A familiar scene played out in homes across Manitoba Wednesday as parents hustled their kids out the door for the first day of school.
Livian Zacharias is starting Grade 2 and her brother Connor will begin Grade 1.
Livian has a degenerative condition in both of her ears that requires the use of hearing aids and she may one day lose her hearing altogether.
She and Connor attend a bi-modal program at the Manitoba School for the Deaf that provides half their instruction in spoken English and half in American Sign Language.
“I really want him (Connor) to be a part of the deaf culture,” said dad David Zacharias. “That learning environment where we have two languages that go simultaneously.”
According to the school, the program, now in its fourth year, provides unique opportunities for students with hearing impairment and their siblings.
"That increases communication at home for the deaf or hard of hearing child and gives students the benefit of having two languages,” said teacher Sarah Rabu.
Zacharias takes comfort knowing his children can learn together in an environment that provides them such great opportunities.
"Whatever potential these kids have the school is going to match that and hopefully use it to its maximum benefit,” he said.
The two children practice their signing together at home, and knowing Livian could one day lose her hearing completely, one of the benefits is for the family to be able to continue to communicate seamlessly.
