ASD WEEKLY

January 26, 2024

Ahmadi with his coach from Avon Old Farms and his family, who came to watch him wrestle!

I look forward to returning to ASD next week and updating everyone on the exciting trip I had to Asia, showcasing our amazing school and community. In the meantime, please see below for news and photos from my travels.

Thailand



I met with Dr. Maliwan Tammasaeng, Executive Director of The Foundation for the Deaf in Thailand under the Royal Patronage of Her Majesty the Queen and Dr. Panadda Wong, Director of Setsatian School for the Deaf in Bangkok, Thailand.

I also presented with Jay Bunnag, President of National Association for the Deaf in Thailand, to prospective students at the Setsatian School for the Deaf. I had the opportunity to meet with four students and their families about the possibility of studying abroad at ASD. 

With Dr. Tammasaeng and Dr. Wong

With Jay Bunnag

Vietnam



In Vietnam, I visited at Lop hoc cua Tre Diec School in Hanoi. This is a 4-year newly formed private school with approximately 45 students and 10 staff. They state that it takes about 10 years for a school to be very formally structured and they are raising funds to support a bigger school building. The students asked many good questions and were engaged in conversations. 

I also met with Vietnamese officials to discuss how to work together to elevate education for Deaf students in Vietnam. Attendees at this meeting included: Ta Ngoc Tri, Ph.D. – Deputy Director General of the Department of Primary Education, Ministry of Education and Training (he is also the standing Vice Chairman of the Steering Committee on Education for Children with Disabilities and Difficult Circumstances); Nguyen Thi Kim Hoa, Ph.D. – Director, National Center of Special Education (NCSE); Nguyen Tuan Linh – Representative of the Campaign Committee to establish the Vietnam Association of the Deaf; Do Thu Hien – Representative for Vietnam Association of Education For All (VAEFA); Pham Ang Duy – Representative of Vietnamese Deaf teachers; Mai Nga – Superintendent of Central Deaf Services, DaNang, Vietnam. Click here to read a thank you letter from Do Thu Hien of VAEFA.

While in Hanoi, I also gave a presentation to Deaf community members, students and parents of the Vietnam Deaf Community. Over 200 people were in attendance and they all have a passion to work together to improve education in Vietnam!

In Ho Chi Minh City I visited the Lai Thieu Binh Duong School. This school is a public government-supported school with approximately 300 students and several deaf staff. I was impressed with the school's approach to education and discipline! 

In DaNang, I met with several students at Central Deaf Services. This school is a small private school with 25 students and eight staff. The students asked me about my travels around the world so I used a globe to explain where I had visited and what I had presented.

Lop hoc cua Tre Diec School in Hanoi, Vietnam

Meeting with officials from Vietnam

Community presentation in Hanoi

Visiting at Lai Thieu Binh Duong School in Ho Chi Minh City

Meeting with students at Central Deaf Services in DaNang

India

In India I visited IDBA (Indore Deaf Bilingual Academy). Here is a video of me and Joel Barish at an Academic Exhibition.

ASD 2024 Calendar

1/30/2024 – HS PBIS, 11:03 am, VCC

1/30/2024 – 3 Ghosts and a School Athlete, 1:30 pm, VCC

2/16/2024 – Presidents' Day: School closed

2/19/2024 – HOLIDAY for all: Presidents' Day

3/29/2024 – HOLIDAY for all: Good Friday

4/26/2024 – Founders' Day

COMMUNITY FLYERS

For all the latest flyers and announcements about Community Events, please click here!

A sincere thank you to Kat Northhup for all you have done to support ASD Interpreting during your time in Connecticut since December! We are grateful for your commitment to our students, our staff, and our community!

ELT (Executive Leadership Team)

Speaker of the House, Matt Ritter held a press conference this week to express support for the creation of a Bureau of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing services. More information in the following articles:

We-Ha.com

CT News Junkie

PDF of Hartford Courant Article

Students in Jean Orientale's Marine Science class were able to use the Augmented Reality Sandbox where they made rivers, lakes, and other landforms with a hands-on touch. They enjoyed this immensely!

Patricia Lowry and Genesis baking cinnamon rolls; making Shrimp Ceviche, a recipe that Genesis remembered from home and wanted to share with us. 

Sensory activity with shaving cream in Anna Shea's Life Skills class.

