

The Southview Scoop
October 2023

Southview School
Southview Quick Facts!
Year Established: 1973
School Mascot: Cougar
Partner Districts Served: 9
Current Enrollment: 137 & growing!
Ages served: 5-21
Click the Cougar for a virtual building tour!
Southview PBIS
First Quarter PBIS Focus
When asked about Respect, 4th grade student, Jason Nesselhauf, stated that respect was kindness to others and respecting their personal space if needed. Jason's classmate Chris Giles added that respect is for EVERYONE!
Responsibility means being dependable, making good choices, and taking accountability for your actions. A responsible citizen looks out for the well-being of others and understands we all have a part to play in making the world a better place.
Click the PBIS Paw to watch a short character education video on responsibility!
Back To School At Southview Rocks! Spirit Week
Students and Staff celebrated the first weeks of school with spirit! Southview participated in themed spirit days complete with special dress days. Outfits included tropical & bright colors, wear blue for deaf & hearing impairment awareness, make it to school in your PJs, and Party in the USA wear Red, White, and Blue. To end the week Southview hydrated with a watermelon snack sponsored by the school nurses, social workers, and counselor!
Want to see your student in the next newsletter? Make sure you have a media release on file!
Inside the Classroom
Learning the States on the Rail Trail
What better way to learn about the upper half of the United States than by hoping on the Rail Trail! Students in Ms. Schmitz, Ms. Lehmann, Ms. Stiffler, and Ms. Seger spent a sunny afternoon outside experiencing the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of these States. The sensory experience helped students learn important symbols and interesting facts about States on the nearly 25,000 miles of Trail. Immersive experiences such as the Rail Trail are becoming a weekly part of the curriculum says Rebecca Schmitz.
Social Work & School Counseling Corner
Red Ribbon Week October 23rd - October 31st
What is Red Ribbon Week?
Red Ribbon Week is the nation's oldest and largest drug prevention awareness program. Southview participates in this annual event with a week of spirit days and activities put on by the counseling and social work departments. Click the picture to learn more about how you can celebrate with your family and community.
Red Ribbon's Beginnings
Since its beginning in 1985, the Red Ribbon has touched the lives of millions of people around the world. In response to the murder of DEA Agent Enrique Camarena, angered parents and youth in communities across the country began wearing Red Ribbons as a symbol of their commitment to raise awareness of the killing and destruction cause by drugs in America.
Enrique (Kiki) Camarena was a Drug Enforcement Administration Agent who was tortured and killed in Mexico in 1985. When he decided to join the US Drug Enforcement Administration, his mother tried to talk him out of it. "I'm only one person", he told her, "but I want to make a difference."
In honor of Camarena's memory and his battle against illegal drugs, friends and neighbors began to wear red badges of satin. Parents, sick of the destruction of alcohol and other drugs, had begun forming coalitions. Some of these new coalitions took Camarena as their model and embraced his belief that one person can make a difference. These coalitions also adopted the symbol of Camarena's memory, the red ribbon.
From the Nurses' Office
Attention Parents!
Starting April 1, 2023, the Family Support Division (FSD) is required to resume checking the eligibility of all MO HealthNet ( aka Medicaid) participants. This is called an annual renewal. More than 1.5 million Missourians currently have health care coverage through MO HealthNet and will be impacted by this change. Annual renewals are required each year and typically take place around the anniversary of when a participant's coverage began. Missouri will start with individuals due for a yearly renewal in June 2023. FSD will use their contact information to contact participants with details about their annual renewal. If a participant’s address has changed, they should notify FSD immediately!! They can update their address and any other important information online or by visiting their local resource center, or call 1-800- 466-2313 or, visit the FSD website: mydss.mo.gov/renew, or visit CoverMissouri.org/help to find a trained expert nearby to assist.
FSD will determine if a participant is eligible or not. The parent will get one of the following decision letters:
1. We have determined they are still eligible for MO HealthNet coverage. Nothing will change, and there is nothing more they need to do.
2. Change in Coverage: The participant is still eligible, but a different type of coverage is a better fit. This letter will let them know their new MO HealthNet coverage category and will provide instructions if there is anything they need to do
3. Adverse Action: The participant is no longer eligible for MO HealthNet coverage. If the parent disagrees with this decision, they must take action by the date listed in the letter.
One resource from FSD may be helpful: State Plan: Resuming Medicaid Renewals | mydss.mo.gov.
Transition Department Feature
Upcoming Webinar!
Southview's Library
October is more than just Halloween! Check out these other celebrations!
