New York School for the Deaf

This article is about the private school in White Plains, New York. For the state operated school in Rome, New York, see New York State School for the Deaf.
New York School for the Deaf
Location
Map
Greenburgh, New York
United States
Coordinates41°03′08″N 73°47′51″W / 41.0523°N 73.7974°W / 41.0523; -73.7974
Information
TypePrivate non-profit organization
Established1817; 207 years ago (1817)
FounderReverend John Standford
Faculty110
GradesPreschool-12
Number of students143
Color(s)Blue and gold
AthleticsSoccer, volleyball, basketball, cheerleading, and track
Athletics conferenceEastern Schools for the Deaf Athletic Association & City Schools Sports Association Westchester
MascotTornadoes
WebsiteOfficial NYSD website

The New York School for the Deaf is a private school for the deaf in Greenburgh, New York, in Westchester County just north of New York City, United States. It is private non-profit tax-exempt organization under article 501(c)(3) of U.S. law.

History

New York Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb, 1835

The school had its origins in 1808, when the Rev. John Stanford gathered a small group of deaf children to teach them the alphabet and basic language skills in New York City.[1] The New York School for the Deaf was chartered in 1817 as the New York Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb. It held its first classes in New York City in 1818, just after the American School for the Deaf, and thus is recognized as the second oldest deaf school in the United States.

In 1829 it would move uptown to 49th Street and Madison Avenue.[2] In 1856, this location would be sold to Columbia College (now Columbia University) and served as the site of Columbia's Madison Avenue campus. After the 1857 move, it would move to Upper Manhattan to an area then known as Carmansville.[3] In 1892, the school was the first U.S. school of any kind to introduce a military curriculum. For half a century, tight formation drill was an everyday occurrence on the parade grounds.[4][5]

It changed its name to the New York School for the Deaf in 1933 and moved to its current and final location in Greenburgh, New York in 1938, where it remains.[6] In 1952, the school dropped the military curriculum and welcomed girls again, and since then has expanded its programs to benefit both deaf and hard-of-hearing school children, and more recently, pre-school classes as well.

Education

Since 1977, Fanwood uses the total communication method of deaf education, which employs multiple means of communication including sign language and other modes, as necessary for each child.

Technology

TTY phones and closed caption TVs were used starting in the 1970s. More recently the school has introduced video phones, interactive whiteboards and computer assisted learning.

Distinguished alumni, faculty, trustees and visitors

References

  1. ^ "Rev. John Stanford: U.S. & NY's 1st State-Hired & Paid Prison Chaplain Wasn't Passive". www.correctionhistory.org. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  2. ^ "The New York Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb | Resurrecting the Ethnic Village". ethnic-village.org. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  3. ^ Magazine, Harlem World (November 14, 2021). "The Legendary Carmansville, The Most Beautiful, Picturesque Hamlet In Harlem, NY, 1853-". Harlem World Magazine. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  4. ^ Gannon, Jack (1981). Deaf Heritage. National Association for the Deaf. p. 19. ISBN 1563685140.
  5. ^ "Deaf School History" (PDF). gallaudet.edu. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 20, 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
  6. ^ "New York School for the Deaf - Fanwood". NYSD. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
  7. ^ ""Autumn," poem by Helen Keller, 27 October 1893". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved July 4, 2023.