COLUMBIA, S.C. — Students at Brennen Elementary School in the deaf and hard of hearing program had a special visit during their holiday program.
Signing Santa visited the group, and was able to communicate with them in American Sign Language.
“So today is Signing Santa Day," educational sign language interpreter Jenny Kinsey explained excitingly. "It’s a day that we look forward to every Christmas. We have Signing Santa come in and sign to the kids. Santas throughout the area don’t typically sign, so we have a Signing Santa who comes in and can communicate with our kids specifically.”
The Richland Sertoma Club, one of the oldest civic club in Columbia, sponsored this event giving each student a toy and an opportunity to interact with the man in the red suit, who happens to be a member of the club himself.
“We can see the difference in the children when Santa can talk back to them as opposed to what it was 15 years ago when we had somebody dressed up like him," Jack Sterne, president of the club told News19. "It makes a difference to us that we can see the children progress and get better every year.”
“They feel like there’s somebody who gets them," Kinsey continues, "who can communicate with them, who can share Christmas love with them in the way that they know how to express it and they can speak back to them.”
The students also performed a song for their parents and opened presents with Santa.
“I was excited when I saw Santa," 10-year-old Brian Evans Jr. signed in an interview. "Santa goes to all the different people’s houses and he gives gifts and toys… I enjoyed having my family here.”
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