Read the full article on KETV 7
A group of Gretna middle schoolers is putting in extra effort to make sure they can communicate with a classmate. They formed the district’s first American Sign Language club.Birthdays are extra special when your friends celebrate with you, and Hope Luther’s friends celebrated by singing and signing the “Happy Birthday” song to her May 11.”Communication is connection, and so we wanted to provide that here at Giles Creek Middle School,” said Nickie Oliva, the school’s sign language interpreter.Students created the district’s first and only ASL club.”It’s amazing to have this club,” Hope said.Hope is fully deaf. She was born with microtia and atresia.”My brother.. he’s deaf. So, my mom taught him some sign language, and she taught me sign language for him,” Hope said.”Being in the cafeteria, for her, it’s so much easier for her to understand because it just depends on the sound, like if it’s a lot of background noise, it’s a little bit more challenging,” Oliva said.Hope’s friends wanted to communicate with her better, so one student came up with the idea to start a sign language club.”There’s students who are really curious about it, and to see the joy of them learning and wanting to ask more questions,” Oliva said. Among the members is sixth grade student Kinley Zabawa.”I feel like it’s a good activity to do so you can help out your friends who are deaf,” Kinley said.Oliva, who leads the club, says the Gretna school district does not have sign language classes, but she hopes the club can lead to a change.”To see the other students, just in the hallways, they’re able to chat with Hope,” Oliva said.”It’s kind of cool to have a different language,” said Hope.As for Hope, she would like to see the club continue in the future.”I hope we can just do this again in high school,” she said. Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
A group of Gretna middle schoolers is putting in extra effort to make sure they can communicate with a classmate. They formed the district’s first American Sign Language club.
Birthdays are extra special when your friends celebrate with you, and Hope Luther’s friends celebrated by singing and signing the “Happy Birthday” song to her May 11.
Advertisement
“Communication is connection, and so we wanted to provide that here at Giles Creek Middle School,” said Nickie Oliva, the school’s sign language interpreter.
Students created the district’s first and only ASL club.
“It’s amazing to have this club,” Hope said.
Hope is fully deaf. She was born with microtia and atresia.
“My brother.. he’s deaf. So, my mom taught him some sign language, and she taught me sign language for him,” Hope said.
“Being in the cafeteria, for her, it’s so much easier for her to understand because it just depends on the sound, like if it’s a lot of background noise, it’s a little bit more challenging,” Oliva said.
Hope’s friends wanted to communicate with her better, so one student came up with the idea to start a sign language club.
“There’s students who are really curious about it, and to see the joy of them learning and wanting to ask more questions,” Oliva said.
Among the members is sixth grade student Kinley Zabawa.
“I feel like it’s a good activity to do so you can help out your friends who are deaf,” Kinley said.
Oliva, who leads the club, says the Gretna school district does not have sign language classes, but she hopes the club can lead to a change.
“To see the other students, just in the hallways, they’re able to chat with Hope,” Oliva said.
“It’s kind of cool to have a different language,” said Hope.
As for Hope, she would like to see the club continue in the future.
“I hope we can just do this again in high school,” she said.
Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.
NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
