Dear Parents/Guardians and Students,

Welcome to the 2021-2022 school year at IRHS! I have many exciting things planned for my classroom that I will share with you!

American Sign Language (ASL) is the third most used language in the United States. It is used approximately by half a million culturally Deaf people and many hearing people as well. ASL is a visual-gestural language created by Deaf people in order to communicate in a language natural to them. I plan to engage your student by using intercultural competence strategies to teach ASL and Deaf culture.

My biggest classroom policy will be a strict “voice-off” environment. This rule is important for respect of the language, Deaf culture, and community. ASL is NOT a spoken language and the “voice off” policy will reinforce and support student learning. I need your help in enforcing this policy. Please ask your student to discuss the class syllabus with you and be sure to know that this can affect their grade.

I would like for us to work together as a team, as we are both going to be an integral part of your student’s school life this year. I hope that you and your student are excited, and I look forward to creating an environment of culture, language, and learning.  Welcome to "Our Journey into the Deaf World!"

Warmly,

Ms. Kia Faniel, M. Ed.