Ashmont School Developing Course in American Sign Language

St. Paul Education Regional Division (SPERD) is working on bringing an American Sign Language course to the Ashmont School. The school requested the course and when developed it will be the first sign language course offered at SPERD schools. Heather Starosielski, SPERD Board Chair, says if the course is successful other Division school’s may introduce it in the future.

“It was specifically requested by the Ashmont School,” Starosielski says there’s opportunity to expand the course into other schools. “Part of what we do for Alberta Education is it has to come through the Board of Trustees to approve the course. Once it is acquired, any of our other schools can utilize it, if they choose to.”

The course was developed by the Edmonton Public School District, explains Starosielski, “it’s a three-year course series, five credit course for high school.” Ideally, students would take the course in grades 10, 11 & 12. “It all depends on how the time table at the school works out,” says the Board Chair.

The hope is to have the course approved to be taught in the second semester of the 2015-16 school year; which starts Febraury 1st.