Course Description: Basic American Sign Language is designed to be a first-year beginner language class that introduces the basics of American Sign Language (ASL). The focus of this class will be on the ability to use ASL in a real world situation. Students will learn abilities like basic greetings, general signs, fingerspelling, grammatical structures, and awareness of Deaf culture. This course will give students a foundation in ASL and open doors for further study. Basic American Sign Language will count towards a foreign language or elective credit for high school students.

Homework Level: Two hours per week

Texts: Signing Naturally, Student Workbook, Units 1 – 6 and Units 7-12. Workbook must be new.

Class Size: The class will have a minimum of 6 students.

When and Where:

Location: St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church, 642 King’s Home Drive, Chelsea

Days: Thursday

Time: 12:15-1:45

Tuition and Fees:

Administrative Fee: $50 per student enrolled in the program, due at the time of registration, refundable through 6/30/22, payable to Grace Presbyterian Church, PCA.

Registration Fee: $25 nonrefundable payable to Becky Shirley

Tuition: $185 per semester

Facility Fee: The semester facility fee for this class is $30 per student, not to exceed $180 per family. This fee is payable to Grace Presbyterian Church, PCA, on the first day of class

Instructor: Melissa Halbert Foster is a graduate of Faulkner University where her major was theater performance. She’s the daughter of Nina Halbert and cousin of Carrie Cooley who taught HeARTfully Creative Art at Chelsea Tutorials. Now she’s a DVIDA® certified dance instructor. She worked in Mississippi with the Dance Studio of Tupelo for two years. She taught all ages how to dance, but spent most of her time teaching youth and teens. While in high school Melissa studied American Sign Language, and continued to learn ASL in college for her foreign language credits. Melissa loves to use ASL to interpret songs and praise God through this very expressive language. She constantly continues to work on her ASL skills in order to give the best to her students.

Contact Info:

Phone: 205-587-0641

Email: MelissaEtc@outlook.com