Students turn their voices off and let their hands, facial expressions, and body movements do the talking in American Sign Language, taught in 1st-8th Grade twice a week. Rich in history and culturally diverse, ASL is both physically & cognitively engaging, offering students opportunities to use their bodies and movement to express ideas and emotion. Skills learned in class are then used in assemblies, festival performances, and school plays. Deaf history and culture are also incorporated into the curriculum, challenging students to examine audism and ableism. Students learn how to be allies to the Deaf community and other communities who experience the effects of ableism. WHWS graduates have the opportunity to continue studying ASL as it is offered in all of our local high schools.