Social Media
This is our social media hub! Be sure to check out our social media accounts so you don't miss any news and updates from WRSD!
There are many worthy causes for Giving Tuesday!
Consider giving to WRSD to support our mission to educate Deaf and hard of hearing children from our little corner in Massachusetts. Help our students reach for the stars—and beyond! Every bit helps!
If you have to complete a Massachusetts tax return for this year, donating to a Massachusetts nonprofit might help reduce what you owe! To take advantage of this deduction, consider supporting our educational mission by visiting our donation link below!
🌟🌟 https://www.wrsdeaf.org/support-us 🌟🌟
Image Description: A Giving Tuesday promotional image. On the top are some of WRSD's young students in a variety of poses. Above them are stars of different colors. On the bottom half of the image is a Giving Tuesday logo alongside WRSD's logo. Inside the U on Tuesday is an ASL "I love you" sign.
Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at Willie Ross!
WRSD, the Administration building, and the audiology clinic will be closed today and tomorrow in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Have a happy holiday. 🤟
Image Description: Illustration of a little boy chef with a very large knife and fork on a pumpkin being pulled by a turkey. The words "Happy Thanksgiving Day" are on the top in a wave pattern.
WRSD is growing! If you or someone you know might be interested in joining our team and thriving with us during this exciting time of growth, visit our Careers page at www.wrsdeaf.org/careers!
Image Description: A flyer advertising WRSD's current open positions. There are blue and teal patterns on the corners. "We're growing! Available positions: Teacher of the Deaf, Instructional Assistant, Assistant Outreach Director, Early Intervention (temp), Speech-Language Pathologist" is in the center of the flyer, next to WRSD's logo. On the bottom is text that reads "To learn more about WRSD and apply, visit: wrsdeaf.org/careers" with a green arrow pointing to the Web address.
BIG HANDS WAVING 🙌
Please join us as we celebrate Monay for being recognized as the October Tiger of the Month! Congratulations, Monay! 🤟
Image Description: Monay smiling with a certificate that reads "Tiger of the Month. Monay Blue. For showing an improvement in ROARS expectations. October 2024. Erika Kaftan, Education Director. Heather Robinson, Assistant Education Director. Behind Monay is a sign that reads "Star Student" with spotlights 'shining' on Monay.
In Erika's biology class at our East Longmeadow High School partnership site, our friends used the scientific method to determine the contents of mystery boxes!
Image Descriptions: Inside a classroom. There are three students seated at two tables with boxes. The last picture has a student posing with colorful yellow and pink eyes.
Our friends at @forestparkzoo have an awesome program called "Wildlife on Wheels"! They were able to come to our Longmeadow campus to show off their ridiculously cute bunnies, snakes, lizards, insects, and turtles!
Our students were thrilled at the exotic animals and some of our staff were not having it with the reptiles! 😆
All in all, a great learning opportunity for all!
Image Description: Students and staff in the student center. The representative from Forest Park Zoo is showing the students and staff bunnies, snakes, lizards, insects, and turtles. Students and staff are petting them.
Please join us as we congratulate our September Tiger of the Month, Tamesh! 🎉
Image Description: Tamesh is standing near a wall, wearing a blue hoodie. Tamesh is holding a certificate that reads "Tiger of the Month. Tamesh Maichoo. For showing an improvement in ROARS expectations. September 2024. Erika Kaftan, Education Director. Heather Robinson, Assistant Education Director."
Our friends at @asdcdeafchildren remind us that September is National Deaf Awareness Month!
Image Description: American Society for Deaf Children logo at the top. National Deaf Awareness Month with red, yellow, green, and blue fingershapes spelling D-E-A-F.
September is National Deaf Awareness Month. The American Society for Deaf Children is dedicated to advocating for increased awareness of the communication needs and identities of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. We are committed to fostering understanding and support to ensure that these individuals receive the recognition and resources they deserve. www.DeafChildren.org.
Happy Labor Day!
