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A Resolution of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, honoring the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf on the occasion of the school's 140-year anniversary, and giving thanks to the students, the parents and alumni of the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf for their commitment to the education and success of Pennsylvania's deaf and hard-of-hearing children.
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WHEREAS, in 1868, Henry Bell, a bright and active boy, desired to attend class at the Third United Presbyterian Church's Mission Sabbath School, but no one knew how to communicate with him since he was deaf; and
WHEREAS, Henry's needs served as the catalyst that resulted in the establishment of the first public day school for deaf children in the United States; and
WHEREAS, the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (WPSD) opened on September 4, 1869 with nine deaf pupils at the First Ward Public School in Pittsburgh; and
WHEREAS, on October 4, 1884, the WPSD began operating from their Edgewood location with 120 students enrolled; and
WHEREAS, in the 1960's, the WPSD was awarded state accreditation for its high school program; and
WHEREAS, in the 1990's, the WPSD built a state-of-the-art Learning Center, a new television studio, and a Math, Science and Technology Center which remains one of the finest in the area; and
WHEREAS, today, Internet access, smart board technology and document cameras are an everyday part of the educational environment, and the recently renovated Children's Center contains the latest technology; and
WHEREAS, the WPSD, still a tuition-free school, currently serves over 250 deaf and hard-of-hearing children from birth through twelfth grade from more than 100 school districts and 30 counties across Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, for the 2009-2010 school year, WPSD will administer the education and extra-curricular programs for the Scranton School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children (SSDHHC), serving over 90 children from preschool through twelfth grade; and
WHEREAS, the WPSD maintains an all inclusive communication/language environment, where staff and students interact freely without language barriers and students participate fully in every aspect of campus life; and
WHEREAS, the WPSD has specially trained teachers and staff who provide a caring, nurturing, yet challenging environment, where students have the opportunity to reach their highest potential, academically, socially, and personally; and
WHEREAS, together with their families, the WPSD encourages students to become independent and self-supporting, and the WPSD offers their students every opportunity to succeed in life; and
WHEREAS, for 140 years, the WPSD has continued to grow and improve, thriving on the diversity of their students and recognizing that all children are unique;
The Council of the County of Allegheny hereby resolves as follows:
Section 1.
The Council of Allegheny County hereby resolves to honor the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf for its 140 years of providing high quality educational programs and services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students of all ages, their families and others.
Section 2.
Council further resolves to give thanks to the students, the parents and alumni of the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf for their continued dedication to the education and success of Pennsylvania's deaf and hard-of-hearing children.
Section 3. Severability.
If any provision of this Resolution shall be determined to be unlawful, invalid, void or unenforceable, then that provision shall be considered severable from the remaining provisions of this Resolution which shall be in full force and effect.
Section 4. Repealer.
Any Resolution or Ordinance or part thereof conflicting with the provisions of this Resolution is hereby repealed so far as the same affects this Resolution.
PRIMARY SPONSORS: VICE-PRESIDENT MARTONI & COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON
CO-SPONSORS: COUNCIL MEMBERS BURN, CLEARY, DeFAZIO, DROZD, GASTGEB, GREEN, FINNERTY, ELLENBOGEN and McCULLOUGH and
PRESIDENT FITZGERALD