- Oct. 1st is National Black Dog Day
- Oct. 5th is National Do Something Nice Day
- Oct. 14th National Dessert Day
- Oct. 20th National Youth Confidence Day
- Oct. 26th National Pumpkin Day
- Oct. 30th National Candy Corn Day
Check Out the Library's featured Resource: Sora!
Students in the districts have access to Sora, which is an online platform for ebooks and audio books. It can be accessed from home as well as school! Here are the directions:
Download the Sora app from the App store or the Play Store
On a computer go to https://soraapp.com/library/morenetmo
You will click on “Morenet”
When prompted to "Search within" type in Special School District of St. Louis County
When you click this to log in you will use the student’s “google credentials”. The teacher will be able to help if you don’t know the google credentials.
Once you are in you can search and borrow titles. If you have any questions, please reach out to me at lcschnurbusch@ssdmo.org
Visit October's Virtual Library features by clicking on the picture!
Upcoming Southview Events
Picture Day
Wednesday, Oct 11, 2023, 08:00 AM
Southview School, Eddie & Park Road, Sappington, MO, USA
Unity Day!
Southview and Special School District are celebrating Unity Day! This is the signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month, also celebrated in October. The key message of this month, and this day, is to unite for kindness, courage, and inclusion, to prevent students from being bullied. Please help us celebrate by wearing Orange on October 18th!
Wednesday, Oct 18, 2023, 08:45 AM
No School
Thursday, Oct 19, 2023, 08:45 AM
No School
No student attendance Friday, October 20th for Fall Break.
Friday, Oct 20, 2023, 07:00 AM
PBIS Paws Rally
Southview will be celebrating our PBIS success with the first quarter rally. Students will review what respect and responsibility means at school, at home, and in the community and celebrate our PAW earners as a school group.
Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023, 01:00 PM
Red Ribbon Spirit Week
Students and Staff will be celebrating "Being Kind To Your Mind- Live Drug Free" with a spirit week October 23rd - October 27th. Staff and students will have themed dress days and activities throughout the week.
Monday, Oct 23, 2023, 07:00 AM
Halloween Parade, Trick or Treat, & Dance
Bring your best costume for Southview Parade, Trick or Treat, and Halloween Dance!
Tuesday, Oct 31, 2023, 10:15 AM
Upcoming District Events
Family Leadership Institute (Session 3 of 3)
The Family Leadership Institute (FLI) will be held on Wednesdays, from 5:30 - 8 PM, on Sept. 20, Sept. 27, and Oct. 4, 2023. The institute is offered at no cost and dinner is provided to attendees. Family members from across St. Louis County will be chosen through an application process. All parents and guardians who have children that receive special education, 504 services, First Steps, or early childhood services are encouraged to apply.
First-semester sessions include:
- Sept. 20 - Self-Determination
- Sept. 27 - SPED Process
- Oct. 4 - Utilizing Charting the LifeCourse Framework
Learn more or apply to participate by visiting the Family Leadership Institute webpage.
Contact
Email: face@ssdmo.org
Wednesday, Oct 4, 2023, 05:30 PM
Lunch & Learn
Join Tina Meier, CEO of The Megan Meier Foundation, as she shares information about bullying and cyberbullying with families.
About The Megan Meier Foundation:
On October 16, 2006, Tina Meier's life took a devastating turn. Her 13-year-old daughter, Megan Taylor Meier, took her own life after being cyberbullied by an adult neighbor posting as an imaginary boy named "Josh Evans" on MySpace. In December 2007, Tina Meier founded the Megan Meier Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit with a mission to support and inspire actions to end bullying, cyberbullying, and suicide. The Megan Meier Foundation has evolved into a global bullying, cyberbullying, and suicide prevention foundation serving over 585,500 people.
Thursday, Oct 5, 2023, 11:30 AM
American Sign Language (ASL) - Session 3 of 6
New this year, SSD's FACE (Family and Community Engagement) will be offering an immersive environment for learning American Sign Language (ASL)! Learn to communicate with Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HoH) individuals with an introduction to fingerspelling and basic signs to use in the home, school, and community. Topics include family, school, food, and community signs. Deaf cultural norms will be discussed, which include introductions and daily interaction between the deaf and the hearing.
Registration is required, and attendees are expected to attend all 6 sessions.
Sessions will be held at SSD's Central Office, from 6-7:30 PM, on the following dates:
- Sept. 21, 2023
- Sept. 28, 2023
- Oct. 5, 2023
- Oct. 12, 2023
- Oct. 19, 2023
- Oct. 26, 2023
- Makeup Date: Nov. 2, 2023
Thursday, Oct 5, 2023, 06:00 PM
Special School District, 12110 Clayton Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63131, USA
Hub Huddle: CAASTLC
SSD's FACE (Family and Community Engagement) has partnered with the Community Action Agency of St. Louis County (CAASTLC) to provide our community with additional support and access to resources that promote healthy families and thriving communities. A representative from CASSTLC will be available at the SSD Family Resource Hub (located inside North Tech High School) on the first Friday of each month to provide information and access to many of their programs, including the Low-Income Home Energy Program (LIHEAP) and Water Assistance Program (LIWAP).
