News Archive

The Western Pennsylvanian and BearTracks are quarterly magazines produced in association with the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and The Scranton School for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children.

Each magazine provides information about student accomplishments, events on campus, and how the Schools promote the success of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students throughout the Commonwealth.

In this issue, enjoy articles about our students’ work in the areas of academics, athletics, extra-curricular programs and community impacts.  Click the covers and start enjoying the news around each campus!

Is there a friend or a family member who would benefit from the programs and services offered by our Schools and programs?  Take a moment to share The Western  Pennsylvanian and BearTracks with them today.

You never know the lives that you may change! 

A WONDERFUL PLACE FOR AN AMAZING START!  An exciting new project is taking place at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf!  Planning is underway for the expansion of our Children’s Center.  The Children’s Center, which serves Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HH) students aged 3 to 6, is grounded in the belief that all children are individuals who learn in their own way and at their own pace.

WE ARE GROWING!  Our Children’s Center provides everything teachers and children could want in a preschool– and just like our students, the Center is growing. Due to the increasing number of students enrolling in the Children’s Center, we seek to expand into an empty space directly above it. By renovating approximately 10,000 square feet in a former residential living area, WPSD will create a comprehensive early education center on campus that would serve as a one-stop shop for families with D/HH children.

The expansion will offer additional classrooms for students and teachers and evaluation offices for audiological and speech services.  The renovation will also provide the opportunity to gather existing early education programs, such as Choices for Children, a statewide early intervention program serving children

from birth to age 3, Discovery Days, the toddler group providing early intervention for children from 12 to 35 months, and the Children’s House, a Montessori based program for d/hh and hearing children, to all be brought together under one roof.

THE IMPACT.  The Children’s Center at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf is building brighter futures for every student that walks through its doors. We are excited about the positive impacts the Center is making in students’ lives, and the need to find more space is a testament to the increasing demand for its programs and services.

YOUR PARTNERSHIP.  You can play an important part in this exciting project through a tax-deductible gift to WPSD.  To make a single gift of any amount or set up a monthly giving plan that is tailored to you budget, please click the “donate today” button below.

Thank you for your generosity and support of the students and the families of of the Children’s Center!

DONATE TODAY!

Enrollment Deadlines

• No earlier than ninety (90) days from the first day of class; and
• No later than two (2) weeks prior to the start of class.

Any enrollment forms received after the deadline will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis up to the course limit. By registering beyond the deadline, the student accepts the risk of not being enrolled in the program and being sent home the first day of class.

Questions?

Call Sandy Bayer, 412-931-3158 ext. 5 or Contact Her Online.

Policies and Procedures

All students must abide by the Academy’s Policies and Procedures.  Failure to do so will result in removal from class.

Registration

All students must be pre-registered for classes at the ACFA.  To register for a class, fill out the registration form.

Enrollment forms can either be dropped off, faxed, mailed, or E-mailed to the Registrar.  A separate registration form is required for each course.

Bring the acceptance letter with you to the first day of class, as this will ensure you a spot if there is any conflict with regard to number of students enrolled in a program.

Forms

• Registration Form (Separate form required for each class.)

Reserve your seat to enjoy Hedy & Heidi – The Lost Sister.  Buy Tickets online today!

Synopsis.  The story of two twins separated at birth, Hedy and Heidi: The Lost Sister follows two twin sisters whom lead drastically different lives. After decades of vivid dreams and intuitions about an unknown sister, HEDY (Heidi Branch) discovers the existence of her so-called twin, HEIDI (Heidi Branch- yes, it’s the same actress.) Determined to find closure behind the true meaning of her dreams, she leads viewers on a hilarious and charming quest to find what she truly hopes will be the sister she’d been dreaming of. Bumping into improbable situations and unique characters along the way, Hedy finally finds the woman she believes to be her sister.

 Her abrupt arrival quickly causes discord in the family. Heidi’s busy life is soon thrown into disarray by the arrival of this quirky and seemingly incompetent stranger. With an increasingly frustrated husband and two teenage boys, Heidi is forced to learn how to balance life and Hedy’s shenanigans. Will Heidi reach a breaking point? Can Hedy ever win the love of her new family?

This film is bound to delight audiences of all ages, and is guaranteed to have you gasping in laughter and leave you grinning.

Doors open at 6:00pm.  Sound and Captions Included.

To Our Friends and Family,

As the largest center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing [D/HH] children in the Commonwealth, we take pride in “Preparing Students For Life.”  From the toddler in the arms of their parents to the 

graduate ready to face the world after high school, we provide a wide variety of programs, services, and opportunities for D/HH children of every age and in every corner of Pennsylvania.

Our early intervention program – Choices for Children (CFC) – serves children from birth to 3 years of age and is now working with more than 100 families statewide; and the number continues to grow!  Whether the setting is urban, suburban, or rural, CFC staff visit with families in the home to provide the necessary resources to strengthen the family and help prepare the child to enter school.

At the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (WPSD) and The Scranton School for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students (SSDHHC), we believe that access to new opportunities inside and outside the classroom, within a language rich environment, is vital to offering a high-quality education experience that is uniquely tailored to D/HH students at our schools.

WPSD provides a variety of academic experiences that integrate our curriculum, including access to our state-of-art TV studio, editing suite, and a 3-D printing lab with a variety of STEAMactivities designed to promote critical thinking and reasoning skills.  In the classrooms, each child has a personalized Chromebook to help build necessary skills for the future and assist in obtaining academic content during school hours.

At The Scranton School, teachers use classroom SMART panels to promote visual learning for students. They provide literacy activities for all children that will support them in lifelong learning.   The Communication class for Middle School students offers the opportunity to create and edit video projects, interact with and learn from drone technology, and improve their presentation skills.

Distance Education courses between WPSD and The Scranton School enable students to communicate with and learn from each other, foster their creativity, and offer a streamlined approach to providing a top-notch education for students both in and out of the classroom on both sides of Pennsylvania.

Whether at WPSD or The Scranton School, students are met with a variety of extracurricular and athletic opportunities to keep them physically challenged and socially involved with their peers.  For those students who reside on our campuses during the school week, our Residential housing offers students a home-away-from-home environment with academic supports during the evening and video phones that allow our students to remain in touch with their friends and families. Ultimately, we want our graduates to enter the working world with the tools and training to be successful.

As 2017 comes to a close, would you consider a gift to one of our programs?  Your support will help us to bring quality academic, athletic and extracurricular opportunities to D/HH children across the Commonwealth.  Please consider a tax-deductible gift to the program of your choice by donating securely online at wpsd.org or thescrantonschool.org

Thank you for your kindness, generosity and support this season.

With deepest gratitude,

Steven E. Farmer, Ed.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Programs of the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf