Staff Spotlight
Ms. Fox and Ms. Doerr are working with their students on a service project focused on bringing kindness and joy to our teachers.
Monthly, students select 2-3 staff to honor and celebrate. Through this project, not only is the class having fun with creating artwork for the honorees, but they are also engaging in great conversations and lessons around emotions, feelings, communication, and gratitude.
This month, they celebrated Ms. Jill Payton, Ms. Kerry Bonastia, and Mr. Jerry Durrwachter!
Wellness Corner: 5 Mental Health Tips for Kids This Winter
Winter darkness and colder weather can cause your child’s mood and health habits to take a dive. To help, start with the basics!
Connecticut Children’s pediatric psychologist Melissa Santos, PhD, shares her top five tips.
1. Eat right.
Make it easy for yourself: Decide on a meal prep day for your family and spend time together trying new recipes and making sure your fridge is ready to make it easy to eat right.
2. Keep moving.
The winter months can make it so hard to get moving, which can take a toll on mood. Take time each day to do something to move your body – start your day with yoga, have a dance party with your family, get out for a hike on the weekends or just use your phone or tracker to get your steps in.
> Related: 5 Heart-Healthy Choices for the Whole Family
3. Watch your sleep.
Is there anything better than waking up all curled up under the covers on a cold winter morning? It’s so easy to sleep in. But we want to make sure kids aren’t getting too little – or too much – sleep. (Did you know you can get too much? Check out these sleep guidelines.)
Unfortunately, there’s no way to actually “catch up” on sleep. So focus on helping your child fall asleep and wake up at around the same time every day. If they have problems falling asleep, consider an app like Sleep Bug, which has lots of different sound effects to encourage sleep.
> Related: Tips for Better Sleep for Mental Health
4. Get some sunlight.
Humans are basically houseplants with emotions – and they need sun. Getting out in those rare daylight hours is so important to lifting our mood and getting good vitamins!
> Related: More Than the Winter Blues? Kids and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
5. Build in extra mood-boosters.
Since darkness and cold weather can easily impact mood, it’s important to be proactive in wintertime about building mood-boosters into your child’s day. When in doubt, have your child create a “mood jar”: Fill a jar with written reminders of things that always give their mood a lift – an activity, a memory, whatever. Go to the jar when they need a mood boost!
As always, if you’re concerned about your child’s health (or your own), please talk to your doctor. We’re here to help!
Related Links:
Scholarship Opportunities for SSD Seniors
High school seniors who receive at least one SSD service or attend an SSD technical school should take a look at these scholarship opportunities if they plan to enroll in a college, university or postsecondary program! Applications for The James E. Westbury/SSD Board of Education Scholarship, The Allison M. Haake Memorial Scholarship, and The Bonhomme Lions Club Scholarship are due Dec. 13, 2023. Additionally, the Special Education Foundation (SEF) sponsors the John Cary Scholarship. All scholarships require a letter of recommendation - don’t wait to begin! Visit ssdmo.org/scholarships for more information.
Nominate a Staff Member for a Salutes Award!
Applications for several awards which honor the contributions of SSD staff and community members are awaiting nominations, which are due Jan. 5, 2024. These awards are collectively known as Salutes awards because they are given at the District’s annual Salutes event in the spring. They include the following:
● Key to the Classroom Awards (for classroom teachers)
● Building Block Awards (for paraprofessionals)
● Lasting Impression Awards (for support/operations staff)
● Special Ambassador Awards (for community members or organizations)
● Distinguished Leader Awards (for administrators in SSD and partner districts)
Please refer to the Salutes webpage for details about each award. Some awards permit nomination by SSD staff only, while others accept nominations from people who are not employed by SSD. Please nominate someone you know who works for SSD and help us provide the recognition they deserve for their meaningful work in SSD!
Kid to Camp Program
Camp programs help to maintain educational momentum for students during extended academic breaks throughout the year. The Special Education Foundation's (SEF) Kid-to-Camp program can help bridge the learning gap for students served by SSD during the upcoming winter break. Camperships are awarded based on financial need and student benefits. For a list of camp resources and to apply to SEF's Kid-to-Camp program, visit https://sef-stl.org/programs/kid-to-camp/
Community Action Agency of St. Louis (CAASTL)
CAASTLC (Community Action Agency of St. Louis County) will be at the Family Resource Hub, located inside North Tech High School, on November 3rd, from 10am-2pm. CAASTLC can provide many programs and services to families including:
Case management
Utility Assistance
Rental Assistance
Financial Education
Weatherization
Family Academy
November is Family Engagement month! FACE is hosting Family Academy, this highly anticipated event on Saturday, November 4th at Northview High School from 9am to noon. There will be interactive activities, community vendors, networking opportunities, music, light refreshments and fun learning! We will also have a timely presentation from our community partners at Crisis Aid International. They will share information that will help our students and loved ones stay safe from sexual exploitation and trafficking. Families and staff are welcome to join at any point during the day and stay as long as they wish. All are welcome, but we ask you to RSVP is you plan to attend.
