for the Deaf, Reza Mosher, Junior NAD Club Retreat” (5) Talia Boren giving her presentation. The slide behind her reads: “California School for the Deaf, Talia Boren, Feminist Club” (6) Talia, Liliana, Reza, and Daniel pose under the Jr. NAD Ambassador sign, with red, white, and silver star balloons on either side of them. (7) Jayvon, Tiffany, Liliana, Talia, Reza, and Daniel arm-in-arm at Niagara Falls.]
CSD serves as a model school
for German exchange students
VIDEO : Susana Acosta shares some exciting news!
We received a letter from a school for the Deaf in Germany. That school sent six exchange students to California School for the Deaf to meet our school community, participate in classes, and attend events. That experience impacted not only the students, but their teachers back in Germany, as well. They were amazed at the resources California School for the Deaf provides for our Deaf students. They thought CSD should become a model school for the world to follow. Their letter was so inspirational! You can read it below...
Family History Project
The juniors wrapped up the annual Family History Project, in which juniors taking US History conduct research and interviews with their families. They learn about where their families come from, and how they are connected to historical events from around the world.
[Photo Description: (1) High school student working on the computer. A family genealogy chart is on the screen. (2) Two rows of journals with colorful covers.]
Deaf Olympian Leo Bond III
motivates students to achieve their dreams
Deaflympics Gold medalist Leo Bond III was introduced to our high school students by CSD alum Head Coach Ken Norton. Leo Bond emphasized the value of persistence and determination in achieving your dreams. He shared his experiences as a Deaflympican.

Leo Bond III is indeed an inspiration for many, especially for students of color! Thank you, Ken, for bringing a great role model for our students to meet and learn from.  🦅
Ken Norton: Head Coach for the Deaf Olympics

Leo Bond III: Deaf Gold Medal winner

Eugene LaCosse: Leo knew Eugene's father from Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf. One reason Leo came to California was to meet Eugene!

JAC Cook: Event coordinator
[Photo Description: (1) Leo Bond III presenting. The slide behind him says, “1973 Malmö and 1977 Bucharest – First American to win both the 400m and 800m at 1973 and 1977 World Games for the Deaf” The slide has a photo of Leo Bond as a young man wearing four gold medals around his neck. (2).Ken Norton is on stage signing, while Leo Bond looks on. The slide behind them reads, “Leo Bond III, Deaf Olympian (1973 & 1977)”. The slide has a photo of a group of athletes in their team uniforms, along with the symbol for the Olympics. (3) Group photo of Ken, Leo, Eugene, and JAC arm-in-arm, inside the lobby of the Klopping Theater.]
Congrats to CSD Alum Matt Malzkuhn
for completing his PhD!
CSD alum and current faculty at Gallaudet University Dr. Matthew Malzkuhn just completed his PhD (though he still prefers to be called 'Matt'). His research was on "Preservation, Revitalization, and Validity of Home Movies: Deaf Folklife Films as a Case Study." Here is what Matt said about his vision for his research project:

“It is my aim to revitalize these deaf made artifacts (home movies), made during the silent era of amateur filmmaking (1925-1970's), to make it more inclusive in the scholarship of Deaf Studies, and to include multiple perspectives, especially of these from their own local Deaf communities, around the world.”

“The goal is to give this knowledge back to the Deaf community so they can rediscover their artifacts and reconnect with their histories!”

“I arrived at this work through my four-year stint as a Research Specialist at Georgetown University, working with Dr. Ted Supalla, who was probably the first person to address the idea of Deaf Folklife Films. I picked up what he started and made it into a full research project, with a customized method that can be used to catalog films in any collection, and to conduct Cultural-related research.”

About:
Matthew L. Malzkuhn attended California School for the Deaf from 1983 to 1997. He went on to graduate from Model Secondary School for the Deaf in 1998. Matt received his Bachelor of Arts in American Sign Language and Deaf Studies from Gallaudet University in 2005. He also received his Master of Arts in Cultural Studies from Gallaudet University in 2007. He has been involved in academia, having taught at Gallaudet University as faculty, specializing in Sign Language Literature.

Beyond his teaching experiences, Matt was also a research specialist at the Sign Language Research Laboratory at Georgetown University where he tracked the historical changes in sign language and administered tests and interviews to deaf families around the country. In 2015, Matt and his business partners started a creative productions and app publishing business called Ink & Salt with “The ASL App” as its flagship product. Matt is a native user of American Sign Language and is from a deaf family.
[Photo Description: Photo of Matt Malzkuhn in front of a sign that reads, “George Mason University; Cultural Studies PhD Program”.]
CORE presents...
What is the Least Restrictive Environment
for Deaf students?
View the answer HERE in a 30-second video! (click on the tree)

[Photo Description: Tree surrounded by sayings such as, “Full educational access; Deaf pedagogy; Culturally responsive classroom; Inclusiveness and independence; Large number of peers at every grade; Universal design for learning; Bilingual Deaf role models; Visual and dynamic classrooms; Common Core Standards in American Sign Language and English”.]
CSD Celebrates Transgender Awareness Week
From the Gender Inclusive Committee
“Thank you, CSD”

“This is amazing. I love this SO MUCH!!! Proud to be an alumni of CSD!!!”

“YES!”

“What I hope will be an overwhelming wave of positivity from our school community, parents, allies, and friends for flying the Trans flag at our school for a week. It takes determination and courage to make a public statement like this, and I am proud of our school for taking this step.”
As part of Transgender Awareness Week (November 13 - 19) , California School for the Deaf displayed its first-ever Trans flag, honoring all Transgender individuals who have either fought hard or died in order to rightfully live as who they are. The flag showed the community that CSD is committed to ensuring that every student's gender expression and gender identity is celebrated and valued. 