CASSTLC can provide the following programs and services to families:
- Case management
- Utility assistance
- Rental assistance
- Financial education
- Weatherization
- Program development and educational activities.
Friday, Oct 6, 2023, 10:00 AM
North Technical High School, Derhake Road, Florissant, MO, USA
FACE Workshop: Behavioral Strategies in the Home and Community (Part 1 of 2)
Basic behavior strategies on how to prevent and react to behaviors are useful to families when in and out in the community. In this training, attendees will review reinforcement strategies, basic functions of behavior, determining what your student prefers, how to apply these things across settings, and where resources are for you in the community.
Part 2 of this session will be held on Feb. 7, 2024, and requires a separate registration.
Register for this virtual event. Unable to attend but still interested in the information? Register and a recorded version will be emailed to you within a week after the event.
Contact
Email: face@ssdmo.org
Monday, Oct 9, 2023, 06:00 PM
Virtual
Parent Advisory Council (PAC) Meeting
Parent Advisory Council (PAC) is comprised of families advising and collaborating to improve the education, confidence, and social outcomes of each student served by SSD. SSD's PAC works closely with the SSD Board of Education, Governing Council, and District administration to provide valuable input and feedback from the parent perspective.
Meetings are open to the public and held via Zoom.
For more information or to join the meeting virtually, please visit the PAC website.
PAC general council meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month.
Wednesday, Oct 11, 2023, 07:00 PM
Virtual
American Sign Language (ASL) - Session 4 of 6
New this year, SSD's FACE (Family and Community Engagement) will be offering an immersive environment for learning American Sign Language (ASL)! Learn to communicate with Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HoH) individuals with an introduction to fingerspelling and basic signs to use in the home, school, and community. Topics include family, school, food, and community signs. Deaf cultural norms will be discussed, which include introductions and daily interaction between the deaf and the hearing.
Registration is required, and attendees are expected to attend all 6 sessions.
Sessions will be held at SSD's Central Office, from 6-7:30 PM, on the following dates:
- Sept. 21, 2023
- Sept. 28, 2023
- Oct. 5, 2023
- Oct. 12, 2023
- Oct. 19, 2023
- Oct. 26, 2023
- Makeup Date: Nov. 2, 2023
Contact
Email: face@ssdmo.org
Thursday, Oct 12, 2023, 06:00 PM
Special School District, Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO, USA
Lunch and Learn: Pathways to Independence
Special School District’s FACE (Family and Community Engagement) is excited to offer a virtual Lunch & Learn series for SSD families and stakeholders. The series, which will involve community organizations sharing information about their work, will continue during the 2023-24 school year and take place from 11:30 AM - Noon.
Pathways to Independence is a local non-profit supporting teens through navigating their transition years, with a focus on friendship and social skills. Pathways is geared toward more independent teens, often with a Level 1 Autism diagnosis, a learning disability, or other developmental disability. Through a monthly calendar, participants have their choice of a variety of social activities and social skills classes.
Events are held virtually through YouTube Live. To access the video, please visit the SSD YouTube channel. The video will not be available to view until its scheduled date and time.
Contact
Email: face@ssdmo.org
Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023, 11:30 AM
American Sign Language (ASL) - Session 6 of 6
New this year, SSD's FACE (Family and Community Engagement) will be offering an immersive environment for learning American Sign Language (ASL)! Learn to communicate with Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HoH) individuals with an introduction to fingerspelling and basic signs to use in the home, school, and community. Topics include family, school, food, and community signs. Deaf cultural norms will be discussed, which include introductions and daily interaction between the deaf and the hearing.
Registration is required, and attendees are expected to attend all 6 sessions.
Sessions will be held at SSD's Central Office, from 6-7:30 PM, on the following dates:
- Sept. 21, 2023
- Sept. 28, 2023
- Oct. 5, 2023
- Oct. 12, 2023
- Oct. 19, 2023
- Oct. 26, 2023
- Makeup Date: Nov. 2, 2023
Contact
Email: face@ssdmo.org
Thursday, Oct 26, 2023, 06:00 PM
Special School District, Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO, USA
Connect with the SSD Board of Education
The SSD Board of Education strives for transparency, accountability, and accessibility. We welcome family, staff, and community members to share comments, concerns, and ideas with SSD Board of Education members. To find the Board member representing your subdistrict, visit the Board of Education page on the SSD website.