AUSTIN (KXAN) – Students from the Texas School for the Deaf were in KXAN’s studio on Sunday morning to spread the cheer of the holiday season.

Wess Smith, who is the school’s sign language coordinator, led the TSD Sign Choir in holiday song. The Texas School for the Deaf is the longest continually operating public school in Texas, established in 1857.

The Texas School for the Deaf is located on South Congress. In addition to the school in Austin, Texas operates 57 regional programs where deaf and hard of hearing students are educated in their home schools. The school’s outreach services support an additional 5,000 students in the classroom.

American Sign Language is now taught as a foreign language option in Texas schools. Community classes also are taught on the TSD campus in Austin.