Elementary students, grades 1-5, develop important academic and social-emotional skills as they learn through direct instruction and engage in cooperative and independent learning experiences.
The MPS Elementary program is innovative, using cutting edge, research based instructional strategies and programs such as the Strategic Interactive Writing Program (SIWI). Elementary students study the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks and current public school educational standards, with the addition of ASL and Deaf Studies and the Bilingual Grammar Curriculum (BGC). As is the case with all of our programs, our bilingual Elementary Program encourages the use of both American Sign Language (ASL) and English in order to build literacy in both languages. In most circumstances, teachers utilize ASL for communicating academic concepts and teach English as a Second Language.
The Elementary Department has also adopted the Responsive Classroom, the Steps to Respect (STR), the Great Body Shop and Second Step curricula as a means of fostering social development and encouraging respectful interaction and communication among all classroom participants.
As determined by their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) team, elementary students receive additional support services, including speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy and ASL tutoring.
General Curriculum Areas
- Language Arts
- Mathematics
- Science and Technology
- History and Social Sciences
- American Sign Language
- Deaf Studies
- Literature
- Health/Human Development
- Library/Media
- Art
- Physical Education
Our approach to classroom placement is flexible and individualized. Students typically work in groups of 2 to 10, and each child's classroom placement will be discussed during their Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Some students remain with their primary teachers for the majority of the day, while others work with 2 or 3 different subject teachers throughout the course of the school day. On occasion, groups will combine and teachers team-teach. Creating these groupings allows students to learn from one another as they work.
Inside Elementary
Key Staff
Glennis Matthews, MA
Glennis passionately believes in the foundation of literacy and has focused her studies on early literacy intervention strategies for deaf and hard of hearing children with a career goal to advocate and implement an early literacy curriculum for deaf and hard of hearing children.
Glennis earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Spelman College in Atlanta after an Associate of Applied Science degree in Sign Language Interpreting from Georgia Perimeter College in Clarkston. She then obtained a Master of Arts degree in Middle Grade Math and Science from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta.
Her role as TLC Superintendent makes her the first Black Deaf woman and first HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) graduate to become a Superintendent of a Deaf School throughout the history of Deaf Education, joining the league consisting of a few Deaf BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Deaf School Superintendents in the United States.
May-lin Eu is Deaf and was born in Malaysia. She graduated from Gallaudet University with a Master's in Deaf Education. After graduation, she came to The Learning Center for the Deaf, where she has spent the last 26 years here as an ASL teacher, tutor, mentor, and educator for grades 3 through 5.
Passionate about facilitating learning in all academic areas, May-lin has established and maintained strong relationships with families and students through her open communication and accessible instructional style.
May-lin has participated in a number of presentations and trainings, most recently completing training in a Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction (SIWI) federal grant, as well as presenting: “Comparison between American Sign Language and Signed Exact English in U.S. Deaf Bilingual Education System” to Malaysian Deaf community in September 2021.
Mary Jane Huru, B.S.
Parent ASL Classes, TLCPA and PAC Group Liason
Mary Jane Huru has a deep, personal connection to TLC. She is the mother of a former PIP student, who went on to attend her entire schooling at TLC, graduating in 2010. Mary Jane received her bachelor's degree in Child and Family Services. She has worked at TLC for 25 years, 10 as Admission Director/Family Liaison. Prior, she was the Director of TLC’s Childcare Center.
Toni Ammirati, M.Ed
Toni received her master’s degree in Deaf Education from Gallaudet University and has more than 35 years of experience working in the fields of nonprofit organizations, literacy, classroom management, education reform and lesson planning. She was an Elementary Principal for 25 years prior to moving into a senior leadership role in curriculum and instruction. Toni is also responsible for supporting TLC’s educational leaders and academic programs. She is also responsible for TLC’s Educational Compliance through DESE and is a MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
Shira has a Master’s Degree in Deaf Education from Boston University, and a Master’s in Education Policy and Management from Harvard University. She brings 18 years of professional experience in Deaf and community-based education to TLC.
Her work in the nonprofit sector as Executive Director of Deaf Abused Women’s Network (DAWN) early in her career led to her subsequent work in Deaf Education and community-based work. Before coming to TLC, Shira worked at The New Mexico School for the Deaf as the Curriculum Specialist, working to develop and implement curriculum adoption strategies and cross-sector collaborations with community groups. Prior to that, she was an Elementary ASL Teacher at the California School for the Deaf in Fremont, a field she continues to be involved in through her current work in the ASL Curriculum Instruction and Assessment (ASLCIA) work group.
She works closely with various entities in designing and providing professional development training and coaching for educators, interpreters, and camp staff in various settings on topics surrounding advocacy, mentorship, nature-based learning, Anti-Bias education, and language access. Shira loves the arts and the outdoors!
Lynn Power, RN
Lynn Power was born, raised and worked in Framingham, Massachusetts for over 46 years, resulting in strong ties to the community. She sat on the Board of Directors for the Framingham Council on Aging and worked with local and state agencies in her capacity as Director of Health Services.
Lynn is also connected to the National Association of School Nurses for the Deaf, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, the Nurse Leaders for the Framingham School District and other stakeholders.
Her career includes a range of responsibilities in geriatric and pediatric patient health care, clinical and communication skills, patient and family relations; planning and organization, human resources, food services, finance, contracts, and grant management.
Lynn also worked to broaden her knowledge managing the Quality Assurance Process Improvement (QAPI), and the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, while maintaining workplace safety in compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines.
While working more than 40 years in Countryside Nursing Home, Lynn also worked simultaneously at The Learning Center for the Deaf, where in 2019 she was appointed the Director of Health Services.
Lynn's passion is boating and even shows her leadership in that capacity by sitting on the Board of the Orient Heights Yacht Club. However, her true passion is working at The Learning Center for the Deaf. If you ask her about her 19 years working at The Learning Center for the Deaf, Lynn will always say, "I truly love the kids!"