Kaitaia Primary School Room 12 pupils sign at last week's special NZSL Week assembly. Photo / Myjanne Jensen
Kaitaia Primary School Room 12 pupils sign at last week's special NZSL Week assembly. Photo / Myjanne Jensen
They say children are sponges for languages, and last week a group of Kaitaia tamariki proved with their combined effort, they could teach an entire school a new language.
Kaitaia Primary School Room 12 pupils showcased their ability to teach their peers how to sign in front of the whole school last Friday as a special tribute to New Zealand Sign Language Week.
May 9-15 marked the 2022 New Zealand Sign Language Week celebration, with people from throughout Aotearoa New Zealand taking part in the week-long initiative.
This year's theme, NZSL is Essential, highlighted the importance of NZSL for Deaf people and their ability to equally participate in education, health, work and society.
Room 12 teacher Zoë Brown said her classroom had been learning sign language for the past two years and last year taught sign language to the community from Kaitaia's Te Ahu Centre.
This year, due to Covid-19, the pupils instead kept their sign language lessons in house, opting to teach NZSL to all 13 of the school's other classes in 20-minute sessions.
"It's so important for us as a class to promote sign language and we find it so much fun and genuinely love learning and teaching it," Brown said.
"Over the years we have had a few children with a range of hearing losses, so by teaching and using NZSL we provide them with communication, a sense of belonging, confidence and many other life skills.
"Allowing our tamariki to experience, participate with and for some, master sign language, gives them life skills that can make such a difference for others," added Tracey Morrissey, Kaitaia Primary middle syndicate team leader.
Kaitaia Primary School pupils signing their respective colours for NZSL Week last week. Photo / Supplied
Carly-Rose, 9, is a Room 12 pupil and was born with hearing loss, with her first language New Zealand Sign Language.
The Kaitaia Primary school pupil also relies on hearing aids to communicate, with teacher Brown using Roger - a device worn during class to amplify her speech and link her voice directly to Carly-Rose's hearing aids.
Carly-Rose's mum said she was still learning to sign herself, so the school being proactive about teaching students how to sign had meant the world to her and Carly-Rose.
"It's a big help for her, and so great her class is involved with this week."
This year Room 12 challenged the school to a song competition, whereby each class had to record an entire song in sign language and the community would vote on their favourite on the school's Facebook page.
Each class also had to learn the sign for a particular colour and to dress in that colour for an all-school event where everyone signed the colours together and took photos.
On Friday this showcase of colours and songs in NZSL was displayed for all pupils, their whānau and staff as part of a special NZSL Week assembly.
Brown said it was wonderful to see the whole school embrace learning NZSL and to see the kids enjoy it along the way.
"One of the key takeaways for students learning to sign this week was to not worry too much about the exact way to sign or which hand you need to use," she said.
