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Washington Times - Teacher honored for work with deaf
Nancy Mellon first opened the doors of the River School in the District in 2000, drawing from her personal experience to help children who are hearing impaired.
"I was a teacher when I found out my youngest was deaf," said Ms. Mellon, 51.
Eight years later, she is one of 10 recipients of the Maybelline New York Beauty of Education Award, an honor created to recognize women who have used education to make a difference.
She not only was recognized as an innovator and mentor, she also received $10,000 that she plans to use for her students´ scholarship money.
Her mission to provide a brighter future for others like her son Will, now 16, emerged after he received a cochlear implant that gave him the ability to hear.
Ms. Mellon struggled to find a school system that would suit her son's needs, and the effort inspired her to help others avoid the same struggle.
She came up with the idea for the River School "using what I learned in his education."
The River School -- in Northwest, west of Georgetown -- functions on the premise that students should not be segregated based on their ability to hear, as they are in most schools, but should learn language through being immersed in it.
The school works with 18-month-old infants through third-graders, allowing younger children to become comfortable with language before moving on to higher grades.
Each classroom is made up of approximately 85 percent hearing children and one or two students who were born deaf.
Ms. Mellon made the comparison to learning a foreign language, saying surrounding a student with the language is the best way to learn. The same is true for children who have just been immersed in the world of language itself.
Ms. Mellon took her personal experience and made a place that would open many doors for children who faced struggles similar to her son's.
What began as a one-classroom school is now at its 240-children limit.
ZUCKER PUBLIC RELATIONS D.C. teacher Nancy Mellon is the recipient of the Maybelline New York Beauty of Education Award for her work with deaf children at the River School in Northwest.
The school also has made its speech program available to students in its community. The program enlists staffers like speech pathologists, community psychologists, occupational therapists and tutors.
Students who leave the River School are prepared to continue their education in any school system they wish, Ms. Mellon said.
Nancy Mellon first opened the doors of the River School in the District in 2000, drawing from her personal experience to help children who are hearing impaired.
"I was a teacher when I found out my youngest was deaf," said Ms. Mellon, 51.
Eight years later, she is one of 10 recipients of the Maybelline New York Beauty of Education Award, an honor created to recognize women who have used education to make a difference.
She not only was recognized as an innovator and mentor, she also received $10,000 that she plans to use for her students´ scholarship money.
Her mission to provide a brighter future for others like her son Will, now 16, emerged after he received a cochlear implant that gave him the ability to hear.
Ms. Mellon struggled to find a school system that would suit her son's needs, and the effort inspired her to help others avoid the same struggle.
She came up with the idea for the River School "using what I learned in his education."
The River School -- in Northwest, west of Georgetown -- functions on the premise that students should not be segregated based on their ability to hear, as they are in most schools, but should learn language through being immersed in it.
The school works with 18-month-old infants through third-graders, allowing younger children to become comfortable with language before moving on to higher grades.
Each classroom is made up of approximately 85 percent hearing children and one or two students who were born deaf.
Ms. Mellon made the comparison to learning a foreign language, saying surrounding a student with the language is the best way to learn. The same is true for children who have just been immersed in the world of language itself.
Ms. Mellon took her personal experience and made a place that would open many doors for children who faced struggles similar to her son's.
What began as a one-classroom school is now at its 240-children limit.
ZUCKER PUBLIC RELATIONS D.C. teacher Nancy Mellon is the recipient of the Maybelline New York Beauty of Education Award for her work with deaf children at the River School in Northwest.
The school also has made its speech program available to students in its community. The program enlists staffers like speech pathologists, community psychologists, occupational therapists and tutors.
Students who leave the River School are prepared to continue their education in any school system they wish, Ms. Mellon said.