Staff

The staff consists of one teacher, two social workers, three sign language interpreters, one speech/language clinician, and one audiologist. We are also fortunate to have a secretary in the office and several regular education teachers who sign.

Academics

Classes offered include a mix of self-contained and regular integrated classes. All of the core requirements are offered through the D/HH program, including Social Studies, Mathematics, Reading/Language, Science, and Health. Elective classes generally are taken through the regular program at Highland Park Junior High School. A resource period is offered to those students who need extra support in their integrated classes.

The Junior High program encompasses 7th and 8th grades. When students complete the 8th grade they continue on to Highland Park High School.   There are three D/HH teachers at the high school. The speech therapist, social workers, and interpreters serve both buildings so there is continuity from 7th to 12th grade. The heart of the Highland Park Deaf and Hard of Hearing program is teamwork, with students, parents, and staff working collectively to determine each student's areas of strength, need, and future goals. These areas are reflected in the student's individual educational plan (IEP), and are reinforced by their academic coursework as well as by other support services providers. Regular interaction with members of the deaf community, deaf-blind community and hard of hearing individuals provide opportunities for students to gain knowledge of job opportunities, socialization, and recreational events available in the Twin Cities area.

We schedule field trips to various places around the Twin Cities with the purpose of expanding the knowledge our textbooks have provided and to meet our transition goals. We often use Metro Transit, via bus and light rail, to arrive at our destinations. Some of our trips include: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, Nature Center in Richfield (where we made worm cookies, tapped for maple syrup, made a hot air balloon, and experienced snow shoeing), the Newport Resource Recovery Center in Newport, where we learned what happens to our garbage once it is picked up, The Children's Theater in Minneapolis, and a map-reading expedition at the Mall of America. 

Service Learning Projects

Service learning is an important part of the D/HH program at Highland Park Junior High.  Service projects have included: collecting items for soldiers in Iraq, cleaning up the school grounds, and most recently we made fleece blankets for the Deaf Hospice Education Project. 

D/HH Links

 Deaf World Web Site provides an American Sign Language dictionary, an encyclopedia, deaf world news, and so much more. You can click on desired sites or use the keyword index.

Gallaudet Homepage Site is not only the homepage for Galluadet University, but also a base for good information. For example, click on "Deaf Connection" to get frequently asked questions.

National Association of the Deaf For information on this organization and news of the hearing impaired, one will find lots of resources on this site.

Deafness/Hard of Hearing - Welcome from the Mining Company Good source for a variety of news for deaf and hard of hearing....also a great source for new products and equipment.

TCDeaf - Your Free Guide to the Twin Cities Deaf Community, including job opportunities, news, events, and open captioned films.