What do you see in the picture, where are they, what are they doing? What do you think the story is about?Leisa Duckwall works in the cafeteria in Nansemond Parkway Elementary school in Virginia, USA. She has worked there for four years serving food to students and in those four years, no students have ever spoken to her when they choose their food.
Why do you think this is?
How do the students get the food they want if they don't speak to Leisa?
The students just point at the food they want when they get to the counter, and Leisa serves it to them.
What do you think about that behaviour?
Leisa is deaf. In four years no-one has ever communicated a "good morning" or a "thank you" to her as she serves food.
Do you think the students know Leisa is deaf? Is that why they don't speak to her? Does that make it ok?
How do you think Leisa feels coming to work every day, knowing that no one is going to communicate with her ?
What could the students do to communicate with Leisa?
Everything changed when one of the teachers, who knows sign language, struck up a casual conversation with Leisa while wating for her class to be served. Kari Maskelony has friends who are deaf and she knows how to communicate. She says, "I noticed that all the kids realised Ms Duckwall couldn't hear them. But they were pointing to what they wanted, and then she would have to point and have them say yes or no."
When she chatted with Leisa using sign language, she noticed all the pupils in her class were staring.
Why do you think the pupils were staring?
Next day, Kari asked her class if they would like to learn to sign what they wanted for lunch instead of pointing and they all said yes.
What words do you think they started with?
They began with main courses chicken, fish and then letters such as R fir rice or C for carrots. The students wanted to learn more and then the idea started to catch on. The school then made a decision.
What do you think the school decided to do?
The school decided to teach all children how to communicate using sign language and lessons began. Every day the students learn a new word.
Kari says, "Not only is it great for the kids because they can learn a new skill they can carry with them and actually use with other people that they meet, but I think it's great because equal inclusivity and equal access is so important."
What does equal inclusivity and equal access mean?
How do you think Leila felt the first time someone used sign language to ask food?
One argument might be that the school shouldn't teach everyone sign language just for one person; what do you think?
What can we learn from Leila?
What can we learn from the school?
Why is this about No Outsiders?
Which British Value is this story about?
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I usually send these out on a Sunday morning.
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