Bell School's Deaf Program, for students who are deaf and hard-of-hearing, serves approximately 80 students from pre-school to grade 8 who live on the North Side of Chicago. An IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) is required for admission to the Deaf Program. Students are mainstreamed for classes such as math, art, social studies, science and gym. It has served the deaf and hard-of-hearing community since 1917.

Philosophy

The students come first at Bell School. Their needs are of primary importance; differences are secondary. The faculty and staff serve everyone. The students work and play together. Full inclusion, team-teaching, self-contained classes, mainstreaming, and reverse mainstreaming are utilized within the school community. Every effort is made to build a positive self-image for each child as a basis for successful learning. Bell's faculty and staff consistently strive to develop and implement new plans and methods to meet student needs. Attaining excellence in education is the goal!

About our program...

Students who are Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing come to Bell from the north side of Chicago, north of Roosevelt Road. They represent a wide divergence racially and socioeconomically. The students are taught using a total communication approach that includes American Sign Language and Signed English, with an emphasis on speech, speechreading, articulation and listening skills. Students are educated utilizing an Individualized Education Plan that is developed to meet the needs of each student. They are presented with a full curriculum aligned with the Illinois Academic Standards in language arts, math, social studies, science, computer, P.E., and health. A weekly parent education program is designed to support parents in learning sign language and provide them with strategies to enhance learning and language development in their children.

The principal, a case manager, 10 certified teachers of the deaf, 3 speech therapists, a dually certified learning disabilities teacher, and many educational sign language interpreters and classroom assistants work together with teachers in the regular education program to provide a rich academic program for almost 60 deaf and hard-of-hearing students from 3-15 years of age.

Mission of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Department

The mission of the Bell School Program for Students who are Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing is to provide a program that is child-centered with a variety of opportunities and hands-on experiences to enhance learning. A love for learning is nurtured using a highly academic curriculum rich in literature and fine arts using teacher-adapted materials. The student?s ability to relate to the world is heightened by the use of a "total" approach that includes, American Sign Language, Signed English, speechreading, articulation, and listening skills. Bell School educators encourage an awareness of various cultures and a respect for the many cultural differences in the world. The Bell School Community is one that fosters a sense of pride within each individual student. All students at Bell are encouraged to have an enthusiasm for learning as well as the desire and confidence to achieve.

The first deaf students to attend Bell School were very proud of their beautiful new school. Because Alexandar Graham Bell was a very prominent figure in the deaf community, they wrote letters to him requesting that he send them a picture of himself to display in the school. Bell obliged and sent them his photograph; it now hangs in the waiting area of the main office. You can see the actual letters that the students wrote to Bell in his archives in the Library of Congress website. At the time that the students wrote requesting Bell?s photograph, the school was not quite finished. The students wrote more letters requesting that Bell attend the dedication ceremony that was to be scheduled after the completion of the auditorium. Alexander Graham Bell obliged again by attending the dedication ceremony. He gave a speech, shook hands and handed out a small version of his photograph to all who attended.

Terri Nilson, Former Deaf Department Assistant Principal