Watch: Kindergarteners Learn Sign Language To Surprise Custodian On Birthday

The sweetest video you will watch today - perhaps even this whole week - involves a kindergarten class learning sign language to surprise their hearing-impaired custodian, Mr James. A video shared by Hickerson Elementary in Tennessee, USA, shows kindergarten students signing 'Happy Birthday' to their "friend and custodian" Mr James on his 60th birthday.

According to the Tennessean, James Anthony, known to the kids as Mr James, has worked at the school for more than 20 years.

Though Mr James is hearing-impaired and can be hard to understand, the kids love him and consider him a friend, Assistant Principal Kathy Crabtree told News Channel 5.

So on his birthday on Tuesday, kindergarten teachers Amy Hershman and Allyssa Hartsfield decided to do something special and teach the students sign language.

A video shared by Hickerson Elementary on Twitter and Facebook shows Mr James yelling in surprise on seeing the preschoolers perform.

Watch the heartwarming video below:

Since being shared online on Tuesday, the video has collected over 82,000 views on Facebook alone, and another 1 lakh on Twitter. It has also garnered a ton of appreciative comments, and hundreds of birthday wishes for Mr James from Hickerson Elementary alumni. Reactions to the video have been curated into their own Twitter Moment, where many have praised Mr James and the young students who surprised him.

I love this so so much. There wasn't a day that went by in elementary school that Mr. James didn't ask me how ball was going! Such a sweet, genuine guy. So proud to be a former Hickerson Hawk https://t.co/QFloB8x80p

— Amanda Crouch (@amandacrouch16) October 24, 2018

Thank you Kindergarten students, teachers, and Nurse Angela for sharing this experience. I know Mr. James had such a great day because of this.

— Jimmy Lee Anderson (@JimmyLeeAnders2) October 24, 2018

I wasn't emotionally ready for that so sweet and beautiful x

— KO'B (@weekirstyo) October 25, 2018

"James is awesome and is always saying how much I put a smile on his face, but today he has definitely put smiles on faces all around the world," said Ms Hartsfield.