Some hearing impaired children are getting a special treat in Pasco County. They are getting to ask Santa what they want for Christmas by using sign language.
This story isn’t about listening; it’s about seeing at Wesley Chapel High School. Seeing is believing when it comes to Santa who can sign.
"Every child sits on Santa’s lap at one point in time and they don’t really get that, so getting to meet with Santa and sign with him is really good for them,” said Santa’s elf, Jace Crouch.
The meeting goes like this: the elf introduces herself and gets the children excited to meet Saint Nick. Their faces when they get to meet him are priceless.
"It definitely brightens up their day quite a bit," Crouch said. "They get to go home and say, 'Mom, Mom, I got to talk to Santa today.' "
Santa waves hello, asks the children their names, then checks to find their name on the “nice” list. Then next he asks the question they all long to hear, what would you like for Christmas?
"The first girl, she actually wanted an iPhone 5 and the second child, he wanted a Samsung Galaxy phone,” said "Santa" Sierra Gibson.
Some are big wishes and others are small, but they all are giving the children a little more cheer this year.
"What else is more satisfying than that, than to know that Santa knows and hears your wish and I think on both ends that is satisfying deep inside,” said Rhonda Leslie, who teaches American Sign Language at Wesley Chapel High School.
It’s Christmas spirit that will be carried on each year when Santa comes to town.
Santa and his helpers have been Skyping around the country with students in kindergarten through 4th grade.
This is the second year the high school has offered American Sign Language. Students say activities like this help them apply what they learn in real life.