Mississippi School for the Deaf
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Mississippi School for the Deaf (MSD) is a school of grades Pre-K - 12 providing specialized education techniques to school age children in Mississippi who are deaf and hard of hearing. It is located at 1253 Eastover Drive in Jackson, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Founding
On March 1, 1854, the first School for the Deaf in Mississippi was established by law, and was called the Mississippi Institution for the Deaf and Dumb. The "father" of the institution was Colonel Erasmus R. Burt, a member of the State House of Representatives from Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.
A new Board of Trustees was appointed March, 1856, and in the report made by them in January, 1857, it was noted that the school had been closed for about three months out of the previous twelve because there had been no teacher available. At this time, for some reason, the Trustees apparently were not satisfied with the location of the newly established school for the deaf opposite the Mississippi Governor's Mansion.
[edit] Second school
The second School for the Deaf, 1857-63, was located on the Road to Clinton, just west of the city limits of Jackson. Lawrence Saunders, who was the first pupil who entered the Institution, returned to his alma mater in Septemeber, 1857, this time in the capacity of teacher. With the exception of the years the Institution was closed because of the Civil War, Mr. Saunders taught continuously there until his accidental death on December 25, 1895. His grave in Greenwood Cemetery at Jackson, lay without a marker until the deaf of the state, at their second annual reunion on December 25, 1898, erected a monument there.
[edit] Civil War
The Institution had gotten off to a good beginning and had started making progress, but when the American Civil War was still young, the pupils had to be sent home and the buildings had to be turned over to the Confederate States Army for use as a hospital for wounded soldiers. The buildings of the Deaf Institute were among those destroyed, and the school records and other papers were lost in the flames. The State of Mississippi was unable to do anything for the education of its deaf for a period of about ten years, from 1861 to 1871.
[edit] Third school
The third School for the Deaf was situated in the 600 Block of North State Street in Jackson from 1871 to 1904. The Institution opened on December 1, 1871, for the reception of pupils. Dr. J. L. Carter headed the school as Principal. To take care of the nine pupils who enrolled there was only one teacher, still Lawrence Saunders, and one matron, Bettie A. Cabaniss. This was the beginning of the thirty-one years of the School for the Deaf on North State Street. In 1899, education for African American deaf students of Mississippi began. William Tompkins was the first African American deaf student admitted. He was eleven years old. The second African American student to enter the school was Pack Smith at the age of fourteen.
[edit] Fourth school
The fourth School for the Deaf was located at 1448 West Capital Street in Jackson from 1904 to 1951. In 1924 the name of the institution was changed from the "Institution for the Deaf and Dumb" to the "Mississippi School for the Deaf". On March 1, 1951, the old school closed its doors. Pupils bid a final farewell to the buildings then went home for one month in order to be out of the way during the move to the new location.
[edit] Fifth school
On April 1, 1951, the doors of the new school were opened and pupils returned. This location at 1253 Eastover Drive in Jackson was comprised of 51 acres of land with 9 buildings. Today, the school is still there, providing educational instruction in reading, science, math, biology and more to Mississippi's deaf.
[edit] Curriculum
[edit] Elementary
Students in Pre-K through the sixth grade have an opportunity to access the Mississippi Frameworks Curriculum in Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies and PE. An Individual Education Plan is provided for every child. Support services including speech therapy, audiological services, counseling, and occupational and physical therapy are available based on assessment and the IEP. Appropriate modifications such as the use of interpreters, captioned films and learning strategies developed specifically for deaf and hard of hearing students are provided to support the student's access to and success with the curriculum.
[edit] Secondary
The school provides a comprehensive day and residential secondary program for grades 7 - 12. Students are offered three different graduation curriculum: High School Diploma, Occupational Diploma, or Certificate of Life Skills as mandated by the Mississippi Department of Education. Student's success is measured on an individual basis. Those unable to complete the requirements for a standard diploma follow individualized programs (IEPs) emphasizing occupational, pre-vocational, and/or life skills training.
[edit] Athletics
MSD is the smallest school in the state to participate in four different Mississippi High School Activities Association sanctioned sports: football, basketball, volleyball, and track. The MSD teams go by the nickname Bulldogs.
