SSD Ladue Schools
June/July 2023
EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR (ESY) 2023 STARTS JULY 6TH
It’s summer already! Now that the school year has ended, I would like to be sure you have information about summer programming for July.
Just before July 4th, your child's ESY teacher or related service provider will be reaching out to you via email or phone to introduce themselves.
Here are the dates/times/locations for ESY in Ladue:
Dates: July 6th - July 27th
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (Monday - Thursday)
Location for grades 5-12: Ladue Horton Watkins High School
Location for grades K-4: Ladue Fifth Grade Center
Extended School Year (ESY) services are offered during the summer for students who receive special education services and who the IEP team finds eligible to receive ESY services. Services (amount) and goals are determined by the IEP team. Please reach out to the special education coordinator with any questions.
ESY is not the same as summer school, which school districts may or may not offer to district students. For more information on the Ladue School District summer programs reach out to your child's school go to Ladue Schools website.
If you have any questions about ESY, please reach out to one of us.
James Sievers
Secondary Coordinator
John Turner
Elementary Coordinator
Catina Lyles
Director of Special Education
WHAT CAN PARENTS DO TO HELP AS WE ENTER THE SUMMER MONTHS?
As we enter the summer months, it is important to ensure that students retain the skills they learn during the school year by keeping their minds active. Below are some tips from scholastic.org that can help parents keep their children engaged with learning and prevent regression during the summer months.
What Can Parents Do to Help?
There are a number of ways to keep kids engaged in reading and math over the summer:
1. Let kids read what they want.
.To get started, check out this year's Scholastic Read-a-Palooza Summer Reading Challenge, a free, educational program in which kids can enter reading minutes online to unlock exclusive digital rewards and help donate books to kids in need across the country.
2. Make time for smart play.
Games and puzzles are a great way for kids to brush up on the basics while having fun at the same time. Whether it’s a game geared specifically toward teaching kids math skills, like this Mobi Math Tiles Game, or a learning activity that helps them brush up on vocabulary, like these Sight Word Learning Mats, there are plenty of ways to get children engaged.
3. Get out of the house.
Experts have found that novelty stimulates the brain and promotes learning. Visiting a historic site or even simply reading together at the park can help your child get more excited about reading and learning.
4. Use your imagination.
Kids who use their imagination are also expanding their vocabularies and experimenting with new concepts. Even though it may not seem like they’re directly “learning” when they’re crafting their own superhero capes with a superhero starter kit or dreaming up complex chain reactions with educational LEGO sets, they’re still calling on familiar skills and developing new ones.
SUMMER TIME READING
Book Recommendations for Reluctant Readers
Learning never has to stop! Students should be encouraged to continue reading over the summer months.
1. “Read What You Want”
Make sure that students know they can read whatever they want. No matter how challenging or silly the book may seem. The goal is to encourage a lifelong love of reading! Teachers pick a curated list of books for students to read during the school year. These books cover all of the basis in terms of curriculum standards, but they might not align with your student's interest. In other words, these are books students “have” to read. During the summer months, they should be encouraged to read books that they “want to read”.
2. Be the Bridge
Students who struggle with reading might be interested in a particular series or book, but dismiss it because it may be too challenging. Provide your students with books on tape or read out loud to them. This is a great way to encourage them to continue reading and spend additional time with them over the summer. Another option is to take turns reading paragraphs or pages with your student. This can be a really low-pressure way for students to practice decoding and fluency over the summer. If you choose to take reading turns with your student, please do not encourage them to guess words. Read any word they cannot: decode for them.
3. Parent Curated List
Although it is important for students to read what they want to read over the summer, going into a library, comic book store, or bookstore can be overwhelming. Help your student out by providing them with a list of books or series that align with their interests or personalities. An amazing resource is the New York Times best-seller list. The list is updated often and allows readers to narrow down search options based on genre, age group, and month. In addition, please see below for a list of picture books and middle-aged books curated by Nathan Turner.
Picture Books
MIDDLE AGES
SPECIAL EDUCATION FOUNDATION KID-TO-CAMP
Special Education Foundation Kid-to-Camp: Camp experience brings life-changing benefits to a student with a disability. Outcomes from attending camp include easier adjustment to new environments, a greater sense of personal satisfaction, and personal habits that lead to a healthy lifestyle.
The Special Education Foundation’s (SEF) Kid-to-Camp program helps provide funding for students served by the Special School District (SSD), those who may be impacted financially, preventing them from being able to attend camp. Camperships are awarded based on financial needs and child benefits. Applications are accepted year-round including summer, winter, and spring breaks. SEF is here to help eliminate that financial burden where possible.
Learn more about SEF’s Kid-to-Camp program and camp options for students with disabilities.
Adaptive & Assistive Equipment: The Special Education Foundation (SEF) is able to provide specialized equipment to students with disabilities up to age 21. The aim of the SEF is to enhance the education or the independence of students or to improve their quality of life. Through grants, the Foundation is able to help provide requests for specialized equipment, based on financial need, which includes:
● augmentative communication devices
● adaptive equipment
● hearing aids
● eyeglasses
Applications are accepted year-round and are initiated by the student’s teacher. Learn more about SEF’s Adaptive and Assistive Equipment program and how to apply.
Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Information
- SUMMER HOURS FOR THE HUB: Access to the HUB, located in North Technical High School, will only be available over the summer by appointment. Email face@ssdmo.org to make an appointment.
- Still on the hunt for good summer camps or activities? There are search engines that can help with that. Blueprint 4 Summer and Kids out and About are great resources to help fill those hot summer days.
- Youth Mental Health First Aid Training is available for families in SSD. The course is located at Maryland Heights Community Center on July 22, 2023 from 9 - 3:30 PM. The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. To join us please register at https://forms.gle/CRFvDJH76XbSyFQg7. Seats are limited. Register to become a mental health first aider today.
- The National Association on Mental Illness (NAMI) offers meaningful resources to support youth, educators, families, and caregivers have productive discussions about mental health with youth and young adults. Please visit the website to review the resources. https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults/Youth-and-Young-Adult-Resources
FACE would love your feedback!
Please complete are PEDA Communications survey here: PEDA Survey
SUMMER RESOURCES FOR PARENTS!
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 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