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Stay up to date on happenings around Southview and the District. See pictures from our latest events and find information on upcoming activities and events.

Character Word = Integrity

Integrity is doing the right thing even when it’s hard or when no one is looking. Many people only do what they are supposed to because they know that an authority figure is watching. If someone is watching them, then they do what they are supposed to only because they don’t want to get in trouble. That’s not sincere. It’s not in their heart to be honest because they are doing it out of fear of the consequences. True integrity is abiding by the rules because you know that it’s the right thing to do.

There were no Grinches at Southview this Spirit Week....or were there? Students and staff decked the classrooms and hallways with winter spirit in December.

Winter pajama's, holiday sweaters, candy cane outfits, Grinches galore, and Mele Kalikimaka vibes could be seen throughout the week. Adding to the festive cheer student Addy Anderson, social worker Becky Schultz, and school counselor Maeghan Gunn made Cookies for the Cafeteria (and other special staff members) to end the spirit week on a delicious note. Students in room 27 helped create ornaments to accompany the cookies adding even more holiday cheer.

ALL ABOARD! Celia and her merry group of jinglers have traveled to Southview to bring the holiday cheer. Southview was ready to sing, dance, and jingle bells to their favorite holiday music during Celia's performance on December 18th.

You can follow her Celia Later YouTube page. Click the picture on the right to find her page.

Want to see your student in the next newsletter? Make sure you have a media release on file!

Hannah Seger's students learned there's more holidays in winter than just Christmas. Recognizing and respecting the differences between personal culture and other cultures and identifying similarities and difference among families and their traditions are two curriculum standards that Hannah covered with the classes winter holiday studies.

Students got to learn about Krampus, an Eastern European tradition, Las Posadas a Latin American celebration, Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, Soyal, the most sacred rite of the year for the Hopi, and many other traditions!

We're wearing green and supporting those in our community with mental health needs. January 8th - 12th Southview will be celebrating and promoting mental wellness.

Why Green? According to the National Federation of Families green is to combat bias and discrimination. In the 1800s, the color green was used to brand people who were labeled “insane.” The children's mental health community decided to continue using the color green, but with a completely different focus. Green signifies new life, new growth, and new beginnings.

Activities at Southview for the week include:

Spirit Days

Classroom Activities

No School on Friday!

Check out these mental wellness resources:

Winter weather is approaching, and it's important to stay healthy! SSD's Health Services department has put together some helpful tips for families and staff to avoid the spread of contagious respiratory viruses like flu, COVID-19, and RSV. Unfortunately, illness rates are on the rise in St. Louis County, and SSD schools are not immune. Let's work together to keep our students and staff healthy this season!

Learn more: https://buff.ly/3un5WLv

Winter themed bulletin boards were all over the buildings this winter season!

The student's in Brooke Napolitano's class encouraged their hallway to "Take An Elfie" to spread holiday cheer for all to hear! Down the 30s hallway Rebecca's Schmitz's class set up a photo backdrop outside their door.

Teachers, staff, and students posed for pictures and had fun with their photo sessions.

The Summer Work Experience Program (SWEP) application are now available. SWEP is run by Mers Goodwill and aims to provide a meaningful work experience that will assist students in a smoother transition into the adult world of work.

Participant Eligibility Must be St. Louis County resident. Must be 16 to 20. Must have a developmental disability. Must be returning to school the following year.

Contact your student's case manager, school counselor Maeghan Gunn (megunn@ssdmo.org), or transition facilitator Lauren Rongey-Llanos (lerongey-llanos@ssdmo.org) for more information and an application.

B and B Theatres Wildwood 10 Sensory Friendly

Everyone deserves the chance to enjoy an experience at the movie theater, but we understand that certain sensitivities can make this challenging. B&B Theatres, however, is committed to creating environments where cinema lovers of all types can watch a movie in comfort and without fear of judgment or rebuke.

In order to better accommodate our guests with varying levels of physical or mental challenge, we host Sensory Friendly viewings in association with particular films. These showtimes feature brighter auditorium lighting, lower audio levels, and are open and available for folks that may have trouble in conventional cinema settings.

https://www.bbtheatres.com/sensory-friendly/

St. Louis County Library Sensory Story Time

St. Louis County Library offers Sensory Story Time for families with children ages 3-9 who are on the autism spectrum or who have multi-sensory needs. The program provides a welcoming environment for children to enjoy a story and other fun activities.

The program uses props, toys and tactile objects, to offer children a variety of ways to process the information being presented. In an effort to help kids feel more comfortable, SLCL also provides noise canceling head phones and blue light covers to mitigate sensory stimulation such as fluorescent lighting and loud noises.

webmaster@slcl.org

Did you know you can eat at the St. Louis Co. library?

Operation Food Search will provide after school meals Monday-Friday at five branches starting on August 21, 2023. Stop by after school and enjoy a nutritious meal along with activities for kids. Meals must be eaten on-site and will be available free of charge for children ages 5-18.

• Weber Road Branch, 4444 Weber Road, St. Louis, MO 63123
  Monday-Friday, 2:45-4:00 p.m.

Here's what happening in January:

January 1st - FIRST FOOT DAY (HOGAMANAY)

January 4th - NATIONAL MISSOURI DAY

January 8th - NATIONAL BUBBLE BATH DAY

January 18th - NATIONAL THESAURUS DAY

January 24th - INTERNATIONAL DAY OF EDUCATION

January 28th - NATIONAL KAZOO DAY

January 31st - YAD DRAWKCAB LANOITAN (NATIONAL BACKWARDS DAY)

Visit January's Virtual Library features by clicking on the picture below!

Are you looking for unique and accessible activities to participate in this winter? Look no further than the latest FACE newsletter! In it you will find not only information on what FACE has to offer, but also ideas to enhance your student’s learning and great community events and offerings. You can sign up to have future newsletters sent to your inbox by visiting the FACE website today!

Would you like to learn more about how to support your student’s learning this Winter? Take a look at the FACE YouTube page and watch any of our pre-recorded webinars. Topics include toilet training, executive functioning, behavior supports, and Special Education Process. Check it out and email us at face@ssdmo.org to suggest other important topics.

American Sign Language classes were a huge success this Fall. If you did not get a chance to attend, registration for second semester classes will open up in mid December. Keep an eye out on the FACE website for more information. Classes will be held each Thursday for six weeks starting February 8th. Classes fill up fast so register early.

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.