Gaylynne Coats

Gaylynne Coats

Hi, my name is Gaylynne Coates, and this year I am teaching High School Life Skills – BLA, Science, Social Studies, and High School Child Development.

Here is a little bit about me:

• I grew up in Arizona & moved to Portland, OR when I got married. Currently, I live in Camas, WA. I love to read, watch movies, exercise, run, play piano, and scrapbook and paint with watercolors when I have time.

• My Educational Credentials are: I have BS is in Educational Psychology from Brigham Young University and a MA in Deaf Education from the University of Arizona – with a focus in Bilingual-Bicultural Education. My teaching certificate has endorsements in Deaf Education K -12, Special Education K-12, and Elementary Education K-8.

• I taught at the Phoenix Day School for the Deaf and at Ellsworth Elementary School in Evergreen District in Special Education. I also substituted taught in Vancouver, Camas, & Washougal for a few years. This is my 6th year teaching here at WSD.

Welcome Back! I am excited for this new school year and to be in our beautiful new building!

Please click the links below to read the course descriptions and syllabi for each of the classes I am teaching this year!Life Skills-Bilingual Language Arts Syllabus

Life Skills- Social Studies Syllabus

Life Skills- Science Syllabus

Life Skills- Bilingual Language Arts Syllabus

Life Skills – Child Development Syllabus

GC pic

Classroom: Divine Academic Building, second floor
Email: gaylynne.coats@cdhl.wa.gov
VP: 360-553-4622

So in one year [Jonathan] has made amazing progress. I think that just how much ASL is going on in the classroom has really made all the difference. So he is exposed to it all day.

Lisa Ronda

Parent

I like that I can look directly at my teacher. I don’t have to look at the interpreter. I can get the teaching directly from the teacher.

Ashantay

Student

He would start telling me ‘I just want to read at recess. I don’t want anybody to talk to me,’ and I’m like ‘no’. He’s outgoing. That’s not in his spirit. We started looking at different schools and was wowed by this school because of the socialization at recess and lunch and in the classroom is amazing.

Lafawne Robinson

Parent

Every deaf child can learn just the same as hearing children can. I think that one problem is that often there are misconceptions about deaf children’s abilities.

Jane Mulholland

Former Superintendent, WSD

[We] came to the school. She fell in love with it. The teachers, the one-on-one, the bi-lingual, the support for speech, for occupational therapy Gabby had at that time. There was a plethora of resources for us. And my husband and I had children. They are our responsibility. We want the best for her. We want her to succeed in the world. Here she goes.

Samantha Grosmick

Parent

Once Nicolas started coming here, he blossomed and bloomed. I’m happy to say he walks, talks, runs, reads and plays basketball and does all the things they said he would never do.

Jeanmarie Moore

Parent

A strong language foundation is very important for their success in life. Research shows that deaf students who have American Sign Language skills are then more successful in English.

April McArthur

Former ASL-English Bilingual Program Service Director

I am very thankful for all the support given to us as a family, for every word of encouragement and time dedicated. Since day one we had a very warm welcoming and we felt the passion and dedication that everyone has, of teaching with a smile. Thank you as well for all your patience with [her] throughout this new learning experience.

Parent

ASL is their language. That gives them the self-esteem and they have a foundation then to support their English development.

Jennifer Ellis

Former Work Education Teacher, Transition Needs Team

I can tell he just feels like a whole new world has been open to him in how to communicate with his hands and he has already made soooooo much progress….I’ve always felt like I had to micromanage everything for him and like nobody else understood what he needed and it’s just so nice now to just know he is in good hands and around people who understand him in a way even I don’t and we are all just amazed at how much even a month has affected him. He wakes up begging to go to school.

Parent

With ASL I could learn everything. I’ve made so much progress since I came here. I’m grateful to my parents for sending me to WSD. In my opinion, you’ll want to come here.

Yajaira

WSD Alumna

Before I got to WSD, I didn’t sign well. I used a little bit of gesturing. When I got here, I got better and better.

Julian

Student

I asked my mother to send me here. It was a big decision for her because I lived 8 hours away from here. My mother made the right choice to send me here. It was worth it.

Randall

WSD alumnus

Our daughter’s first language is ASL. It’s very important she understand ASL.

Minh Truong

Parent

It is very crucial that the children have access to language development. A natural acquisition of language right from the very beginning.

Pamela Whitney

Pre-School Teacher

We know that learning is a social activity. It’s social in nature. People learn from each other all the time. Children learn the fastest from their peers.

Shauna Bilyeu

Superintendent, WSD

I’ve seen a lot of changes because the communication was there to be able to interact, socialize, boost her self-esteem. The teachers, the staff, very positive reinforcements here.

Brent Neatherlin

Parent

WSD Main Office:
3107 E. Evergreen Blvd
Vancouver, WA 98661

Phone: (360) 334-5618
Fax: (360) 418-4353

CDHY Administration:
611 Grand Blvd
Vancouver, WA 98661

Phone: (360) 696-6525
Fax: (360) 696-6291
Email: contact.wsd@cdhy.wa.gov

School Hours:
Monday-Thursday: 8am-3pm
Friday: 8am-12pm

Office Hours:
Monday-Friday: 7:30am-4pm

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