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School for the Deaf welcomes Aboriginal students
EDMONTON
Richelle Roasting sits with her three classmates in her combined Grade 3 and 4 class. The 10 year old from Wetaskiwin, Alta., a small city located about 100 km to the south of Edmonton, wants to be a police officer when she grows up. Her dreams aren't unusual for a little girl. It's just going to be that much more challenging for Richelle who is hard-of-hearing.
She's getting her education at one of the few schools in Canada that serves hard-of-hearing and deaf students. The Alberta School for the Deaf has the advantage of immersing the students in the deaf culture and providing deaf role models, said Craig Magill, the principal for the school.
"There's more socialization, more of a natural environment for the children to learn."
"Deaf culture is based on [American Sign Language]," said Magill. "There's a different sense of humor -- a different way of expressing who they are because of the nature of what they go through."
"They really do create...