Jennifer Bixby and Vylette reading a "no word" book. Vylette had to use her imagination and be creative with a story based on her interpretation of the pictures. 

To buy cookies and support ASD's Daisy and Brownie Troop 10421, please email Holly Miller or visit her in GCEC Room 250. Thank you! 



Sage C., Neve, Antonia, Navira, Sage H., and Esa

ASD Drama Club: 3 Ghosts and a School Athlete

REMINDER: The 3 Ghosts and a School Athlete performance is January 30th, at 1:30 pm in the VCC and there is no longer a public evening performance.

Please RSVP by email to Lori Coughlin for the school day performance. You can also reach her by phone at: 860.570.2307

ASD Athletics

Student Athlete of the Month



Congratulations to our student athlete of the month, Sandrine!

Cheer Team

The Cheerleading team took their official team photos this week. Go Tigers!

Basketball

Middle School Basketball:



On January 24, ASD middle school basketball team played a home game against Marie Phillip School for the Deaf. Our Tigers played hard and persevered throughout the entire game to win 44-40 in the very last minute of the game! They showed remarkable teamwork and trust with each other and overall did a marvelous job. We will continue to work hard over the next week and prepare for our next game. Winkester scored 27 points while K'Marie netted 10 points. Jacob and Sully scored 2 points each and Zaire had 3 points. Go Tigers!

Boys Basketball:

On January 22, the boys played an away game against Marvelwood, with a loss of 40-55. They did their best and started picking up offense movements in the second half. They continue to improve with each game and understand their roles and ball movements. Defense wins the game!

Volunteers Needed

Seeking volunteer scorekeepers, clock operators, and shot clock operators for our basketball games on the dates below. Please email me for more info or to sign up to volunteer!

Wednesday, January 31 - Doubleheader: 4:00 pm girls; 5:30 pm boys

Monday, February 5 - 4:00 pm Middle School boys            

Tuesday February 6 - Doubleheader: 3:45 pm girls; 5:00 pm boys

Wednesday, February 7 - 4:00 pm boys     

Wednesday February 21 - 5:00 pm boys           

Thursday, February 22 - 4:00 pm boys            

Christopher Di Santo

Athletic and After-School Program Director

The Deaf Culinary Arts team of the American School for the Deaf will be participating in a culinary competition at the California School for the Deaf Riverside Campus, from March 13 to 17, 2024. We have organized a fundraiser and would greatly appreciate your support by purchasing high-quality popcorn. The proceeds will help us cover our travel expenses as well as the competition fees. Visit this link to buy popcorn and support our team: Support the ASD Culinary Arts Team

Thank you,

Curt Hayward

I will be holding a workshop for the PACES kids here on the weekend of either Feb 3rd or 10th. We will be 'wet felting' Dangling Hearts. I am looking for donated supplies of the following:

• Bubble Wrap: would like larger pieces but will go thru anything donated, nothing less than 10" by 10" please
• Wooden Dowels: 2" round by 6-12" long

I will put a bin or a bag for the items on the back counter of the SHC for collection. Thank you.

Peggy Schwetz

We would kindly like to remind all staff the following:

1. To-Go containers are not to be used in the dining room. If you are enjoying a meal in the dining room, we kindly ask that you use reusable plateware, flatware, and cups. These are cleaned and sanitized by a process which has been audited and confirmed by not only the local health department with a perfect score, but also a 3^rd party company called EcoSure that effectively maintains not only national and local health standards, but audits systems and processes within Brock to ensure compliance and sanitation. If specific accommodations need to be made, we need either clinical or supervisor approval for any paper goods products usage.
2. All staff should be swiping their ID’s at the terminal upon entering the serving line. Staff who work 1-on-1 with students (TA’s, RC’s, clinical staff actively working with students during meal times, etc.) are not required to pay for meals. However, if you do not fall within these job descriptions, you will be asked to pay $5 for your meal at the terminal.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Chris Brozak

General Manager, Brock & Co. at ASD

To maintain the security and integrity of ASDs email system we will be employing a new Multi Factor Authentication (MFA). This is an additional layer of security for our Outlook email. 

This process helps secure ASDs email by requiring our users to identify themselves by more than just a username and password. We will be using the Microsoft Authenticator to do this.

We will be rolling this out over the next few weeks in groups of 30 people. The first group we will be rolling this out to are ASD teachers. You will be prompted to set up the Microsoft Authenticator, you will not have to do it manually. 

