Students at California School for the Deaf are engaged in a positive environment where ASL and English are valued, cultures are embraced, learning is relevant, and self-worth is uplifted. In collaboration with families and school communities, Southern California students prepare for college and careers through academic rigor, innovative technology, and extra-curricular opportunities.
CHARACTER COUNTS! strengthens students through character education. A person of character is a good person, someone to look up to and admire, who knows the difference between right and wrong and always tries to do what is right. A person with character sets a good example for everyone and makes the world a better place while living according to the “Six Pillars of Character”: TRUSTWORTHINESS, RESPECT, RESPONSBILITY, FAIRNESS, CARING and CITIZENSHIP.
CSDR embraces the philosophy that positive academic, intellectual, social-emotional, and physical development is the goal for every Deaf and hard-of-hearing child, and that the responsibility for the achievement of this goal is shared by the student, the family, and the school.
CSDR has developed a comprehensive formal ASL curriculum specially designed to correlate with common core English-Language Arts standards and objectives for each grade level. The aim is to use ASL as a medium of instruction that focuses on deepening students’ conceptual foundation.
CSDR embraces the philosophy that positive academic, intellectual, social-emotional, and physical development is the goal for every Deaf and hard-of-hearing child, and that the responsibility for the achievement of this goal is shared by the student, the family, and the school.
What is sound? How do sound waves travel? What do different noises sound like? For many of our Deaf students, sound is an abstract concept that has been difficult to understand, until now. With the installation of the “Multisensory Sound Lab”, a new understanding and experience of sound is possible. In the lab, sound is not just perceived through your ears, but through your whole body.
The California Department of Education, along with the California Schools for the Deaf, has recognized that one of its most important goals is to ensure a quality education for all Deaf and hard-of-hearing children and adolescents. Together, they promote the ideal that the more consistently deaf children in California receive resources and services, the more these children can benefit from a quality education. In the fall of 2013 the California Deaf Education Resource Center – South (CDERC-South) was established under the California Department of Education. Housed at the School for the Deaf in Riverside, the goal of the CDERC-South is to act as a clearinghouse of resources for Southern California for those serving Deaf and hard-of-hearing children and adolescents. The center, as defined in EC 59002.5, functions to “disseminate special curriculum, media teaching methods, instructional materials adapted for deaf individuals, achievement tests and other assessment methods useful to the instruction of deaf individuals.” In accordance with California Education Codes, the CDERC aims to provide support to all educators, professionals and caregivers who work with deaf children. These services will include training and guidance on early intervention, parent education, curricula and assessment, and community education, as well as assistance to Local Education Agencies. Trainings have been developed and offered at various locations throughout Southern California, as well as through web-based videos, and live video-conferencing to meet the needs of all programs and logistical constraints.
Towards this goal, CDERC-South has the following programming and trainings in place:
For more information, check out our website at http://thrive.cde.ca.gov
Students who live more than 60 minutes away from campus qualify to stay overnight at campus during the week as residential students. Students go home in the early afternoon on Friday on the school bus, and return back on Sunday evenings after dinnertime. Residential life staff provides supervision, counseling, recreation activities, homework assistance, as well as after-school activities that are also available to non-residential students (day students). In addition, residential life staff supervises the students in the morning before school, during all mealtimes, in the evenings with some also serving as sports coaches, and during nighttime with separately assigned night attendants.
The residential program reflects and reinforces the campus-wide standards for staff use of ASL and focus on open communication and incidental learning. All residential life counselors are required to be fluent in ASL. Since CSDR is a second home to many students, the cottage environment itself is made communicatively accessible to the students by the provision of computers, video phones, captioned TVs, all in an environment of open space within everyone’s visibility, and many opportunities for interaction with peers and local community members through field trips and sports programs. Group activities and events benefit the students in both incidental and formal learning.
After school activities are also a strong component of the Student Life Program. Parents of day students are strongly encouraged to allow their children to participate with the residential students in these activities. Residential staff members excel in their creativity and scheduling of student activities. After-school activities, workshops, and other features of the residential program include:
The Parents and Staff Working Together organization focuses on fundraising and academic enrichment activities for students, as well as teacher appreciation events. Parents and staff come together and work on a casual basis for the benefit of all students. Interpreters are provided at all monthly PSWT meetings.
The Community Advisory Committee includes 51% or more parent representatives, as well as the president of PSWT, who meet on a monthly basis to provide feedback to the Superintendent on various school-related topics. The staff members serving on the CAC include teacher representatives from each department, with a Family Education coordinator and an Outreach staff. Community representatives may include CSDR alumni, the Center on Deafness-Inland Empire (CODIE), the Riverside/Southern California chapter of the California Association of the Deaf, Deaf Women United of Southern California, and/or Deaf-owned businesses. Parent and community involvement is encouraged for addressing important issues and advice with the Superintendent. With CAC, the school hosts Open Forums for parents and community. CAC examines how CSDR programs and services affect all students, and strives for a positive educational environment. Interpreters are provided at all major events, and at the monthly meetings upon request.
The CSDR Alumni Association assists with CSDR awareness through social media sites and offers college scholarships for students. To fundraise for the student scholarships, CSDRAA hosts a Car Show and Bazaar at CSDR, sports competitions with alumni playing versus the current students, and other fundraiser events for the community. CSDRAA meets on a quarterly basis, and facilitates student class and anniversary reunions for CSDR alumni. The organization worked together with the Laurent Clerc Center to create a 424-page CSDR History Book, authored by Kevin Struxness ’78, on CSDR’s first 50 years. The book can be purchased at: http://www.debee.com/products/lc-press/csdr-history-book/
Some staff members and parents also serve on the Gallaudet University Alumni Association of Riverside (GUAA), with scholarships for students who have been accepted into the university. GUAA also hosts various fundraisers and celebrations at CSDR, such as a reception in honor of a retired CSDR administrator, Dr. Gerald “Bummy” Burstein, who recently was honored with the Gallaudet University Sesquicentennial Distinguished Alumni award for his national accomplishments and benefactions to the university, and to the city of Riverside.
Contributions through endowment organizations make a difference in the lives of our Deaf students as well as future generations. Funds are used for student incentives, educational activities, and other necessities to help CSDR thrive.
Friends of CSDR is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bridging the sound barrier between the deaf and hearing communities. Friends also assists students in extra-curricular educational endeavors that might not ordinarily be available to them. Lastly, the Bummy Foundation, established by Mr. Burstein, supports select CSDR students who show leadership potential by financing their leadership trainings or retreats.
California School for the Deaf, Riverside (CSDR) is a component of the State Special Schools and Services Division of the California Department of Education. The school serves Deaf and hard-of-hearing students, between the ages of 3 and 21, who reside in the 11 counties of Southern California.
To request a tour or enrollment information, send an email to info@csdr-cde.ca.gov.
California School for the Deaf, Riverside
3044 Horace Street
Riverside, CA 92506
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