Sign of the times: Little Grove students show their support for the deaf community on Auslan Day

West Australian

08-05-2025

Students at Little Grove Primary School celebrated Auslan Day by learning sign language and wearing their favourite colour, showing their support for the deaf community.
Auslan is the sign language used by most deaf people in Australia.
Little Grove teacher Allison Lilly said students had been learning sign language for two years and had been discovering the signs to accompany the school song.
They can also express feelings and know the signs for colours and numbers, she said.
Auslan Day, which was on April 13, commemorates the first publication of the Australian Sign Language Dictionary in 1989.
During classes at Little Grove on Auslan Day, children learned about the history of the language and the importance of inclusive communication.
'These activities complemented our broader Harmony Week celebrations, which focused on fostering respect and belonging for everyone,' Ms Lilly said.
'The children have been really positive and very engaged with their learning.
'They were encouraged to wear their favourite colour instead of their school uniform because this represents our support of the deaf community and acknowledges Auslan as one of the many languages used within Australia,' she said.
They also headed out to the oval for a drone shot of the school community in rainbow formation.