The IT department will be available to assist if needed. 

Because there are no new releases, Cinepolis is working on a more condensed schedule and not showing an open caption movie this week.

They plan to have an open caption selection next week.

We have officially launched our Lost in Translation campaign. This campaign aims to create awareness around communication accessibility challenges experienced among the deaf, hard of hearing and DeafBlind communities in Connecticut, particularly in educational and healthcare settings. Through this project, ASD will work with hospital and education systems to identify areas of need and provide solutions to ensure deaf, hard of hearing and DeafBlind citizens have full communication access during the most critical times of their lives.

To read some of the media coverage, follow the links below:

• PDF of Courant Article
• Courant Article
• We-Ha.com Article
• CT News Junkie
• CT Insider

Special thanks to our own Justin Brooks, for volunteering his acting skills in our promotional video. Click here to watch or play below.

REMINDER – Employees are required to sign off on all company policies annually. All ASD policies are now digital and accessible through the ADP Workforce Now website or the ADP Workforce Now app on your phone. Thank you for your attention to this very important matter.

Gwynne Deveau

HR Manager

Any SchoolDude requests must have a room number included. If there is no room number posted on your door, please submit a Facilities request to get a room number installed and write in the number of the room next to yours with this request. Please note: if there is no room number included with future SchoolDude requests, the request will be denied. 

Free framed poster: ATTITUDE. Poster measures approximately two feet by two and a half feet and reads, "Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference" and has an image of a droplet of water splashing with a ripple effect.

If you would like this poster, please email Kerry McDowell to make arrangements for pick up.

You may see foreman Nate Getler of BBE (see photo) indoors on occasion. If you have any questions, please reach out to me or Security Chief Bradley Hammond.

Randy D’Angelo

Director of Operations

Check out the following job openings on the ASD Career Center!

Located on the Employment page of the ASD Website.

Reminder: ASD offers a sign-on bonus for new employees as well as a referral bonus for staff who personally refer a new hire. 

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Track and Field Coaches – Head Coach and Assistant Coach

Residential Counselors – Weekend Overnights

Staff Scheduling Coordinator

Substitute Teacher (Per Diem)

Summer Camp Counselors

Residential Counselors – 1^st and 2^nd Shift

Two Schedules: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday OR Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday

Driver (CDL with V Endorsement Required) 

Camp Director Isola Bella – 2024

Teacher Aide 

Teacher 

ASL Interpreters

Registered Nurse (Per Diem)

Part-time Receptionist, Afternoons 

Birth to Three Providers

For more information on any of these positions please visit the ASD Website

Gwynne Deveau

Human Resources Manager

On weekends, from Friday night at 6:00 pm through Monday morning at 7:00 am the double doors from the Student Health Center (SHC) in GCEC into the main hallway are locked, thus restricting access. 

This is done because, except for the SHC, cafeteria and kitchen, the building is vacant. It is a matter of safety and security for students as well as staff. 

Staff and students are expected to exit the SHC and re-enter via the west doors for meals. 

Thank you for helping to maintain a safe environment for all.

Randy D’Angelo

Director of Operations

ESY teacher application deadline is March 28, 2024! If you are interested in working for ESY, please fill out and submit your form to my attention at GCEC 101, NOT Human Resources. Letter below is also a link to the form. Thank you.

Darlene Borsotti

Senior Administrative Assistant  

Upcoming Information Sessions can be found here.

For more information, please call (860) 222-0682, visit our information meeting page, or email Theresa Warmelink at twarmelink@graduateprogram.org

Jennifer Labriola-Megee

Principal

Please check your offices, classrooms, dorms etc. for any plates, cups, and utensils that may have inadvertently wandered away from the cafeteria! This creates an additional expense for us when we have to order more due to dinnerware going missing.

Thank you for your help!

Our Autism Program is collecting recyclable cans, bottles, and glass. Please save for our classes and send an email to Amy Ronkese or Susan Breen for more info or to arrange pickup (we can pick up from your rooms).

Thank you!

So you’ve gotten hurt on the job. Now what?!

Well, first you let your supervisor know what happened, and then you report your injury to HR via the Worker's Compensation Claim Reporting Form or by scanning the QR code with your phone. Then go get medical attention if you need it!

