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Moravian Academy in Action
Learning Through Sign: A Special Visit from Professor Kimberly Kuhns
1st and 2nd grade students had a special opportunity to learn about deaf culture and communication from Professor Kimberly Kuhns, sister of Swain Campus teachers Karla Gaugler and Kelley Stout. Visiting from Kansas, where she teaches sign language and deaf culture at Johnson County Community College, Professor Kuhns shared her experiences as a deaf person, offering students an engaging and eye-opening lesson.
First graders in Mrs. Karla Gaugler’s and Mrs. Abby Monahan’s classes enjoyed a reading of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff, with Mrs. Gaugler reading aloud while Professor Kuhns signed. Similarly, second graders in Mrs. Kelley Stout’s and Mrs. Karin Reger’s classes explored My Deaf Friend Can Do Anything You Can Do by Tanesha Ausby, with Mrs. Stout reading aloud as Professor Kuhns signed.
Students also explored how deaf people communicate, learned some sign language, and discussed assistive technologies that support communication. Professor Kuhns, alongside her sisters, shared personal stories about growing up together and how they adapted through lip reading and other communication strategies. This meaningful visit helped students gain a deeper appreciation for different ways of experiencing the world.
