Wisconsin School for the Deaf - The Wisconsin Times Vol. 135 No. 3 Spring 2014 | Page 6

Deaf Community Connections EDITOR’S NOTE: WSD aims to develop the whole child: academically, culturally, linguistically, socially, and emotionally. Highlighted in this issue are the importance of Deaf role models as well as showcasing Deaf culture and humor through the avenue of theatrical performances from the Deaf perspective. Winter ASL Performance WSD’s annual winter drama performance came with a new director and a new vision. Christopher Rawlings, in his first year as WSD’s ASL specialist, met the challenge of directing the winter play by highlighting the uniqueness of ASL. Each elementary class performed their own skit. Just like the yarn in warm winter sweater, each of the skits wove seamlessly into the next. The preschooler’s skit brought to life the famous Deaf joke ‘T-I-M-B-E-R.’ The Kindergarten class’ skit poked fun at words with multiple meanings. The first graders story was a legend describing the difficulty of choosing just the right Christmas tree in a forest filled with beautiful trees. The second and third graders adapted their favorite story, The Gruffalo, by Julia Donaldson, the story of a mouse who has an amazing knack for scaring all the animals i