The Crown Point High School ASL Club went on a field trip to the Eisenhower Elementary School to sign The Very Hungry Caterpillar to kindergarten students. The members of ASL Club decided to pass on their knowledge of sign language to kindergartners to spread joy and help educate others about the language.

“[They are signing The Very Hungry Caterpillar to kindergarteners at Eisenhower] We did it last year and we wanted to teach younger kids simple signs,” sophomore Kayden Karlson said. “Last year we did Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and it’s really cute because they seemed to enjoy it a lot. It’s just really fun and a great experience.”

The club believes that signing to the kindergarteners is important to do because it may help create an interest in the language that can continue to grow.

“[I think it’s important to sign the book to kindergarteners because] I think that it can spark interest and passion for ASL at a young age and it’s memorable and I think it’s fun and interesting and it keeps them engaged,” senior Kailey March said.

Mrs. Sarah Mayer, the Co-Sponsor of ASL Club, believes that signing the book was important because it also promotes inclusivity and encourages students to learn new things.

“CPHS American Sign Language club’s mission is to promote student understanding of Deaf culture and provide American Sign Language exposure. Our Deaf community member, Mrs. Diana Hill, provided the ASL support for learning how to express the meaning and how to sign The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” Mayer said. “The importance of including the kindergarten classes was two-fold, promoting ASL in the classroom and encouraging all students to explore American Sign Language. Eisenhower has also shown an inclusive and welcoming culture for our students who communicate using American Sign Language.”