Stephanie Brandriff
I am excited to announce Stephanie! She will be our new SSD student nurse and comes to us with amazing experiences! Stephanie worked as an LPN for 8 years prior to becoming an RN. For the past 7 years as an RN, she has focused on pediatric care which has included private duty nursing, medical/surgery floor support, working within a clinic setting, virtual care and one year as a 1-1 nurse in a school setting.
She has a love for going to the gym, spending time with my family, being outdoors and all things DISNEY!
The highlight of her summer was their trip to the west coast (Oregon/Washington)!
Stephanie shared that she is looking forward to joining the Valley Park family and getting to know everyone! She is very excited for a new adventure in a school setting!!
Jenna Donze
Jenna may be a familiar face to some of our families and staff. She was able to work within our Valley Park school community during her internship year for school psychology and has always wanted to come back to us ~ Over the past 11 years as a school psychologist with SSD, she had the opportunity to serve both the Hazelwood and Pattonville School Districts. During that time, she has had many amazing experiences and honors including participating in school and district level multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) teams, leading Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) process, working with students and families from diverse backgrounds, participating in teams that have a focus on trauma informed practices for students that are at-risk, and has been both a practicum and internship supervisor.
The highlight of Jenna's summer was visiting Hilton Head for the first time! She also loves going to their family farm with her daughter.
In returning to VP, she is most excited about meeting everyone and seeing some familiar faces.
Nikki White
I am proud to welcome Nikki to VP ES! This will be Nikki's 26th year in education. Prior to starting with SSD in 2008, she was a special education teacher in Illinois. For the past 16 years, she taught in Pattonville. During that time, she moved to the Valley Park community (her son attends VPHS) and has taught in our summer program for the past 2 years. Those 2 factors, in addition to her 25 years of experience, make her a perfect addition to our team. While she also taught in resource setting, her passion is working with students that need an alternative, functional program/curriculum.
In Nikk’s free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, fur babies, exercising/pilates, and currently teaching her son to drive. This summer, she enjoyed live music in a variety of venues.
Nikki shared that growing up in a small town in Illinois reminds her of the Valley Park community. She is looking forward to being connected to the school and community and is very excited to join the Valley Park family. She can’t wait for a fun new school year getting to know students, staff and families!
Wellness Corner - 8 Tips to Prepare for the First Days of School
Take the pressure and anxiety out of back-to-school season with these helpful ideas from an educator.
Whether your child is just beginning kindergarten or starting a new grade as a returning student, there’s lots to be done to prepare for the year ahead, including checking in about their fears, anxieties, and concerns.
As summer winds down, it’s natural for kids to experience nervousness — after all, your child is entering a structured group setting after months away. Some children will accept the change with joy, while others may need a bit more hand-holding to acclimate.
“Back-to-school will always be accompanied by a certain amount of nervous excitement or anxiety, but as a parent you can minimize fear of the unknown by being positive about school,” O’Connor says. The below tips from O’Connor can help your family make a smooth transition into the school year ahead and give your child new perspective on the joys of the classroom.
1. Visit the school or classroom before the first day.
2. Read books about starting school.
3. Talk to your child about their feelings about school, friends, teachers, and new activities.
4. Set intentions with your child for the school year ahead.
5. Practice, practice, practice your reading during the summer.
6. Include a note with your child's snack or lunch.
7. Go school shopping.
8. Encourage your child to pursue a passion project this year.
You can check out the full article here:
