Happy May!! It is also Mother's Day this month. This is our last newsletter for the school year, BUT we will be back next year with more great stories and information. In this edition we have a special message from one of our moms and employees, Meghan Bray, about childhood allergies. It is a must read! We celebrated our Dr. Billie Mayo Award winners and we have lots of student summer opportunities. Last but not least, a very special end of year podcast with our Superintendent; Dr. Curtis Cain. He had some encouraging words to say to our staff, students, and community.

~Dr. Cassandra Suggs

Hosted by Dr. Cassandra Suggs and Emily Walshaw, each podcast episode inspires to engage, educate, and entertain. We are joined by Superintendent; Dr. Cain once again as we wrap up the 23-24 school year. Dr. Cain returns to talk about how the school year went and what positives he has seen. Please visit Rockwood School District on YouTube to view and listen to all past podcasts.

Dr. Mayo, a graduate of Harris Stowe State Teachers College, has completed two Masters Degrees at Webster University and a Doctorate in Educational Administration at Saint Louis University. Some of Billie’s achievements are the 1998 Ford Foundation “Heroes and Sheroes” award for Human Rights, the Sammy Davis, Jr. “Yes I Can” award in 1996, the Saint Louis American’s 2002 Salute to Excellence Award for Educators, the 2003 University City School System’s Martin Luther King Spirit Award for Social Justice, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis 2007 Dean’s award for contributions to Social Justice.

On behalf of the Educational Equity and Access Department, we had the honor of presenting eight students with a Dr. Billie Mayo award and scholarship. These outstanding students were selected by staff from their attending high school. We are all very proud of you!

Eureka High School: Charles Robinson and Amyah Colyer

Lafayette High School: Zehara Omar

Marquette High School: Eeliyah Borland and Sarah Clark

Rockwood Summit High School: Jason Kirk and Jamall Scherr

Each of these students are enrolled in the Rockwood School District through the Voluntary Interdistrict Choice Corporation program. They received a trophy and a $500 collage scholarship. The money will go towards their college tuition. Congratulations students!

View photos from the events below.

It is a common myth that a student's 504 team must meet before the annual review date or else the 504 plan will "expire", Missouri school attorney Betsey Helfrich explained. However, Helfrich said that it is acceptable to send late notice to the parent to arrange for a mutually agreeable time to elicit parent participation into the plan. The current 04 plan remains in effect until the team meets and revises it.

The Jayson Tatum Foundation is excited to launch our Zero Limits Scholarship for the second year. The scholarship application is currently live and will remain open for applicants to apply online until Monday, May 20, 2024. Students who are selected to receive the scholarship will be awarded a one-time $10,000.00 reward that will be sent directly to their accredited post-secondary institution.

Students are eligible if they:

1) live in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, or East St. Louis;

2) are graduating seniors in the high school class of 2024;

3) are admitted and plan to enroll in an accredited 2 or 4 year college, university, or trade school in the Fall Semester of the 2024-2025 academic school year; AND

4) are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant

Jayson Tatum Foundation - Zero Limits Scholarship Link: https://thejaysontatumfoundation.org/scholarship/

If you have any questions, please send them to scholarships@thejaysontatumfoundation.org. Thank you for your support in spreading the word to your amazing and brilliant students about the Jayson Tatum Foundation’s Zero Limits Scholarship. We appreciate your support!

Please remember, the scholarship application period closes at midnight on Monday, May 20, 2024!

1 in 13 CHILDREN - Did you know that 1 in 13 children have a food allergy? This is roughly 2 students in every classroom.

ON THE RISE - The prevalence of food allergies have increased by 50% from 1997 to 2011 and peanut/tree nut allergies have tripled in U.S. children.

LIFE IMPACT - Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) indicates that 1 in 3 children with food allergies report being bullied as a result of their food allergy.

INGESTION - Risk of severe reaction from touching or inhaling a food allergen is extremely low. Reactions tend to occur after a child eats a food allergen.

AWARENESS - Knowledge and awareness of food allergies foster a safer and more inclusive environment to support our students affected by food allergies.

Rockwood students who fit the criteria have been invited to attend an upcoming summer camp July 8th-11th, 2024. Please see additional details below.

Our camp is a collaboration between SIUE, 360 Degree Academy, Chicago Hearing Society, and the Department of Rehabilitation Services. Everything about the camp is tailored to meet the unique needs of students who are d/Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind. All forms of communication are welcomed, and accommodations will be provided to ensure everything is fully accessible. Campers must be between the ages of 14.5 and 22.

The camp has two goals:

The first goal will be to address some fundamental needs that are common for students who are Deaf. Our team of Deaf professionals from 360 Degree Academy will be presenting on transitioning from high school to college and/or work. The campers will have the opportunity to take personality and interests test designed specifically for DHH students to help them narrow down what they might want to do once they graduate high school.

360 Degree Academy will provide the campers with crucial pre-employment transition skills, equipping them to successfully navigate life post-high school. They focus on addressing gaps, such as lack of access to incidental information, which often hinders deaf kids in their personal and professional development.

Here is an overview of their current Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) curriculum, 1st Edition [7/3/2023]:

- 226 Sensory-Friendly Sign Language Lecture Videos equipped with Captioning, Voiceover, and Transcripts.
- 350+ Comprehension Checks and 33 Assessments, presented in English text with select Sensory-Friendly Sign Language Videos for assessments.

- Supplementary Instructional Materials including an Instructor Guide, Readings, Activities, and Career Focused IEP Sample Goals.

