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‘Apple’ of deaf students’ eye - Columbian.com
Debbie Renner’s life changed in that moment, back in her Montana home 27 years ago.
Worried, she followed a hunch and banged some pots together, right over the bassinet of her week-old daughter, Sheila.
No reaction. Sheila was deaf.
Renner soon mastered sign language to communicate with her third child. After research, the whole family would migrate to Vancouver so that Sheila could be mainstreamed in Evergreen school district classrooms. The Washington School for the Deaf stood available nearby.
Renner was a stay-at-home mother of four. But she also volunteered at Fircrest Elementary in Sheila’s class for deaf and hard-of-hearing pupils.
One thing led to another. Soon she was counseling and teaching both students and parents, all the while serving as an interpreter.
“Things really moved along once we moved here,” said Renner, 52.
It also felt right, because her younger brother, Ron, also had faced disabilities. “I had always wanted to work with special needs children,” she said.
Today, Renner is a fixture in portable Room 954 at Evergreen High School. As lead interpreter and go-to problem solver, she helps eight high-school students in the district’s mainstream program navigate classwork and myriad other activities.
All told, it’s her 22nd year with the Evergreen district.
But, wait: there’s more: Five days a week, she hustles to the Deaf school to pull an eight-hour swing shift as a student life counselor. In her 10th year at WSD, she oversees 14 girls of all ages who fill a residential dorm.
All that dedication and desire haven’t escaped notice.
Nominated by her peers, Renner recently won recognition from the statewide Public School Employees union for classified workers. She garnered only the third such PSE “special award” bestowed in the past 30 years.
Come January, she’ll travel to Seattle to receive a 2008 Golden Apple award presented by public television station KCTS 9, PEMCO Insurance and the School Employees Credit Union of Washington.
Evergreen colleagues hail her effort and persistence.
“Debbie’s just been incredibly inspiring to everyone,” said Kathy Feeney, an 11-year interpreter. She and others sent in nominating papers last spring for the union award.
“I thought, ‘My gosh, we have that person right in this building,’ ” Feeney said. “Her contributions were so far above and beyond.”
A shining example: Renner took on the challenge of Connor Dominguez, now an Evergreen High junior.
Connor is bright, witty and autistic. Hearing-impaired, he also battles rheumatoid arthritis. When he arrived at Evergreen with a large, red-and-black motorized scooter, he ran roughshod over classmates, walls and doorways, leaving bruises, scratches and dents in his wake.
Renner focused on socially appropriate behavior for Connor. Her unique solution? She crafted an entirely realistic Washington Driver’s Guide for motorized scooters, doing the lifelike graphics herself, using actual state rules to lay down the law on proper signals, right-of-way and overall conduct.
Real-life consequences of suspensions or “fines” were morphed into a custom, personalized curriculum. Accident reports and other paperwork were folded into math lessons, budgeting, job application and tax form lessons. The scooter guide is available for districtwide use, and the broader curriculum will assist others.
And, when German-born Connor wanted to take a beginning German language course, Renner taught herself some German to help facilitate his classes.
Most daily needs are more routine, if no less pressing.
On a recent morning, Andrew Shipman told Renner he’d earned a key role in an upcoming, one-act play at Evergreen High. No great surprise, since the hearing-impaired senior performed in a recent production of “Dracula,” with another student vocalizing his spoken lines while he emoted and signed his part.
But that meant quickly finding an interpreter for after-school rehearsals.
Debbie worked the phone, juggling Andrew’s schedule with those of another boy at wrestling practice and two girls who compete in gymnastics. She had no complaints.
“The neat thing is, we have kids who are confident and get involved in all these things,” she said.
That confidence owes to deep, wide support. Renner, fellow interpreters and lead teacher Kathleen Larson (herself named Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club Washington teacher of the year for 2007) keep their bunch on track for academic and life success with one-on-one tutoring, advising and constant encouragement.
Renner signs even when she’s speaking with colleagues who don’t need it. That’s from habit, and so that students are always kept in the loop, she said.
The extra step exemplifies her drive, for which she credits her own students.
“I love what I do. The energy comes from them,” Renner said. “When you see a light bulb come on, that makes you want to keep going.”