Lunch and Learn - Starkloff Disability Institute
Join FACE as they welcome Starkloff Disability Institute for a Lunch and Learn on November 15th at 11:30am live on YouTube. This Lunch and Learn will highlight Starkloff’s Dream Big and Access U programs. Each of these programs help student’s focus on the future by offering career and post-secondary education guidance. You can find this live event as well as previously recorded Lunch and Learns on the SSD YouTube page.
Family Cafe
Are you interested in making connections with other families and community members in our district? Join Face on November 16th, for the final Family Cafe of the semester. Family Cafes are hosted by families, for families. They provide parents and caregivers a safe and welcoming space to connect and learn from each other. They are centered on the Strengthening Families Five Protective Factors: Resilience, Relationships, Knowledge, Support and Communication. Three cafes will be hosted each semester. This semester they will be held at North Technical High School 1700 Derhake Rd., Florissant, MO 63033 from 6-8pm. Register today!
HUB Huddle
Virtual Open House
Are you new to SSD or just wanting to learn more about the district? Join FACE for a Virtual Open House on Tuesday, November 21st at 9:30am. Families can receive an introduction to the services and resources available through SSD. These virtual meetings invite all families into our learning community as equal partners throughout the learning process, symbolizing that FACE's door is always open! Click here to join the virtual meeting.
Public Notices
Public Notices
Each year, the Special School District posts annual public notices as required by Board of Education policy and state law. These notices primarily serve to inform parents and students of their rights. Full SSD Board of Education policies and regulations can be found on the District website. All of SSD's public notices can be found on the District website at www.ssdmo.org/publicnotices.
Procedural Safeguards Notice
Did you know that the SSD has copies of the Procedural Safeguards and Parent Bill of Rights available in multiple languages on our website? The Procedural Safeguards help keep families informed about their rights and protections under IDEA. Visit the Procedural Safeguards section of the District website to review.
Hazel HEART Mental Health Services
As part of continuing efforts to provide services that support student wellness, Valley Park School District is partnering with Hazel Health to offer free mental health teletherapy visits for all students.
With Hazel HEART, students can meet with a licensed therapist from school or at home, bridging the gap until local therapists become available or helping with less acute issues. The referrals can come from school personnel or directly from a parent or guardian. Like all Hazel telehealth services, parental consent is required.
This service is available to all Valley Park School District students and it is provided at no cost to VPSD families. Please note, Hazel works with insurance plans, and collects insurance information as part of the consent process. Hazel works with all students at no cost to families, regardless of insurance status, including families that do not have insurance. When insurance is billed, the district will cover any out-of-pocket costs. We encourage families to check with their insurance plans to determine if there are any annual caps on the number of allowed therapy sessions, as Hazel visits might count against any limits.
Hazel HEART mental health services include:
Short-term therapy visits: Therapy sessions can help students cope with everyday issues such as anxiety, bullying, withdrawal, grief, peer and family relationships, depression, not enjoying things they used to enjoy or simply not feeling like themselves.
Care coordination: Family resource managers from Hazel work closely with families to coordinate their child’s care. If your child needs additional services outside of what Hazel can offer, Hazel will help families connect with great local providers.
Therapists who care: Hazel therapists know how to connect with children and teens. Their multilingual team practices culturally competent care for all students.
This expanded partnership is designed to increase access to quality health care for all students, working in partnership with community providers to quickly address the social-emotional needs of students who may be struggling.
Learn more here.
Contact Us
Special School District of St. Louis County
12110 Clayton Road
Town & Country, MO 63131
Phone: 314‐989‐8100
Julie Schroeder
- Director
- jmschroeder@ssdmo.org
Dana Evans
- School Social Worker
- devans@ssdmo.org
Jenna Donze
- School Psychologist
- jrdonze@ssdmo.org
Website: https://www.vp.k12.mo.us/Page/1
Location: One Main St, Valley Park, MO 63088
Phone: (636) 923-3500
