March 31, 2025

News & Updates from the SSAT/DHH Team

 

NEW:

LEAP Session for Middle Schoolers

The AG Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is looking for 20 enthusiastic participants for their next LEAP Session for Middle Schoolers, taking place virtually on April 6. Do you know a middle school student (6th, 7th, or 8th grade) who would enjoy connecting with other deaf and hard of hearing teens and tweens? LEAP is free, fun, and accessible from anywhere. They are offering five LEAP sessions for middle schoolers this year, so if this date doesn’t work, please keep a lookout for future opportunities.  Please share this opportunity with students, families, and professionals in your network. 

REGISTER  

 

 

 

 

REMINDERS:

 

Consultant Contact: IDEA Consultant for Deaf/Hard of Hearing

 

Beginning Monday, February 17, 2025, Virginia Madorin will be the contact for technical assistance and support related to students who are deaf or hard of hearing in regions 1-4 until the currently vacant position can be filled. Virginia will continue to support regions 5-8 during this time. Virginia’s contact information is virginia.madorin@dpi.nc.gov.

 

See-the-Sounds Visual Phonics Event

The Technical Assistance Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program (TAC-DHH) at VCU's Partnership for People with Disabilities will be hosting a virtual See-the-Sound Visual Phonics event.

This course is for professionals who are new to STS-Visual Phonics. The training explores the multi-sensory STS-Visual Phonics system of 50+ handshapes/hand cues that are suggestive of the approximately 44 English phonemes and more, plus printed/written symbols that represent these handshapes/hand cues.

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Training Information:

DATES: Tuesday, April 8, 15, & 22, 2025

Click HERE to Register

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About Visual Phonics:

See-the-Sound Visual Phonics© is a system of 50+ hand gestures that are suggestive of the English sounds they represent, and written symbols that suggest these hand gestures. 

 

Visual Phonics is a tool that facilitates the teaching of:

• Reading through the development of decoding skills

• Writing through the development of spelling and word study skills

• Speech through the development of articulation skills and speechreading skills

Participants will be taught to recognize, produce, and blend all of the STS-Visual Phonics handshapes and written symbols for all of the English phonemes and more! Emphasis will be placed on applying STS-Visual Phonics to best practices in literacy instruction for students who are deaf and hard of hearing and others at risk for reading failure. Suggestions will be given for modifications and applications of traditional elementary phonics curricula.

 

 

Save the Date: Deaf Field Day

Deaf Field Day will be held on April 10, 2025 from 10am - 2pm at UNC-G. It is open to students PreK - 12th grade. Please complete this interest survey for planning purposes. 

 

 

 

 

IMPORTANT LINKS:

 

SSAT/DHH Canvas Hub

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Canvas Hub

 

Office of Exceptional Children: Professional Development Calendar

NCDPI Calendar of Events in Calendar View    

NCDPI Calendar of Events in List View