Bass Pro's annual Signing Santa event deemed 'vital' for deaf, hard-of-hearing students
Friday morning was gray and dreary but the vibrant energy inside of Bass Pro Shops was contagious.
More than 200 deaf and hard-of-hearing students from across southwest Missouri visited Bass Pro's flagship store on Friday for the opportunity to visit and get photos with an American Sign Language-fluent Santa Claus. This is the eighth or ninth year that Bass Pro has hosted its Signing Santa event, which is in collaboration with the Deaf Awareness Group of Southwest Missouri, also known as DAG.
Springfield Public Schools Teacher of the Deaf Lexi Camplejohn has attended the Signing Santa event at Bass Pro for the past three years with her students.
"This is so important for our kiddos just because our kids are in the minority of the world; the majority of the world is hearing," Camplejohn said. "They get a chance to meet with somebody who knows their language and communicates with them one-on-one, instead of having an interpreter to bridge that gap. It's super special and vital for their self-esteem to keep them feeling good about themselves and their deafness and seeing all of the kids who also look like them, sound like them, have the same implications as them."
As a teacher of the deaf at SPS, Camplejohn said she works with seven deaf and hard-of-hearing students at Parkview High School and five students at Jarrett Middle School. What her curriculum looks like varies with each student.
For some of the older students, Camplejohn pulls them out of class and works with them for about 30 to 60 minutes each week, talking about the transition after high school and how they can be most successful. With other students, Camplejohn teaches English Language Arts, which is a designated class, or strategies, where students learn study skills and academic vocabulary.
After getting their photos with Santa, Parkview and Jarrett students enjoyed a field trip at the Wonders Of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium.
For other students, like those from Willard School District, attending the Signing Santa event was their first outing as a group.
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Crystal Six, teacher of the deaf at the Willard School District, said she works with 12 deaf and hard-of-hearing students independently across the entire district. She said events like the one at Bass Pro are important in reminding the students that they are not alone.
Founded in 2005, DAG assists the deaf and hard-of-hearing community through social and education events with their friends and family. There is not an official membership process for the group. Rather, interested individuals can join the "Deaf Awareness Group" on Facebook, which has about 1,400 members.
DAG co-founder Leslie Cockrum said prior to the group's establishment, there weren't many ways for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to engage with each other, especially in rural settings. DAG is the longest-running group for the community in the area.
In addition to the Signing Santa event, DAG also hosts spring and fall picnics for members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community in southwest Missouri.
Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: 200+ students flock Bass Pro for photos with ASL-fluent Santa Claus
