New student welcomed by others

Guest Blog by Mary Prevatte

K-4 Special Education Teacher, Robeson County, NC

Several months ago my school admitted a new first-grade student who rocked our world. I will refer to him as Manny. He is a deaf boy with behavior problems. When he arrived we could not communicate with him because neither he nor we knew American Sign Language.

But students and staff showed a great deal of understanding and generosity toward Manny. The staff joined together to provide him with personal necessities like a comb, tooth brush, tooth paste, and clothing. The students showed understanding by accepting Manny and overlooking some of his behaviors. They are also learning sign language so they can communicate with him.

Furthermore, Manny’s teacher volunteered to move to 2nd grade to be his teacher next year, since she knows some sign language.