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Kevin's Perspective
I've been going to Sherwood Elementary School for six years. This is my last year at Sherwood. It is different from any other school because it is the only public school in our district that contains classes for deaf students. We have separate classes for the deaf students and we even have some deaf students in the classes with the hearing students. You might think otherwise, but I think I'm lucky to have deaf students at my school.When I was younger and I looked at the children who were deaf, I thought of them as kids who were weird, and strange. To me, they weren't my kind, they were different. Until 4th grade I avoided the deaf students. In 4th grade I met a boy named Jay. He was in the same grade as me. My friends started to hang out with him. Soon I learned that Jay liked the same things as me. We both loved sports. I started to play with him.
In 5th grade Jay's been participating in my class for Science and Social Studies. He never sits with the deaf students at lunch, he sits with my friends and me. After six years of thinking of children who are deaf as weird or strange I found out they were just like me. Jay and the other deaf children can do many of the same things as me; it's just that they can't hear.
I've finally figured that out, and I'm glad. I feel that deaf children are equal to me, and after you read our section on deafness I hope you think the same thing. Remember, our theme is that deaf kids have a disABILITY, not a disability.