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Hazelwood SSD News & Updates
March 2023
Important April Dates
April 3 - School Resumes following Spring Break
April 5 - Early Release Day (school ends 2 hours early)
April 7 - Spring Weekend - No School - Hazelwood Closed
April 10 - Spring Weekend - No School - Hazelwood Closed
April 11 - SSD Board of Education Meeting
April 13 - Board of Education Community Forum
April 18 - HSD Board of Education Meeting
April 25 - SSD Board of Education Meeting
Dates for SSD-sponsored events and community events can be found elsewhere in this newsletter.
Mitchell-Collins is Keeven's Teacher of the Year!
Congratulations to SSD teacher Trina Mitchell-Collins. She is the Teacher of the Year for Keeven Elementary School! Ms. Mitchell-Collins was recognized at the Hazelwood Founders Day Celebration last month. Thank you Ms. Mitchell-Collins for all the hard work you do for our kids every day!!
Dunn is SSD's Paraprofessional of the Month!
The SSD Paraprofessional of the Month for January 2023 is Vicki Dunn of McNair Elementary! Ms. Dunn, who was nominated by McNair teacher Ms. Mattingly, has been at McNair Elementary for 4 years. Ms. Dunn has a love for elementary school students and a passion for seeing students succeed. She spends most of her day pushing into general education classrooms to support students. Congratulations to Ms. Dunn! Click here to read more.
Dintelman Feeds Kids!
Please join us in thanking Erika Dintelman, SSD social worker at Hazelwood East High School, for eliminating school lunch debt by using the power of social media. Jyrah Horton, a senior at East High, helped Ms. Dintelman create a TikTok video that has since gone viral. The lunch debt at the high school was $175; that goal was quickly reached, and donations to date have exceeded $500! The extra funds will be kept as a lunch debt fund for future needs. Great job, Ms. Dintelman!
Community Autism Expo
Community Autism Expo: Visit with local organizations to learn about services and resources available for individuals with autism and their families. Please click here for more information.
BIA of Missouri Educational Scholarships
The Brain Injury Association of Missouri (BIA-MO) is pleased to offer educational scholarships for survivors of brain injury to pursue post-secondary education. Please click here for more information.
Social Skills Program
PEERS® (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills) is a 12-16 week social skills program for children, teens or young adults with autism. Find more information about this below.
Food Pantry
Please click here for more information on SSD’s Satellite Food Pantry at The Family Resource Hub at North Tech High School.
Family Leadership Institute - Last Call
Last call for applicants to the Family Leadership Institute (FLI)! FLI is a great
opportunity for educational decision makers to:
- Build an understanding of future planning and problem-solving using Charting the LifeCourse tools.
- Learn to effectively participate in their student's education and improve the educational climate for all children.
- Learn how to positively interact and collaborate with other families and school personnel.
- Discover new resources and network with other families.
This program, which is offered at no cost to participants, is designed for family members who are the educational decision-makers for a student with a disability.
The three sessions will be held in-person on Wednesdays, from 5:30-8 PM on April
19, 26, and May 3, 2023. Dinner will be provided for attendees.
Flyer linked to Peachjar: https://share.peachjar.com/flyers/2407995/districts/50008
FACE News
Recreation Council 2023 Summer Resource Guide is Now Available!
Recreation Council of Greater St. Louis Mission
We aim to connect individuals of all ages with developmental disabilities with a variety of recreation activities and programs across the greater St. Louis area. We work to ensure individuals are aware of and have access through funding to recreation opportunities, including community inclusive recreation
programs, specialized city programs and camps and other community resources. Through these connections, we encourage them to build communities of their own.
Click on the here for more details. Financial assistance available.
Autism Support
Does your child have a new Autism diagnosis or are you interested in learning more about Autism and how to best support student learning in the home environment? Join FACE on April 5th at 6pm as one of SSD’s own Autism Effective Practice Specialists gives practical advice and information. To learn more and to register for this event click here.
Toilet Training Support
FACE along with SSD’s Behavior Analysts are hosting a workshop about toilet training on April 10th at 6:30. You can learn strategies to break down toilet training skills and gather resources to help your student’s success. To learn more and to register for this event, click here.
NAMI Lunch & Learn
Join FACE and NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) for a Lunch and Learn on April 26th at 11:30am. This event will be live streamed on the district’s YouTube Channel. Click here to join the event and learn what NAMI has to offer.
Family Café at North Tech
FACE is hosting a Family Cafe at North Technical High School on April 27th at 6pm. Cafes are hosted by families for families and provide a welcoming space for families to learn from each other. Click here to register or visit our website www.ssdmo.org/face for more information.
Community Partner Highlight
PEERS® (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills) is a 12-16 week social skills program for children, teens or young adults with autism. In this program, individuals are engaged in learning real-life skills for connecting with others, as well as building and maintaining friendships. Parents/Caregivers will also participate in the program and will be taught how to support and assist their child/young adult in making and keeping friends by coaching and providing feedback during weekly homework assignments.
This program is offered to three age groups:
- Children’s Friendship Training: 3rd-5th graders
- PEERS: Middle and high school aged students
- PEERS for Young Adults: Individuals ages 18+ who are no longer in high school
New sessions will begin in May and August 2023.
A pre-program assessment to determine eligibility is required. Funding options include DDRB,
DMH and Private Pay.
