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General OverviewThe Sir James Whitney School is the current name of the first permanent school for deaf students in Ontario. Founded in 1870 as the Ontario Institution for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb, this educational facility is located on a 96-acre campus in the picturesque town of Belleville, overlooking the Bay of Quinte. The campus is a mixture of historic and modern buildings that house Resource Services, elementary and secondary school programs and student residences. Dedicated Deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing teachers, administrators, classroom aides, resource services personnel, residence counsellors, and support staff work together at the Sir James Whitney School to meet the diverse needs of students. All components of the school - academic, technical, residential, and recreational, embrace a bilingual/bicultural philosophy. The Sir James Whitney School for the Deaf officially began implementing its bilingual/bicultural program during the 1993-1994 school year. Where staffing permits, classes in the lower grades are team-taught by one Deaf and one hearing teacher, both of whom use ASL as well as English in its written form for communication and instruction. In most of the upper grades, there is one teacher (either Deaf or hearing) per classroom, some of whom also use ASL as the primary language for instruction and discussion, in addition to emphasizing English literacy activities. Some students commute from their homes on a daily basis. Others take advantage of the school's unique five-days-per-week boarding opportunity, returning home every weekend. Transportation to and from school for all students is arranged by the local school boards at no cost to parents.
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The Sir James Whitney School
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