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Introduction to American Sign Language Taught by Jessie Harley '15
Through the leadership of Jessie Harley ’15, Introduction to American Sign Language (ASL) is being offered as a trimester course at Berwick for the first time.
Much to the delight of the World Languages and Cultures Department (WLC), the class was overenrolled, filling up quickly with a mix of tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders. While students are learning to fingerspell and sign words, they are also exploring deaf culture and community, and how to apply their receptive and expressive ASL skills through real discourse.
“ASL is incredibly fun, thought-provoking, and asks us to think about language and culture in a way we have never thought about before,” wrote one of Harley’s students. “Ms. Harley is an engaging, energetic teacher, who clearly finds joy in teaching us ASL.”
In addition to being a Berwick graduate, Harley has long been a familiar face to Lower School students in After Care and also served as a teaching apprentice at Berwick while she completed her master’s program through Lesley College. Ironically, Harley didn’t find her niche in the WLC Department while she was a student at Berwick; she discovered her affinity for American Sign Language during her undergraduate career at the University of New Hampshire.
“ASL with Ms. Harley has been so much fun,” another student added. “From learning basic signs to more about the deaf community, it’s been one of my favorite classes at Berwick.”
Berwick Academy
31 Academy Street
South Berwick, Maine 03908
Contact:
Admission | 207.384.6300
Main Office | 207.384.2164
South Berwick, Maine 03908
Contact:
Admission | 207.384.6300
Main Office | 207.384.2164
Berwick Academy, situated on an 80-acre campus just over one hour north of Boston, serves 550 students, Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 and Post-Graduates. Berwick students are from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and several countries. Deeply committed to its mission of promoting virtue and useful knowledge, Berwick Academy empowers students to be creative and bold. Berwick strives to graduate alumni who shape their own learning, take risks, ask thoughtful questions, and come to understand and celebrate their authentic selves.
