By Puente H.R. No. 241 75R4384 JHS-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, For 50 years, the Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf 1-2 Children has been helping deaf and hearing-impaired children learn 1-3 to communicate more effectively; and 1-4 WHEREAS, Founded in 1947 by Dela White, Sunshine Cottage 1-5 began with seven students and one teacher and was originally housed 1-6 in a small caretaker's cottage near San Antonio's Trinity 1-7 University; Mrs. White started the fledgling school in response to 1-8 her daughter Tuleta's hearing impairment, determined that she would 1-9 one day hear her daughter speak; and 1-10 WHEREAS, The Junior League of San Antonio provided the first 1-11 funding for the school, a $1,500 donation for the first three years 1-12 of operation; other early donations included playground equipment, 1-13 hearing aids, and several cans of bright yellow paint that was soon 1-14 applied to the cottage, prompting the christening of the school as 1-15 "The Sunshine Cottage"; and 1-16 WHEREAS, Two years later, after demonstrating the tremendous 1-17 progress made by the school's students, Mrs. White petitioned local 1-18 benefactors and raised $160,000, which was used to finance the 1-19 construction of a new building; the school, which is open to all 1-20 children, regardless of their ability to pay, continues to rely on 1-21 the generosity of the local citizenry and to this day has operated 1-22 without receiving any government funding; and 1-23 WHEREAS, This is not the only unique trait of the Sunshine 1-24 Cottage; rather than teaching sign language, the school's teachers 2-1 prefer to develop what hearing the students possess and to teach 2-2 them to speak, enhancing their skills with intensive lip-reading 2-3 training; another unusual feature that has recently been 2-4 incorporated into the program is the integration of hearing 2-5 students, as it has been realized that children learn language 2-6 better through their peers; and 2-7 WHEREAS, Mrs. White's dedication and enthusiasm are truly 2-8 remarkable, and after 50 years she shows no signs of reducing her 2-9 involvement in the day-to-day operations of the school; as the 2-10 Sunshine Cottage's international reputation grows, this remarkable 2-11 woman can take great satisfaction in the knowledge that the school 2-12 continues to lead the way in providing a successful, alternative 2-13 educational environment for deaf and hearing-impaired children; 2-14 now, therefore, be it 2-15 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas 2-16 Legislature hereby commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Sunshine 2-17 Cottage School for Deaf Children and extend sincere thanks to Dela 2-18 White for her many years of service to this fine institution; and, 2-19 be it further 2-20 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-21 prepared for Dela White and the Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf 2-22 Children as an expression of highest regard by the Texas House of 2-23 Representatives.