Our school, offices, and audiology clinic will be closed today in observance of the Labor Day holiday. We will reopen tomorrow, September 3, 2024, at the regular time.
Have a wonderful day!
Image Description: A Happy Labor Day poster with portraits of various professions. The top left and center are firefighter and police officer. The bottom left and center are professional and military. The individual on the right is a construction worker.
Isn't this cool? Dulce and three of her former students (left to right: Amanda, Shanesha, and Ashley) who now work at WRSD!
We love it when former students come work for us!!
Image Description: Three individuals seated at a table with one individual standing behind the three. From left to right: Amanda, Dulce, Shanesha, and Ashley.
Happy Fourth of July! 🎉🎊.
We will be closed today AND tomorrow in observance of the Fourth of July holiday. The administration building and audiology clinic will open on Monday, July 8, 2024 at the regular time.
Enjoy your long holiday weekend and stay cool! 😎
Image Description: A bald eagle wearing a hat in the style of the American flag. The background is blue with differently-shaped stars littered throughout.
Willie Ross School for the Deaf participates in Box Tops for Education! Download the Box Tops for Education App and scan your grocery receipt to earn points—and cash—for WRSD!
Or, if you prefer, you can send us your receipts so we can scan them for you! Simply send it to the attention of Joel Skelton to 32 Norway St, Longmeadow, MA 01106!
Image Description: A sky-blue background with five hands on top of each other. The caption reads "let's give teachers a hand," with the Box Tops logo.
After our students left for the year, we held a short ice cream social with our staff and faculty—and distributed staff awards! We were delighted to recognize our staff's milestone achievements by working here at WRSD for 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 years!
We were also thrilled to recognize Katie P. and Mindy as the 2023-2024 staff of the year!
Image Descriptions: Staff accepting 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 year awards. Staff of the Year award was awarded to two staff.
On the last day of school last week, our students were treated to an amazing day! They participated in a derby, a book fair, a fun "Would You Rather...?" game, and snow cones!
We wish our students and teaching staff and faculty a WONDERFUL summer! We'd love to hear about all your adventures when you come back in the fall (or summer school!)! 😎🤟
Image Descriptions: A derby race in the student center with a steep beginning slope. Several tables filled with lots of books for the students. A student quietly reading on a bench. A "Would You Rather...?" game comparing monster truck events and a live concert. Students in line waiting for snow cones. Students sitting on various playground equipment enjoying their snow cones.
In recognition of today's graduates, we held a car parade for Rina and Eliel!!
Congratulations!! 🎉🤟
Video Description: An image of window art on a WRSD van celebrating the graduates. Rina and her mother posing for a picture as well as a car parade in front of Rina's home. Eliel and his family posing for a picture as well as a car parade in front of Eliel's home.
The administrative building and audiology clinic will be closed today in observance of the Juneteenth holiday.
The administration building and audiology clinic will open tomorrow at the regular time.
Image Description: Graffiti art with a prominent black hand and forearm with purple, blue, green, yellow, and black splotches.
Please join us in congratulating Destiny for achieving May Tiger of the Month!
Way to go, Destiny! 🎉
Image Description: Destiny holding up her award which reads "Tiger of the Month Destiny Lora. For showing an improvement in ROARS expectations. Erika Kaftan Education Director. Heather Robinson Assistant Education Director."
The other day, we had two lost dogs wander onto our campus! Two of our students wrote about it. Our friends at @longmeadowpd came to campus to collect the dogs and return them to their homes!
Image Description: Two students posing with a handwritten letter and two dogs that were found on our campus.
The eighth graders at Birchland Park have been busy planning for their civics project! Jeneeva filled out the required form for the nurse listing ingredients and received her permission. They have officially become part of the “Street Vet Family”!
Image Description: Jeneeva (left) talking with a nurse (right). Lynn (middle) is supporting communication by interpreting.
Our friends in our East Longmeadow High School partnership site recently raised $125 to adopt a baby hippo and protect hippos and other endangered species.
