St. Rita School for the Deaf
Encyclopedia
St. Rita School for the Deaf is an independent Roman Catholic school located in the village of Evendale
, near Cincinnati, Ohio
.
, Father Henry J. Waldhaus, with the help of the Knights of De l'Epee and the Saints Mary and Joseph Society, was able to raise the funds necessary to purchase the land for St. Rita School. The school opened in 1915 and became the first accredited high school for the deaf in Ohio.
with a different name. The school's deaf and hearing teachers use ASL as a method of instruction, but the majority use is Simultaneous Communication
.
St. Rita's is one of the first schools in the country to develop a program for dyspraxic children, sometimes referred to as "global" apraxia
. The program teaches to the students communication disabilities (oral-buccofacial apraxia) and encompasses each student's global dyspraxic apraxia disabilities that affect the student's fine and gross motor skills with their motor planning; sequencing and motor- processing abilities (which include but is not limited to ideomotor, ideation, limb-kinetic and occular motor apraxias).
The school's LOFT program (Language Opportunities for Tots) is designed to meet the development needs of hearing and deaf children, from birth to 3 years of age. The school also features a Montessori preschool, elementary
, high school
, and vocational programs.
at the reserve level. Later, the high school became a member of the Girls Greater Cincinnati League
.
Evendale, Ohio
Evendale is a village in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 3,090 at the 2000 census.Evendale was the home of John Van Zandt, a participant in the Underground Railroad....
, near Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
.
History
Challenged by Archbishop Henry MoellerHenry K. Moeller
Henry K. Moeller was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Columbus and Archbishop of Cincinnati .-Early life and education:...
, Father Henry J. Waldhaus, with the help of the Knights of De l'Epee and the Saints Mary and Joseph Society, was able to raise the funds necessary to purchase the land for St. Rita School. The school opened in 1915 and became the first accredited high school for the deaf in Ohio.
Approach and languages used
Currently, their philosophy is "comprehensive communication" — essentially Total CommunicationTotal Communication
Total Communication is an approach to deaf education that aims to make use of a number of modes of communication such as signed, oral, auditory, written and visual aids, depending on the particular needs and abilities of the child.-History:...
with a different name. The school's deaf and hearing teachers use ASL as a method of instruction, but the majority use is Simultaneous Communication
Simultaneous Communication
Simultaneous Communication, SimCom or Sign Supported Speech is a technique sometimes used by deaf, hard-of-hearing or hearing sign language persons in which both a spoken language and a manual variant of that language are used simultaneously...
.
Academics and programs
While based in the Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati, St. Rita School works to meet the needs of hearing-impaired and deaf children along with any student with communication challenges in the community.St. Rita's is one of the first schools in the country to develop a program for dyspraxic children, sometimes referred to as "global" apraxia
Apraxia
Apraxia is a disorder caused by damage to specific areas of the cerebrum. Apraxia is characterized by loss of the ability to execute or carry out learned purposeful movements, despite having the desire and the physical ability to perform the movements...
. The program teaches to the students communication disabilities (oral-buccofacial apraxia) and encompasses each student's global dyspraxic apraxia disabilities that affect the student's fine and gross motor skills with their motor planning; sequencing and motor- processing abilities (which include but is not limited to ideomotor, ideation, limb-kinetic and occular motor apraxias).
The school's LOFT program (Language Opportunities for Tots) is designed to meet the development needs of hearing and deaf children, from birth to 3 years of age. The school also features a Montessori preschool, elementary
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
, high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, and vocational programs.
Athletics
St. Rita's competes with area schools in soccer, baseball, basketball, and volleyball. In 1962, the high school division petitioned the Greater Catholic League to compete in footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
at the reserve level. Later, the high school became a member of the Girls Greater Cincinnati League
Girls Greater Cincinnati League
The Girls Greater Cincinnati League is a high school sports league composed of 13 member schools in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Their mission is to provide and promote a Christian atmosphere for the development of young ladies through interscholastic competition. Good sportsmanship and respect...
.