For more information and to see if you qualify, please contact our Admissions Department at 314-394-7100 or via email info@esmw.org
HUB Huddles
FACE is hosting two HUB Huddles this month at our HUB located in North Technical High School. On April 14 Community Action Agency of St. Louis County (CAASTL) will be available to help families with emergency utility and weatherization assistance from 9am-4pm. On April 18th from 11am-12pm the Higher Education Consortium will be available to provide families with the opportunity to access information and increase their knowledge about education, career, and workforce planning or transitioning. This service is available to all high school students and anyone over the age of 19.
Spotlight on Bullying
Bullying is an unacceptable part of our children’s lives. Do your children know how to recognize the signs of bullying? Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center offers resources to help. Click here to learn how you can become a partner in your child’s learning.
The Family and Community Resource Center (FCRC), located at the SSD Learning Center in Hazelwood, has several books that help to increase awareness and prevent bullying for students of all different ages and abilities. Here is a list of just a few:
- “Betty Stops the Bully: An Emotional Literacy Book” written by Lawrence E. Shapiro, Ph.D
- “Emily is Being Bullied. What Can She Do?” written by Helen Cowie, Harriet Tenebaum, and Ffion Jones
- “I Wish I Knew What to Do?!, Teens tell it like it is…on what to say to get BULLIES to leave you alone!” edited by Beth Carls and Amy Looper
Contact FACE today (face@ssdmo.org, 314-989-8460) to have one of these books or many
others sent home in your student’s backpack!
Family Workshops
All of the workshops offered by FACE are provided free of charge and are open to all parents, families and community members. After registering, participants will be provided with information about the platform that will be used for the workshop.
The workshops will be set up as webinars, so you will be able to see the panelists but not other attendees. Your confirmation and reminder email will contain information about how to submit questions to the panelists in advance, or you can use the chat and Q&A features during the workshop. If you have any questions, please let us know. If you are unable to attend the live workshop, please still register so that we can send you the link to the recording a day or two after the workshop.
If you need more information, or if you require an alternative format as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act, contact face@ssdmo.org, 314.989.8460 or 711 (Deaf/HOH).
Ready to Register?
FACE has an updated registration process that makes it easy for all! Find the event you wish to register for in the list to the right and select it. Inside, you will find a registration link. Please be sure to register for each event you are interested in!
If you need additional assistance, please email face@ssdmo.org or call 314.989.8460.
Hazelwood SSD Parent Advisory Council
The Hazelwood SSD Parent Advisory Council (PAC) is a cross-categorical group of parents of children receiving services from the Special School District. It is a volunteer organization made up of parents, SSD and Hazelwood administrators who are committed to identifying and building upon the strengths of all children in the Hazelwood School District. Hazelwood Parent Advisory Council provides a forum for parents to meet other parents and share information concerning their children and resources.
If you would like to become involved in the Hazelwood SSD PAC or if you would like more information about Hazelwood SSD parent supports and resources, please complete the survey found here: Hazelwood Parent Involvement Survey
Work for SSD in Hazelwood!
SSD is hiring all summer long! Come join the amazing SSD HSD instructional team!
An awesome benefit of working at a school is that you have the same schedule as your child! Pictured below are just a few of the positions currently available countywide - in Hazelwood, we specifically need teachers and paraprofessionals. We have openings in middle schools and elementary schools from the West side of the district to the East. We have open opportunities to work with students in general education classrooms, special education classrooms, collaboratively taught classrooms (two teachers - one HSD & one SSD), essential skills classrooms, and classrooms for students with our highest support needs.
Please also share this information with friends and family looking for a collaborative, equitable, and committed work culture, outstanding benefits, and competitive salaries.
Click here for more information about working for SSD.
Click here to see a current list of job vacancies on the SSD website.
Click here to contact a special education coordinator to ask about opportunities at a specific school or in a specific classroom.
Let's Talk
We want to hear from you! Click here to share your comments, questions, or concerns.
Lunch & Learn Series
Click here to register for upcoming sessions or to view recorded sessions from SSD's Lunch & Learn series that features community organizations.
SSD Website
Click here for information for SSD's families, students, and community.
Hazelwood SSD Department Contact Information
If you have any questions feel free to contact us at any of the following:
Special School District of St. Louis County
12110 Clayton Road
Town & Country, MO 63131
Phone: 314-989-8100
Hazelwood School District
Director of Special Education for Hazelwood
Meet the SSD Team
Amanda Barton: Arrowpoint Elementary, Grannemann Elementary, Keeven Elementary, and Twillman Elementary
Angela Edwards: Barrington Elementary, Garrett Elementary, Larimore Elementary, and Jury Elementary
Stephani Hudson: Hazelwood Central High
Dr. Susan Jackson: Hazelwood Opportunity Center, Hazelwood East Middle, Armstrong Elementary, and Townsend Elementary
Shannon Jeralds: Brown Elementary, Lusher Elementary, McCurdy Elementary, and Walker Elementary
Erin Kinion: Lawson Elementary, Cold Water Elementary, McNair Elementary, and Russell Elementary
Matt Moellering: Hazelwood West High
Renita Murphy: Hazelwood Central Middle, Hazelwood North Middle, and Jamestown Elementary
Denise Quante: Hazelwood East High
Dr. Leigha Wetter: Hazelwood Northwest Middle, Hazelwood Southwest Middle, and Hazelwood West Middle