CSD is committed to embracing every student, providing them with the space to feel safe, as they navigate their life as a student at the school. 

Our Deaf Transman leader and Queer Historian, Drago Renteria , visited the CSD campus, interviewing Superintendent Clark Brooke and some of the Gender Inclusive Committee members. Together they created a historic document for CSD, stating the school's position on recognition and embrace for all Transgender individuals and the LGBTQ community.
CNN reports...
It’s 2019 and transgender visibility in the US is at an all-time high in politics, media and sports. “Only 16% of Americans said they personally know a trans person,  GLAAD  reported in 2015. That means most US adults learn about trans people when they see them in films, in political office, and on magazine covers, said Alex Schmider, GLAAD's associate director of transgender representation

We know trans people have been around for centuries, in all different cultures and in all different communities. It's only now that we're starting to be represented in mainstream media, Schmider told CNN. The hope and goal for representation is for stories to reflect and represent the culture with which we live.
[Photo Description: Trans flag flying at CSD. White stripe in the middle, surrounded by two pink stripes, and then two light blue stripes on the outside.]
Students from Work Readiness Program
assist with Youth Athletics
By Jeremy Cormier

[Photo Description: Jeremy Cormier signing.]
Youth Athletics wants to share with the community about our partnership with the Work Readiness Program (WRP). The people who run that program— Amy Eshelman and Ruth Lummer —are amazing to work with. Youth Athletics truly depends on them to send us motivated students who contribute in a wide variety of roles, from coaching to doing the stats. The WRP program has benefited us greatly. We are thankful to them. I want to share three of the WRP students' testimonies about WRP and Youth Athletics. Enjoy!

Gael Barajas: I am new to WRP. I am grateful because the program has enabled me to juggle my time between attending Ohlone College and working with senior citizens. I work with a Deaf woman and a Deaf-Blind man, checking on them and making sure they are okay. I have also been taking care of Early Childhood Education students. I wanted to become an assistant coach because it was an exciting way to gain more work experience. I played football growing up and am assisting with flag football. I want to help motivate and support the kids. I am grateful for this good life!

Yadira Pacheco Lopez: This is my third year with the WRP program. I am a student at Ohlone College and am also working here at CSD Fremont. I am thankful to the WRP teachers for teaching us life skills and many other things, as well. I have been helping teach the kids athletics as an elementary assistant coach for volleyball and softball. I really enjoyed teaching them. I have also been assisting with middle school basketball, too. The combination of school, work, and athletics is empowering me by giving me responsibility and communication. It is really working out for me, and I’m grateful.

Claudia Cortez-Valdez: Being with WRP is giving me the opportunity to combine going to school at Ohlone College with working. My goal is to become a teacher, and working with Youth Athletics is helping me gain experience for that. I learned a lot from assisting with elementary volleyball. I’m really excited to be helping with cheerleading. Next, I will be ready to teach the kids softball.
Holiday Storysigning
From the CSD Library
[Photo Description: Frank Lester signing in front of one of the pages from the storybook. It looks like a Christmas tree forest.]

"The Most Perfect Snowman"

Storysigning
by
Frank Lester

Class of 2019 Salutatorian Rose Crisman
teaches 3rd grade class about Hanukkah
Photos by Lilly Benedict
[Photo Description: Rose Crisman signing about Hanukkah. The photos show three different slides from her presentation. (1) What is a Menorah? (2) What is Hanukkah celebrating? (3) When is Hanukkah?]
Early Childhood Education Students
visit Fremont Oak Gardens
The Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten classes enjoyed visiting our friends at Fremont Oak Garden!
[Photo Description: Four photos of early childhood students of diverse ethnic origins enjoying playing cards. The first photo is with a senior; and the last photo is with an adult who is signing.]
Santa & Mrs. Claus came to town
to visit the kids in Elementary Student Life!
The kids had a blast opening presents from Santa!
[Photo Description: (1) Mrs. Claus watching the kids open their gifts.
(2) Santa is signing by the Christmas tree as Mrs. Claus looks on.]
Children enjoy the annual
Gingerbread House Gathering
presented by Association of Families Teachers & Counselors
[Photo Description: Group photo with all of the kids from the Gingerbread House Gathering. They are posed in front of a mural with a gingerbread man and two gingerbread houses.]
High School Student Life Celebrates
with a Harvest Feast
From Oskar Schugg
The High School Student Life staff had so much gratefulness to share with our students. To show our appreciation to the students, we decided to host a Harvest Feast for the very first time! 
Staff shared their cooking expertise with a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Well, almost traditional, because we had two smoked turkeys and two fried turkeys that everybody filled up on. 
Students enjoyed the gathering and asked the staff to continue the tradition!
[Photo Description: (1) High school students waiting in line. (2) Going through the serving line to get their food buffet style. (3) Kristen Malm preparing the cranberries. (4) Carving the turkey. (5) Going through the serving line. (6) Students are sitting down to enjoy their meal. They are chatting and eating.]
Middle School Student Life
Holiday Party
[Photo Description: Students acting out a holiday skit. They are all in costume. Santa has a student on his lap. One student is dressed as a tree with an elf next to it. There are three students in the front posing as reindeer who are wearing antlers.]
Upcoming Events
Click on flyers below for printable version
California School for the Deaf
39350 Gallaudet Drive, 
Fremont, CA 94538
(510) 794-3666
Meta Metal , Editor
Clark Brooke , School Superintendent