Northwest School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children in Shoreline begins its 34th school year

Classroom at Northwest School for Deaf and
Hard-of-Hearing Children in Shoreline

Northwest School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children (NWSDHH) will begin a new school year with 41 preschool through eighth grade students, and a teaching staff of eight certified Teachers of the Deaf and six Signing Exact English interpreters.

Two new teachers will join NWSDHH this year: Kim McClendon is joining the school from the Highline School District, and Sheila Dills comes from California. The school is also welcoming a teaching assistant from Everett, Laura Couey.

Lynessa Cronn, Head of School, said among the many things she looks forward to this year is the increasing enrollment.

“We have seen enrollment continue to tick up over the last few years, and this year is no exception,” says Ms. Cronn. “With our focus on getting the word out about the school, it appears our school’s success and unique research-based teaching methods are resonating with parents of deaf and hard-of-hearing children.”

Some travel from Arlington and Renton
to attend the school in Shoreline

The student body is incredibly diverse and some of the children travel from as far away as Arlington and Renton to receive the specialized education they need to be successful in school and in life. A recent study showed 100% of NWSDHH students go onto graduate from high school while 67% earn a college degree, compared to only 93% and 30%, respectively, of the national average for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

The playground is new this year
and includes sensory equipment

In other news, NWSDHH has a brand new playground. Through the generous support of donors like the Norcliffe Foundation, the Rotary Club of Alderwood Terrace, Armstrong McDonald Foundation and private donors, a playground was installed at the school over the summer. The new playground even includes sensory equipment to help deaf and hard-of-hearing students sharpen their listening skills while playing.

Northwest School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children is located in Shoreline at 15303 Westminster Way N by Aurora Square.

NWSDHH, located in Shoreline, opened its doors in 1982. The only preschool through eighth grade school of its kind in the state, the school provides educational services to deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) students from more than a dozen different school districts in the Greater Puget Sound Region.

Its mission is dedicated to using spoken English paired with Signing Exact English (S.E.E.) to help D/HH students become self-confident, articulate and academically competitive learners and contributing community members.

From the beginning, the focus has been on three outcomes: grade level achievement; English proficiency; and oral communication and listening skills. For more information about NWSDHH, you can visit the website or Facebook.