Congratulations to the Baker Middle School students who participated in the recent statewide Flying Hands poetry competition at the Washington School for the Deaf.

Mauro Palma Linares, Jau’Siha King and Peyton Tiatia created and performed their own poem in American Sign Language. Peyton placed second in his division. 

“Events like this build confidence and leadership skills for students,” said Jennifer Fazer, coordinator for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing program for Tacoma Public Schools. 

"It also gives them an opportunity to study Deaf Culture and compare Deaf Poetry in ASL to written English. They worked really hard and should be proud of the courage it took for them to stand on that stage," said their teacher, Jennifer Seago.

TPS has three regional DHH schools: Birney Elementary, Baker Middle School and Mt. Tahoma High School, where students from across Pierce County, in preschool through grade 12, receive services and use sign language and or spoken language with instructions from Teachers of the Deaf, interpreters, and education support professionals  who work with students at each grade level.

Great job, Baker Bulldogs!