**If you sustained a head injury YOU MUST GO GET MEDICAL ATTENTION! No ifs, ands, or buts. And someone else must drive you, you are not allowed to drive yourself with a head injury. Safety First!**

You may go to any Concentra location, the Occupational Health department at Hartford Healthcare at 445 South Main Street, or any emergency room. The information for these locations is on the Reporting Form.

Help us help you not get hurt at work! If you see another staff member struggling or possibly in an unsafe situation, get help or help them yourself if you have the appropriate training! Workers’ Comp affects everyone, not just the injured employee. We want everyone at ASD to feel safe and supported so please help out!

Note: If your personal property was damaged during the injury (e.g. a student smashed your glasses), please complete an Incident Report documenting the incident and what was broken and bring the receipt for the replacement of the property to HR. We will review and reimburse your broken property if it’s been properly documented or proven to have happened in the course of your normal duty.

If you ever have any questions, concerns, or comments please contact me, Sophia Lanza, your Benefits Administrator! I can be reached via email, by VP (860) 956-3910, by desk phone at ext. 305, or by cell/Facetime (860) 987-2715

Sophia Lanza

Benefits Administrator

Sign Language View is a meeting experience in Microsoft Teams on Windows, Mac, and web that helps signers – people who are deaf or hard of hearing, sign language interpreters, and others who use sign language – keep one another prioritized in a consistent on-screen location throughout every meeting.



Sign Language View provides a more predictable, static meeting experience that allows users to prioritize up to two other signers’ video streams for placement on center stage. When Sign Language View is enabled, the prioritized video streams appear at the right aspect ratio and at the highest available quality. You can enable Sign Language View either on the fly during a meeting or as a setting that persists across all your calls.

Click here to learn more about Microsoft Teams Sign Language View.

Randy D'Angelo

Director of Operations

Randy D’Angelo

Director of Operations

Looking to learn ASL? Please fill out THIS GOOGLE FORM.

Anyone interested in teaching staff classes, or Community Sign language Classes, please see Krystal Sonidis (GCEC 139 – across from the Central Ed office). 

Thank you!

Krystal Sonidis

 Student Information Systems (SIS) Data Manager

See below for calendar updated 1.3.2024. Please note Isola Bella 2024 PACES Session is July 8-12, not July 8-14.

ASD's Anonymous Alerts safety app is an important tool for our community--please learn more here!

FROM SECURITY:

Hi all, as a reminder, please use this form to sign up for our optional Emergency Communication App (from Layered Solutions Inc.) You will be notified via your mobile device when lockdowns occur on campus as well as when lockdown has been cleared.

Once we receive your request for the app, you will get an email on how to install the mobile app to your device. The email will be sent from: root@asdsigns.layeredsolutionsinc.com

Click here to take you to the form

Thank you!

Randy D’Angelo

Assistant Director of Operations

Mission Statement

At the American School for the Deaf, students and families are surrounded by inspiring peers, guided by dedicated and committed staff, and supported by robust technology. We foster a language-rich communication environment that maximizes each student’s potential, empowering them to become educated and self-directed lifelong learners.

Vision Statement

The American School for the Deaf is a comprehensive learning community that welcomes all deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing children with unique communication needs. We develop the whole child – intellectually, emotionally, physically, and socially.

The American School for the Deaf strives to be an inclusive community that welcomes and celebrates diversity. As a society, we have work to do in the fight against racial violence and discrimination. ASD maintains the fundamental principle that equity should prevail for all, and we uphold the school-wide values of respect, responsibility, and safety. As a learning community, we must engage in productive dialogue to combat systemic racism and social injustice. By teaching the importance of equality, we will allow our students to grow into responsible citizens who will change the world – for the better.

The American School for the Deaf (ASD) does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, nationality, disability, sex or age in treatment or employment at ASD, admission or access to ASD, or any other aspect of the educational programs and activities that ASD operates. 

ASD is required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (Age Act), and their respective implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Parts 100, 104, 106 and 110, not to discriminate in such a manner. 

Inquiries concerning the application of each of the aforementioned statutes and their implementing regulations to ASD may be referred to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, at 617.289.0111 or 5 Post Office Square, 8th Floor, Boston, MA 02109-3921 OR to the applicable ASD Coordinators: Kristin Feldman, Associate Director of Student Life. 

American School For the Deaf

139 North Main Street

West Hartford, CT 06107

860-570-2300

www.ASD-1817.org

To Contact the Editor Click Here