Funds that were raised were sent to the World Wildlife Foundation.
Great job, Milly and Helen!
Image Description: Helen (left) and Milly (right) counting the money they've collected. There are an assortment of coins, plastic baggies, and bills on the table.
As part of our traditional graduation walk, our graduates took one last walk around the West Campus with our students and staff cheering them on.
We can't wait for tonight's graduation ceremony!
Image Description: Our two graduates, Rina and Eliel, walking around the track on our West Campus and hugging students and staff. Students and staff are on the grass next to the track cheering them on.
Happy Memorial Day from your friends at Willie Ross!
Our school, administrative building, and audiology clinic will be closed today in observance of the holiday.
We will reopen tomorrow at the regular time.
Be safe and enjoy your day.
Image Description: The New York City skyline with the Statue of Liberty. There is an American Flag. The words "Land of the free because of the brave" appear on the bottom.
Please join us as we congratulate Helen on winning the April Tiger of the Month! 🙌
Congratulations, Helen! We're very proud of you!
Image Description: Helen posing with her certificate which reads "Tiger of the Month Helen Dempsey. For showing an improvement in ROARS expectations! Erika Kaftan, Education Director. Heather Robinson, Assistant Education Director."
Willie Ross School for the Deaf participates in Box Tops for Education! Download the Box Tops for Education App and scan your grocery receipt to earn points—and cash—for WRSD! For a list of eligible products, click here - https://www.boxtops4education.com/s/box-tops-products
Or, if you prefer, you can send us your receipts so we can scan them for you! Simply send it to the attention of Joel Skelton to 32 Norway St, Longmeadow, MA 01106!
Image Description: The image features text encouraging support for education through collecting box tops. The design includes a play on words with "WATER YOU WAITING FOR?" to grab attention. Tags associated with the image include text, umbrella, graphic design, graphics, illustration, and design.
BIG HANDS WAVING!! 🙌
Please join us as we celebrate three of our amazing students!
Tamesh, Mateo, and Manuel received an award from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for scoring Exceeds Expectations or Progressing on the 2023 MCAS-Alt. The students were given a certificate and a $20 gift card to Target. The award is called the Massachusetts Student Achievement Award.
We are proud of our students' hard work! 🤟
Image Description: Tamesh, Mateo, and Manuel holding their awards which read "Massachusetts Student Achievement Award. For exceptional performance on the 2023 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System Alternate Assessment (MCAS-Alt)." Tamesh and Mateo are also holding their Target gift cards.
We are running ads at @bigyfoods in #EastLongmeadow!
Want to have some fun with our ad? Take a selfie with our ad, share it on your Facebook and/or Instagram pages and tag @adcorpmediagroup and #AdcorpMG! Our advertising partners will send you a $25 gift card!
Image Description: A WRSD audiology clinic ad on a Big Y shopping cart.
Please join us as we congratulate Leorance on earning the March Tiger of the Month award!
Image Description: Leorance holding her award which reads "Tiger of the Month Leorance Isezerano for showing improvement in ROARS expectations! March 2024. Erika Kaftan, Education Director; Heather Robinson, Assistant Education Director.
We wish those in our community who observe a peaceful Good Friday.
Our school, administrative building, and audiology clinic will be closed today in observance of the Good Friday holiday. We will resume normal hours on Monday.
Be safe and enjoy your long weekend.
Image Description: A crown of thorns with blood on the tips; the words Good Friday are on the bottom center.
Our friends in Merry's class at our Birchland Park partnership site were wrapping up an Ancient Egypt activity!
From Merry: As promised in the last newsletter, here is the latest concerning the pharaoh apple mummies. They were removed from the natron mix after a two week drying out process. The results were interesting. The students were gung ho to grab a load of toilet paper from Costco and wrap them up. However, we skipped the wrapping part and the pharaohs’ sarcophagus became the classroom trash can. But it was a fun project!
