1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,373 (Background chatter) 2 00:00:06,653 --> 00:00:14,856 (Background chatter) 3 00:00:15,226 --> 00:00:18,280 My name is Sharon McKennay and I'm Skye's Mum. 4 00:00:18,304 --> 00:00:23,014 Skye was basically born completely profoundly deaf. 5 00:00:23,014 --> 00:00:25,454 A week before her first birthday, 6 00:00:25,454 --> 00:00:28,114 she was given the cochlear implant 7 00:00:28,114 --> 00:00:33,834 and from that she has just gone on with the cochlear 8 00:00:33,834 --> 00:00:38,285 and been given the opportunity to hear and speak and listen. 9 00:00:38,915 --> 00:00:45,475 I think school is great and it's a lot of fun when you're around your friends. 10 00:00:45,475 --> 00:00:48,395 Skye has been here since she was three and a half. 11 00:00:48,395 --> 00:00:52,316 The support has been amazing. 12 00:00:52,316 --> 00:00:55,226 Basically anything that Skye has needed, 13 00:00:55,226 --> 00:00:57,176 she's been given. 14 00:00:57,176 --> 00:00:59,196 The support from teachers, visiting teachers 15 00:00:59,196 --> 00:01:01,626 and teachers' assistants, 16 00:01:01,626 --> 00:01:07,476 it's just been a wonderful, very positive experience. 17 00:01:07,476 --> 00:01:08,386 It's been fantastic. 18 00:01:08,386 --> 00:01:10,286 I've been working with Skye now for 2 years. 19 00:01:10,320 --> 00:01:12,670 Initially we were coming twice a week 20 00:01:12,670 --> 00:01:16,060 and we've gradually, as she's developed her listening and speaking skills 21 00:01:16,060 --> 00:01:18,440 we've been able to reduce that service because 22 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:20,109 she's becoming more and more independent. 23 00:01:25,709 --> 00:01:27,979 Basically, it's as the first day of high school 24 00:01:27,979 --> 00:01:29,729 so they'll learn to meet new friends, 25 00:01:29,729 --> 00:01:31,169 and there's also going to be lots of challenges 26 00:01:31,169 --> 00:01:33,949 along the way so in terms of the activities going on 27 00:01:33,950 --> 00:01:40,670 (Background chatter) 28 00:01:41,620 --> 00:01:44,680 I'm really excited and nervous. - Yeah. 29 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:46,280 It's very scary at first 30 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:49,940 but once you get into the rhythm and stuff 31 00:01:49,940 --> 00:01:52,960 you feel happy and have fun around everyone. 32 00:01:53,139 --> 00:01:54,659 Everybody's breaking into groups now 33 00:01:54,659 --> 00:01:58,499 so we're doing some search and rescue or flying fox 34 00:01:58,499 --> 00:02:00,799 and there's even a rope climbing course inside. 35 00:02:00,799 --> 00:02:02,649 So all the kids are about to do that 36 00:02:02,649 --> 00:02:03,979 which they're really looking forward to. 37 00:02:03,979 --> 00:02:06,549 I think it's great so you can meet other kids 38 00:02:06,549 --> 00:02:08,419 with the same things and make new friends 39 00:02:08,421 --> 00:02:11,221 and they all have the same, we're all in the same boat. 40 00:02:11,748 --> 00:02:14,758 So it was put together because next year 41 00:02:14,758 --> 00:02:17,228 there's going to be two different cohorts of students. 42 00:02:17,228 --> 00:02:19,328 We wanted to organise something about transitioning 43 00:02:19,328 --> 00:02:22,458 because kids with a hearing loss have some 44 00:02:22,458 --> 00:02:24,728 special needs that need to be addressed 45 00:02:24,728 --> 00:02:25,758 so we thought it would be 46 00:02:25,758 --> 00:02:27,888 a great opportunity to bring all the kids together 47 00:02:27,888 --> 00:02:30,608 and have a bit of a chat with them etc. 48 00:02:30,608 --> 00:02:32,178 It gives everybody the opportunity 49 00:02:32,178 --> 00:02:34,438 to meet each other and then grab some 50 00:02:34,438 --> 00:02:35,808 contact details and phone numbers 51 00:02:35,808 --> 00:02:38,708 and support each other afterwards. 52 00:02:38,708 --> 00:02:40,226 A lot of the kids are mainstreamed 53 00:02:40,226 --> 00:02:41,696 which means they're the only student 54 00:02:41,696 --> 00:02:43,576 in the school who has a hearing loss 55 00:02:43,576 --> 00:02:45,486 so this is one of the very few opportunities 56 00:02:45,486 --> 00:02:46,946 where the kids get to come together 57 00:02:46,946 --> 00:02:49,246 to meet each other and talk to each other 58 00:02:49,246 --> 00:02:54,016 and realise that they're not the only person in the world with their special need. 59 00:02:58,914 --> 00:03:02,914 I think it's going to be really fun and also I'm going to be a bit nervous. 60 00:03:03,643 --> 00:03:08,143 It's really exciting and it's really different to what I expected.