Debbie Renner’s life changed in that moment, back in her Montana home 27 years ago.
Worried, she followed a hunch and banged some pots together, right over the bassinet of her week-old daughter, Sheila.
No reaction. Sheila was deaf.
Renner soon mastered sign language to communicate with her third child. After research, the whole family would migrate to Vancouver so that Sheila could be mainstreamed in Evergreen school district classrooms. The Washington School for the Deaf stood available nearby.
Renner was a stay-at-home mother of four. But she also volunteered at Fircrest Elementary in Sheila’s class for deaf and hard-of-hearing pupils.
One thing led to another. Soon she was counseling and teaching both students and parents, all the while serving as an interpreter.
“Things really moved along once we moved here,” said Renner, 52.
It also felt right, because her younger brother, Ron, also had faced disabilities. “I had always wanted to work with special needs children,” she said.
Today, Renner is a fixture in portable Room 954 at Evergreen High School. As lead interpreter and go-to problem solver, she helps eight high-school students in the district’s mainstream program navigate classwork and myriad other activities.
All told, it’s her 22nd year with the Evergreen district.
But, wait: there’s more: Five days a week, she hustles to the Deaf school to pull an eight-hour swing shift as a student life counselor. In her 10th year at WSD, she oversees 14 girls of all ages who fill a residential dorm.
All that dedication and desire haven’t escaped notice.
Nominated by her peers, Renner recently won recognition from the statewide Public School Employees union for classified workers. She garnered only the third such PSE “special award” bestowed in the past 30 years.
Come January, she’ll travel to Seattle to receive a 2008 Golden Apple award presented by public television station KCTS 9, PEMCO Insurance and the School Employees Credit Union of Washington.
Evergreen colleagues hail her effort and persistence.
“Debbie’s just been incredibly inspiring to everyone,” said Kathy Feeney, an 11-year interpreter. She and others sent in nominating papers last spring for the union award.
“I thought, ‘My gosh, we have that person right in this building,’ ” Feeney said. “Her contributions were so far above and beyond.”
A shining example: Renner took on the challenge of Connor Dominguez, now an Evergreen High junior.
Connor is bright, witty and autistic. Hearing-impaired, he also battles rheumatoid arthritis. When he arrived at Evergreen with a large, red-and-black motorized scooter, he ran roughshod over classmates, walls and doorways, leaving bruises, scratches and dents in his wake.
Renner focused on socially appropriate behavior for Connor. Her unique solution? She crafted an entirely realistic Washington Driver’s Guide for motorized scooters, doing the lifelike graphics herself, using actual state rules to lay down the law on proper signals, right-of-way and overall conduct.
Real-life consequences of suspensions or “fines” were morphed into a custom, personalized curriculum. Accident reports and other paperwork were folded into math lessons, budgeting, job application and tax form lessons. The scooter guide is available for districtwide use, and the broader curriculum will assist others.
And, when German-born Connor wanted to take a beginning German language course, Renner taught herself some German to help facilitate his classes.
Most daily needs are more routine, if no less pressing.
On a recent morning, Andrew Shipman told Renner he’d earned a key role in an upcoming, one-act play at Evergreen High. No great surprise, since the hearing-impaired senior performed in a recent production of “Dracula,” with another student vocalizing his spoken lines while he emoted and signed his part.
But that meant quickly finding an interpreter for after-school rehearsals.
Debbie worked the phone, juggling Andrew’s schedule with those of another boy at wrestling practice and two girls who compete in gymnastics. She had no complaints.
“The neat thing is, we have kids who are confident and get involved in all these things,” she said.
That confidence owes to deep, wide support. Renner, fellow interpreters and lead teacher Kathleen Larson (herself named Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club Washington teacher of the year for 2007) keep their bunch on track for academic and life success with one-on-one tutoring, advising and constant encouragement.
Renner signs even when she’s speaking with colleagues who don’t need it. That’s from habit, and so that students are always kept in the loop, she said.
The extra step exemplifies her drive, for which she credits her own students.
“I love what I do. The energy comes from them,” Renner said. “When you see a light bulb come on, that makes you want to keep going.”