Mississippi School for the Deaf
Encyclopedia
The Mississippi School for the Deaf (MSD) is a Mississippi
school for the deaf and hard of hearing accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
(SACS). It offers elementary and secondary education, covering students from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade.
from 1861 to 1871 when the building was used as a hospital by the Confederate States Army
, it never had to close for lack of instructors again. Saunders continued to teach until he died in an accident on Christmas Day in 1895.
(ASL) and English. This goal is accomplished with the belief that for most Deaf students, American Sign Language is the accessible, dominant language used for communication, and thinking, while English is learned as a second language
. By fostering competencies in these two languages and by providing an academically and culturally enriched
learning environment, Deaf students will have the skills and attitudes necessary to function effectively with members of the Deaf and Hearing Communities.
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
school for the deaf and hard of hearing accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
(SACS). It offers elementary and secondary education, covering students from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade.
History
Established by legislature on March 1, 1854, the school was originally named the Mississippi Institution for the Deaf and Dumb. In its early years, the school was troubled by a lack of teaching staff, which sometimes closed its doors, but in 1857 Lawrence Saunders, the school's first student, returned to teach. Although the school was closed during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
from 1861 to 1871 when the building was used as a hospital by the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
, it never had to close for lack of instructors again. Saunders continued to teach until he died in an accident on Christmas Day in 1895.
Facilities
The current 51 acres (206,389.9 m²) campus is located at 1253 Eastover Drive in Jackson, the fifth building to house the school.Educational philosophy
The goal of the Mississippi School for the Deaf is to provide for early language acquisition and to facilitate the development of two languages, American Sign LanguageAmerican Sign Language
American Sign Language, or ASL, for a time also called Ameslan, is the dominant sign language of Deaf Americans, including deaf communities in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in some regions of Mexico...
(ASL) and English. This goal is accomplished with the belief that for most Deaf students, American Sign Language is the accessible, dominant language used for communication, and thinking, while English is learned as a second language
Second language
A second language or L2 is any language learned after the first language or mother tongue. Some languages, often called auxiliary languages, are used primarily as second languages or lingua francas ....
. By fostering competencies in these two languages and by providing an academically and culturally enriched
Deaf culture
Deaf culture describes the social beliefs, behaviors, art, literary traditions, history, values and shared institutions of communities that are affected by deafness and which use sign languages as the main means of communication. When used as a cultural label, the word deaf is often written with a...
learning environment, Deaf students will have the skills and attitudes necessary to function effectively with members of the Deaf and Hearing Communities.