The second goal for the camp is pretty simple...have some fun! We predict that as campers meet others who share their life experiences, they will make some life-long friendships, which can be life-changing in itself!

Campers will:

• Go to a local horse farm and experience team building using miniature horses and donkeys.

• Participate in a group led painting class led by a local Deaf artist.

• Take field trips to learn about different career opportunities.

• Use the campus facilities for recreation.

• Visit with local businesses.

• Learn about SIUE in general

• Play games, eat, hang out, and have a great time!

The camp is free with an open case with DRS. The deadline to register is May 24, 2024.

SIUE Summer Camp for Deaf/Hard of Hearing/Deaf-Blind Registration Link

If you have any questions, please reach out because we are excited to support your students.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @SIUEDeafServices!

Best,

Amy Miller

Recently we've had many opportunities to grant funds and opportunities to different schools in Rockwood!

Firstly, Fairway Elementary School hosted their first ever Abilities Awareness Week! On the first day, we sponsored their CHAMPS Assembly. Canine Helpers Allow More Possibilities, visited the school and gave a presentation to all grade levels. It was an amazing experience for all.

Secondly, we provided funding for bus transportation for some middle school students to attend one of the Special Olympics event. These students are part of the Best Buddies Program and were the 'cheering' squad for all of the athletes. Everyone had so much fun and we were more than happy to provide this opportunity!

In June of 1977, U.S. Representatives Frank Horton of New York and Norman Mineta of California introduced a resolution to establish Asian Pacific Heritage Week, to be celebrated each year at the beginning of May. Hawaiian senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga introduced similar legislation in the Senate. The following year, President Jimmy Carter signed into law a joint resolution to establish the annual event, and the first celebration took place in May of 1979. In 1992, the month of May was designated by President George H. W. Bush as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The annual celebration honors the many contributions and accomplishments of Asian Americans, Pacific Islander Americans, and Native Hawaiians.

People to Learn About:

Dalip Singh Saund - Judge/Congress

Duke Kahanamoku - Surfer/Actor

Pacita Abad- Artist

Thank you Shannon Batt; Gifted Education Specialist at Lafayette High School for sharing your knowledge with us.

As you set the dates for high-quality, in-house training sessions for new and returning staff this summer, you'll also want to choose topics specifically tailored to your staff and district needs. Don't forget to consider who you can select to present the topic and set the format.

Derek Ihori, executive director of special education and psychological services for the La Cañada Unified School District, and Alexia Melara, a school psychologist, guide you through training preparation in the following excerpt from their book Leadership in Special Education: Fostering Collaboration, Solving Problems and Being an Agent of Change -- Key Principles for District Administrators.

Selecting a topic, focus on establishing the expectations of the staff and providing them with the tools they will use to meet those expectations. When selecting topics, consider:

· Areas in which the district has been found to be out of compliance.

· Common mistakes that you see when reviewing IEPs or assessment reports.

· If you identified any trends in due process issues.

· If you identified any trends related to student performance or behavior.

· If the district recently adopted a new curriculum.

· If you are developing new initiatives, policies, or procedures.

· If you noticed skill gaps when reviewing IEPs, assessment reports, or during your site observations.

· New research staff should be aware of.

Selecting presenters, after choosing the topics for the presentation, determine the degree of expertise that you have at hand. Is this a topic that you are particularly knowledgeable about? If not, are any of your administrators or staff members experts on the topic? Do you need to bring in outside experts to assist in presenting the topic?

Even if you do not have particular expertise in the topic, participate in the presentation in some manner so your staff sees you as a leader and you build your expert and school credibility. For example, you can provide part of the brief background of the topic or a case autopsy, as you are an expert on why the topic is relevant for your particular district.

After establishing the "why" of the topic, the content expert can focus the training on the "what" and "how."

Selecting format, the training format will depend on the topic, the presenter, the presentation length, and the group size.

Small groups (10-15 individuals) can be more conversational, allowing for question-and-answer sessions as the presentation progresses and focusing on specific issues the participants are working on.

Moderate-to-large-sized groups (30-40 individuals) can break into smaller groups as long as you have multiple presenters helping facilitate and ensure that the small groups remain on-task.

Large groups (more than 40 individuals) will likely need to follow a lecture-based format unless you have multiple facilitators and a bigger space to break into smaller groups.

No matter the size of the group, audience participation is essential, particularly if your training is longer than three hours. Generally speaking, it is good practice to break lectures into 20-minute segments so that you do not lose participants' attention. You can follow each 20-minute segment with a 10-minute group activity for smaller groups or a video or 10-minute question-and-answer session if you're working with a larger group. Also, allow the participants to take a break every 60-90 minutes to walk, stretch, and use the restroom.

Using presentation slides, presentation slides can help sustain audience attention. Slide structure will depend on the type of presentation. Keep in mind that the information you provide likely will be complex and technical, and the participants will need material to refer to when putting the information into practice. Therefore, while you may want to open the presentation with slides that feature pictures, videos, or humorous cartoons to engage the participants on the topic, you'll also want to be sure to have informational slides that include bullet points. This will allow the participants to refer to the slide handouts in the future when they are determining how to implement the new information in their practice.

Did you know the Department of Educational Equity and Access has a public group in ParentSquare?

Parents, guardians, staff members, and students have the option to join public groups in ParentSquare.

To join our group on ParentSquare, follow these 3 simple steps:

1. From the home screen on ParentSquare, click "Groups" in the left sidebar under the "Participate" section.
2. Look for "Public" groups with the people icon.
3. 3. Click "Join Group" next to the group that interests you.