Torch - Spring 2016

A New Language of Compassion

Jacquel ine Fel l , Rachel Aceto & Leah Hi l son

Left to right: Fell, Aceto and Hilson explore what they have learned in American Sign Language.

T hree girls in front of me silently open and close their palms, swoop their fingers and tap on their hands, smiling knowingly among themselves. It would be oversentimental to say it’s like watching friends who have developed their own secret language, but that’s what it’s like, except for the fact that it’s not so much a secret as an established communications form—American Sign Language (ASL). When I ask for a sampling of the language, each student easily signs the letters of her name. Without being asked, they even add my name to their demonstration. Middle School students Leah Hilson, Rachel Aceto and Jacqueline Fell came up with the idea to learn ASL as part of the Form Challenge, designed by Havergal’s Institute to encourage Middle School girls to take

To start them off, Fell downloaded an app called Beginner ASL onto her phone. They also watched some YouTube videos. Their goal is to be able to have a basic conversation with someone who speaks ASL. Fell says that learning ASL has added significance for her because at her old school, students were partnered with students from a school for children with special needs across the street, and her partner was deaf. “I found it really hard to communicate, but after a while we started to understand each other,” she recalls. She says that the chance to learn ASL brings back the memory of that friendship. “I’m so glad that I can continue on with this because it’s so special to have that connection with someone who can’t hear.”

up new projects that they could spend an hour a month on. The idea for the challenge, now used at many schools, originates from Google, where employees spend 20 per cent of their time on passion projects. At Havergal, the challenge had to fit in with the school values—in this case, inquiry and compassion. These Grade 8 students were considering learning Mandarin or Spanish when Hilson came up with the idea of ASL. “It’s very different than all of the spoken languages because you use your hands and communicate with things other than words,” says Hilson. The others were instantly on board. “ASL is a very cool way to learn a new form of communication, and it’s a fun experience, too,” says Aceto.

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