Image Description: Students show off their pharaoh apple mummies, removing them from the natron bin over a garbage can.
Our friends in our East Longmeadow High School partnership site were busy reading and doing book reports on what they'd read!
We love to see our students hard at work!
Image Description: Students at a desk. One of them is finishing up the book she is reading. In the other, the student has just finished his book and opened up his Chromebook to begin his book report.
We are thrilled to announce Jeneeva was awarded the Battle of the Books All-Star Reader award!
Congratulations, Jeneeva! We are so very proud of you!! 🙌🎉🤟
Image Description: From left to right: Dulce, Jeneeva, and Meredith. Jeneeva is wearing her All-Star blue and gold medal, and her award reads "Battle of the Books All-Star Reader. This is awarded to the Bison Division Reader, Jeneeva Desroches, for possessing all of the following All-Star Reader qualities: knowledge, positive attitude, leadership, fellowship, sportsmanship, and team spirit. Congratulations! Alison O'Hara, Battle of the Book Coordinator, and Roberta J. Cordano, President of Gallaudet University.
BIG HANDS WAVING! 🙌🙌🙌
Please join us as we congratulate Derek for being awarded the February Tiger of the Month!
Image Description: Derek holding his award which reads "Tiger of the Month Derek Harris for showing an improvement in ROARS expectations! February 2024. Erika Kaftan, Education Director. Heather Robinson, Assistant Education Director.
Cai is hosting another ASL social at #TheRoost in Northampton on Saturday, March 9, 2024 starting at 10:00 a.m.
Come and socialize with signers of all skill levels!
Flyer-poster with large workds ASL COFFEE CHAT in an arc at the top. underneath are hands signing A. S. L. and a coffee cup full of steaming brown coffee. on either side is a small sprig of spring flowers.
text below reads
Saturday March 9th 10:00 AM
The Roost
1 market street Northampton, MA
Questions text to CAI at 81010 with the message @ASLSOCIA
SOCIAL HOUR ONLY
All levels of PT, ASL, TASL useres are welcome here.
Join us from March 18-21 2024 for the very first Bedrock Literacy Virtual Conference! On Wednesday, March 20, we are excited to learn from both Robert Shaffer and Brittany Allen as they discuss Bedrock in the classroom and optimizing successful strategies, respectively!
We look forward to learning a lot. For more information or to register, visit our website at https://www.wrsdeaf.org/2024-bedrock-literacy-virtual-conference
Our students continue to WOW us!
We are absolutely delighted to announce that seven of our middle school students in our Birchland Park partnership classrooms are going to be published authors!
From Merry: The Young Writers is an organization that encourages students to read and write. They held a contest in the fall and seven of our students entered. They were required to write a 100 word saga. It was much harder than they thought! They had to do a lot of revising and tons of editing. Thank goodness the title was not included as part of the word limit!
Sarah Waterhouse, the editor, wrote that she was very impressed with the imaginations of our students. She went on to explain that having the work of each student entered from the same school chosen to be included in the book is very rare! Just more proof of how creative and skilled our students are!
Be on the lookout: SOS Sagas: Hunted is scheduled for publication on May 31, 2024!
Image Description: Students holding a certificate that reads "Talent for Writing. This certificate awarded for an original piece of creative writing that was selected for publication in a Young Writers' anthology."
Join us from March 18-21 2024 for the very first Bedrock Literacy Virtual Conference! On Tuesday, March 19, we are excited to learn from both Shannon Miller and Kelly Sanders as they discuss bilingualism and first-year Bedrock Literacy tips, respectively!
We look forward to learning a lot. For more information or to register, visit our website at https://www.wrsdeaf.org/2024-bedrock-literacy-virtual-conference
A couple of weeks ago, we hosted a Family Winter Festival! We welcomed our students, staff, and families to campus for a great morning of games and activities! It was a great time. Thank you for coming, everyone!
Image Descriptions: Staff, students, and families are sitting at tables playing a variety of board and card games.
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