KEAAU — When Pohai Kalua learned she and her classmates had a chance to fly to Oahu to perform a Christmas tune and meet Santa, she was thrilled. ADVERTISING KEAAU — When Pohai Kalua learned she and her classmates had
KEAAU — When Pohai Kalua learned she and her classmates had a chance to fly to Oahu to perform a Christmas tune and meet Santa, she was thrilled.
The 7-year-old, who is hearing impaired, went home and initiated lengthy discussions with her parents — ultimately convincing them to let her go.
“I want to fly, and I want to see Santa,” Pohai said with a grin Tuesday.
Pohai is among eight keiki in preschool through third grade in Keaau Elementary School’s program for deaf and hearing-impaired students who flew to Oahu today for the 25th annual Deaf Santa Program.
The Keaau students are performing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” in American Sign Language at the Pearlridge Center in Aiea. They also will meet “Deaf Santa,” who can converse with them in sign language. About 100 deaf or hearing-impaired students from throughout the state are expected to attend, Susanna Rivera, instructor for Keaau Elementary’s deaf and hearing-impaired program said Tuesday.
Rivera is calling it a Christmas miracle. This is the first time in 11 years the Keaau program has secured funding to send students to the event. She was particularly thrilled when administrators told her they’d been able to reserve enough last-minute seats on flights to Oahu, given the large number of Pearl Harbor anniversary events happening this week.
“(The students) were like completely stoked,” Rivera said. “This is like the Christmas miracle. This is just amazing … the fact that it worked out was just awesome.”
To prepare, Pohai and her classmates rehearsed the three-minute Rudolph song several times each day for more than a week. Rivera translated the tune into sign language herself and sent students home with printed versions to practice with their families.
Pohai said Tuesday the sign for “reindeer” is her favorite part of the song. The gesture involves placing one’s thumbs at the temples to imitate reindeer antlers. Sheylie Ladore, 8, said signing “red-nosed” is her favorite part of the song. Doing so consists of tapping one’s chin and nose.
“When they go, they will see all these people applauding them for signing, which is not typical,” Rivera said. “A lot of times, you’ll see kids not signing in public, or being shy about drawing attention to themselves with signing. That’s why I like them to perform because then, you’re getting applauded because you’re signing.”
About 300 public school students in Hawaii are either deaf or hearing impaired. At least 40 of those students reside in East Hawaii.
Keaau Elementary’s program serves elementary students spanning the region and has operated at the school since 1999. There also are programs for deaf students at Kealakehe Elementary School and in Waimea.
Students in the Keaau program attended the Oahu event until 2005, when funding dried up. In recent years, they’ve made do with video-chatting Santa. They’ve also participated in the annual Waimea-based Deaf Santa Program, slated this year for Dec. 15.
“A lot of times, they’ll go with their parents to see (traditional) Santa, and Santa’s beard goes up and down and they go ‘OK’ but they don’t actually know what he’s saying,” Rivera said. “(A deaf Santa) validates who they are. He’s a person they can (communicate with), and they don’t have to use an interpreter. When there’s a real Santa actually looking at you in the eye and listening to you, it makes a difference.”
Email Kirsten Johnson at kjohnson@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
