SAVANNA LA MAR, Westmoreland — In September, Deandra Dewar will join her brother Dwayne Dewar Jr, who will be in fifth form, at Manning’s School in this parish. Described as “naturally brilliant” they are just like any other siblings except for the fact that both their parents have hearing challenges.

“Both children attended Savanna-la-Mar Primary School,” that school’s Principal Megan Berry proudly told the Jamaica Observer. “Deandra did not do one extra lesson and still managed to pass with high grades.”

Twelve-year-old Deandra’s brilliance has not gone unnoticed. She was awarded a scholarship by Hedonism II Foundation in recognition of being an outstanding Primary Exit Profile (PEP) student for 2024. Her favourite hobby is reading; and although she changes her career choice every day, those who know her believe she will be outstanding in any field she chooses. For now, Deandra hopes to become a chef.

Principal Berry spoke of the role the siblings’ parents, Cassandra Wilson and Dwayne Dewar Sr, have played in their academic success and in shaping them to become who they are today.

“They show a lot of interest in their children’s education over the years,” she said. “Although faced with financial challenges they still pushed to ensure that their children had everything for school and that they attended school. The children themselves are dedicated to learning so the task was not a difficult one.”

Dewar Sr and Wilson met at Christopher’s School for the Deaf in Brown’s Town, St Ann. He is deaf and she has challenges hearing. They have been together for more than 15 years, and their family values have earned them the admiration of many in the community.

Dewar Sr is a carpenter and stay-at-home dad, a choice he made after being laid off from his hotel job during COVID-19. He is always present when his daughter gets home from school, and stands ready to challenge both his children in various ways that boost their reasoning skills and learning development.

Wilson explained the formula for their children’s success.

“We ensure they attend school regularly, that they do assignments, and we provide them with the necessary tools for learning,” the proud mom told the Observer. “We also let them do word puzzles and picture puzzles.”

She said her children are fast learners and it was not very challenging to teach them sign language. Her ability to speak a bit, she said, helped make it easier to teach them.

Both parents explained that their greatest challenge is miscommunication between them and the children. Wilson is plagued with worry that her children will have problems socialising, as she did because of her disability.

However Marcia Grant, mother of Dewar Sr, is not worried. In her view the only impact from growing up with hearing impaired parents is that her grandchildren are a bit quieter than their peers. She, along with the rest of the family and school officials, does her best to treat the children just like anyone else. She sang the praises of the children’s parents.

“Their impairment does not stop them from being good parents,” Grant, told the Observer. “They ensure that the children go to school and to church. The children don’t give trouble. Their teachers say they are quiet children and they are polite.”

Grant was the one who noticed that when Deandra was three years old she was not talking as much as she should.

“I recognised that she was in a quiet home and decided to send her to school to be around children who are talking,” she explained. “When she started, she was still only signing so I moved her again to another school and she started talking while still doing her sign language.”

Grant explained that she had herself raised her son, Dewar Sr, to be independent — a trend continued with the rearing of her grandchildren. The siblings are fluent in sign language and have been of great help to their parents.

As Grant explained, Wilson recently landed a job with Deandra’s help.

“When she did the first interview at the job fair they had difficulties understanding her,” Grant explained. “When she was [shortlisted] and called to do the second interview, she brought Deandra with her to be her interpreter, and she was successful,” she said proudly.