Something caught Anita Fisher’s eye at Norfolk’s MacArthur Center on Tuesday.

While speaking in English to someone else, she noticed a boy using American Sign Language to tell other children, “Santa’s not real.”

Fisher, a sign-language teacher at Lakeland High School, immediately instructed one of her students, Dixie Seitz, to tell the boy Santa is real.

Dixie turned to the boy and told him, using the sign for Santa that indicates his big, white beard. The boy’s face lit up.

It was one of many magical moments at MacArthur’s “Signing Santa” program, where eight students in Lakeland’s ASL club performed Christmas carols in sign language for deaf and hard of hearing children from across Hampton Roads.

Eight elementary-school children from Suffolk Public Schools who use sign language also were able to use their own language to communicate with Santa — who, of course, speaks ASL and all other languages fluently.

In addition to enjoying carols and Santa, the young ones also were able to eat cookies, get their faces painted, play in the “snow” and meet cartoon character Olivia the pig.

This was the first year for Lakeland’s current students participating. Last year, the club didn’t get permission in time, so some graduated students performed the Christmas carols instead.

“It gives us an opportunity for my students to use their sign, but the most important part is for the kids to be able to experience Christmas carols in their own language,” Fisher said.

Her students also enjoyed the opportunity.

“Seeing the little deaf kids getting to enjoy Christmas carols as we always have, it’s very exciting,” said Christelle Hollomon. “It makes me miss childhood.”

“They make you want to do it,” added Courtney Tynes. Laura Hickman said, “Just seeing the happiness in their eyes, it just made me feel warm.”

Debbie Bryant and Holly Boyce, deaf educators in Suffolk Public Schools, said it’s an important opportunity for their students as well.

“It’s extra special when they get to talk to a Santa Claus that can communicate with signing,” Bryant said. “This is a fantastic event. They really do a lot.”

Boyce said it also provided an opportunity for the parents and deaf and hard of hearing children in Suffolk Public Schools to get to know each other. Since deaf and hard of hearing students are usually able to stay at their home schools, some of them may be the only ones at their school. Students with hearing aids or cochlear implants might feel out of place at their school, while the devices were a common sight in the winter wonderland at MacArthur on Tuesday.

“They might be the only one in their school using a device,” Bryant said.

Karen Husselbee, marketing director for MacArthur Center, said this is the first year of the event.

“After that first year, how could we not do it again?” she said. “The feedback we got from the kids and the parents and the teachers was overwhelming.”