FAMILY'S TRAINING STARTS EARLY KIDS COMMUTE ON METROLINK TO GET TO SCHOOL.

Byline: Amy Raisin Staff Writer

When most kids are boarding the school bus or waiting for the neighborhood car pool, the Miglia children take their seats on the Metrolink.

The commuter train takes 15-year-old Giovanni and his 12-year-old sister, Viviana, between their home in Simi Valley and their schools in Burbank. There, Giovanni attends a special school for the hearing-impaired while Viviana goes to traditional classes.

``It's pretty cool,'' said Giovanni, who speaks, reads lips and signs. ``I'd feel embarassed to take the bus. It's not cool.

``But I don't like getting up so early in the morning.''

In fact, the siblings have to awaken at 5:30 a.m. and be out the door an hour later in order for them to make their Burbank-bound train. And they've had to give up sports and other after-school activities so they can catch their train home.

But their mother, Eli Miglia, said the 45-minute ride is the only way Giovanni could get to Tripod School, a campus for the hearing-impaired and deaf, run jointly with the Burbank Unified School District. The teen's older sister, Ginnini, now 18, graduated from Tripod and is now a liberal arts major at California State University, Northridge.

Eli said she and her husband, Eligo, a chef for the WB Network show ``Seventh Heaven'' debated a long time whether their youngsters could handle the commute unsupervised.

``We had to really think about this,'' said Eli Miglia, who works part time at the Simi Valley Senior Center. ``We have children who are hearing impaired and deaf. It was a hard decision.''

But the children have adapted well to the train, with Giovanni counting the stops to their Burbank exit because he cannot hear the announcements.

Giovanni and Ginnina are both afflicted with Usher syndrome, a congenital condition that impairs hearing and will slowly rob them of their sight. Viviana carries the gene for Usher syndrome, but has no physical symptoms, her mother said.

With their parents wanting to keep the children together as they grew up, Viviana began riding the train with her siblings when she was just 4.

``I'm used to it. Sometimes I'll get bored if I forget to bring a book or something,'' she said. ``But when I get home I just like to veg out, watch TV.''

Simi Valley Mayor Bill Davis, who is chairman of the Metrolink board, said he is proud of the Miglia kids' courage and also that the train system has allowed them to receive a good education.

``Obviously it's very courageous of them. And it's great that we can provide a connection to enable them to get to school,'' Davis said. ``That we can serve these kids is great.''

Asked if he plans to ride the train to amusement parks and rock shows once he's finished with school, Giovanni shook his head a gave the incredulous look of a 15-year-old boy.

``I'll be driving my car,'' he said.

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Photo:

From left, Eli Miglia, in light shoes, holds the hand of her nephew, Kyle Inteso, 5, as she follows her children Vivianna, 12, and Giovanni, 15, onto the Metrolink train leaving Burbank. Vivianna and Giovanni attend separate schools in Burbank each day, and occasionally their mom makes the trip from Simi to accompany them on the trip home.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer