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Students honor work of deaf individuals | APP.com | Asbury Park Press
Every year, Silver Bay Elementary School has held a Deaf Awareness Day. Now in its 11th year, the theme for this year's event, held May 15, was "You're Somebody's Hero."
The Silver Bay Road school educates all the deaf students in the district, one class with nine students, said Natalie Callis, a certified sign language interpreter at Silver Bay.
Invited to the event were between 200 and 300 deaf students from school districts which offer programs for their pupils. They were from: Atlantic City; Central Regional (Berkeley); Egg Harbor Township; Elizabeth; Galloway Township; Jackson; Lacey; Little Egg Harbor; New Jersey School for the Deaf, Katzenbach Campus (Trenton); Ocean County College; Plumsted; and Summerfield Elementary School (Neptune), in addition to Toms River.
"It's a day to celebrate who they are," said Debbie Breece, the sign language class's teacher.
Some of Silver Bay's hearing students also attended, helping to both sing and sign the school song and the Pledge of Allegiance, as well as "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."
"It's a great opportunity for the hearing students to see what their (the deaf students') life is like," Breece said.
Some of the invited deaf students also did performances in sign language, with special attention paid to notable deaf people. Those presentations in-cluded Summerfield students doing a tribute to Linda Bove, an actress who played the librarian for 32 years on the "Sesame Street" children's educational television show. Actress Marlee Matlin and actor Lou Ferrigno are also deaf, noted New Jersey School for the Deaf pupils.
"We want to show deaf children that there are opportunities, that their disabilities should not hold them back," said Joseph A. Pizza, principal of the Silver Bay Road school.
For that, the students — deaf or hearing — only need to turn to Bert C. Rypkema, a firefighter from Waretown's Station 36. He's one of just 40 deaf firefighters in the United States, Rypkema told the assembled pupils.
The Waretown resident said he had been born deaf because his mother had German measles. Neither his mother nor his father learned how to sign, so Rypkema said he grew up learning to read lips.
"I am here to tell you that I can do everything except hear, but that does not limit me," Rypkema said. "I have my eyes and my hands and that has allowed me to be a firefighter for almost 15 years."
Rypkema said he wanted to be like his father, a Marine who served in the Korean War. Following high school, he applied for that service, as well as for the Navy, Army and National Guard, all of which turned Rypkema down because he was deaf.
"I got a job for the MUA (Municipal Utilities Authority) but never forgot my dream to serve others. One day I thought, "Why not become a firefighter?' " Rypkema said.
Rypkema said he found his training frustrating because there were no interpreters, but he didn't give up, asking for things to be repeated if he didn't understand.
"It took me two tries, but I passed the (firefighter) exam. This October, I will have been a firefighter for 15 years," and among his accomplishments was thrice being named Fireman of the Year, Rypkema said.
"Remember, never give up on your dream or on yourself," Rypkema said.
Every year, Silver Bay Elementary School has held a Deaf Awareness Day. Now in its 11th year, the theme for this year's event, held May 15, was "You're Somebody's Hero."
The Silver Bay Road school educates all the deaf students in the district, one class with nine students, said Natalie Callis, a certified sign language interpreter at Silver Bay.
Invited to the event were between 200 and 300 deaf students from school districts which offer programs for their pupils. They were from: Atlantic City; Central Regional (Berkeley); Egg Harbor Township; Elizabeth; Galloway Township; Jackson; Lacey; Little Egg Harbor; New Jersey School for the Deaf, Katzenbach Campus (Trenton); Ocean County College; Plumsted; and Summerfield Elementary School (Neptune), in addition to Toms River.
"It's a day to celebrate who they are," said Debbie Breece, the sign language class's teacher.
Some of Silver Bay's hearing students also attended, helping to both sing and sign the school song and the Pledge of Allegiance, as well as "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."
"It's a great opportunity for the hearing students to see what their (the deaf students') life is like," Breece said.
Some of the invited deaf students also did performances in sign language, with special attention paid to notable deaf people. Those presentations in-cluded Summerfield students doing a tribute to Linda Bove, an actress who played the librarian for 32 years on the "Sesame Street" children's educational television show. Actress Marlee Matlin and actor Lou Ferrigno are also deaf, noted New Jersey School for the Deaf pupils.
"We want to show deaf children that there are opportunities, that their disabilities should not hold them back," said Joseph A. Pizza, principal of the Silver Bay Road school.
For that, the students — deaf or hearing — only need to turn to Bert C. Rypkema, a firefighter from Waretown's Station 36. He's one of just 40 deaf firefighters in the United States, Rypkema told the assembled pupils.
The Waretown resident said he had been born deaf because his mother had German measles. Neither his mother nor his father learned how to sign, so Rypkema said he grew up learning to read lips.
"I am here to tell you that I can do everything except hear, but that does not limit me," Rypkema said. "I have my eyes and my hands and that has allowed me to be a firefighter for almost 15 years."
Rypkema said he wanted to be like his father, a Marine who served in the Korean War. Following high school, he applied for that service, as well as for the Navy, Army and National Guard, all of which turned Rypkema down because he was deaf.
"I got a job for the MUA (Municipal Utilities Authority) but never forgot my dream to serve others. One day I thought, "Why not become a firefighter?' " Rypkema said.
Rypkema said he found his training frustrating because there were no interpreters, but he didn't give up, asking for things to be repeated if he didn't understand.
"It took me two tries, but I passed the (firefighter) exam. This October, I will have been a firefighter for 15 years," and among his accomplishments was thrice being named Fireman of the Year, Rypkema said.
"Remember, never give up on your dream or on yourself," Rypkema said.