The Rockwood Reader

October is Disability History and Awareness Month nationally, a time during which the Rockwood School District encourages our schools to provide instruction on disability history, people with disabilities and the disability rights movement.

There are approximately 126,000 students with disabilities educated by Missouri public schools, and we value the importance of our schools recognizing the contributions by people with disabilities to our society through school curriculum, assemblies and other school activities.

Over the summer, 10 students representing all four Rockwood School District high schools attended the Best Buddies Leadership Conference.

The event, held from July 19-22 in Bloomington, Indiana, unites Best Buddies leaders, volunteers and community advocates from around the globe to imagine, create, lead and empower the future of the disability rights and inclusion movement.

“I really enjoyed meeting people from other states and getting to be around people who were also a part of Best Buddies,” said Eureka High senior Charlotte Flowers, who also attended the 2023 conference. “I had a lot of fun at the conference. It is basically like a big party all the time. You learn so much, and it really is a lot of fun.”

Flowers was one of five students from the Eureka Best Buddies chapter to attend the conference, along with Ben Bachert, Kate Brumitt and Ethan and Savanna Wylie. Rockwood’s other three high school chapters were represented by Tim Groff and Cole Harris (Lafayette); Mady Huff and Spencer Mathus (Marquette); and Brody Recht (Rockwood Summit).

“The conference seemed like a good way for me to connect and network with some other leaders in Best Buddies and come back with ideas to better my chapter,” Bachert said. “I will remember all the amazing people I met the most, all the people setting aside time in their summer for a great cause.”

Best Buddies International is a nonprofit that provides programs to help people and families living with intellectual and developmental disabilities form meaningful friendships with their peers, secure successful jobs, live independently, improve public speaking, self-advocacy and communication skills and feel valued by society.

The annual conference includes educational sessions, interactive forums and events such as opening and closing ceremonies, keynote sessions and the Outstanding Chapter of the Year award presentations.

Harris said he made an especially strong connection with Ethan, a state ambassador for Best Buddies Missouri, during his time at the conference.

“We spent a lot of time with each other throughout the conference, and I feel like I learned more from him than he did from me,” Harris said. “It was great seeing the effect that our work has on others. The conference allowed me to really understand what our goals are and be able to take that purpose back to our school.”

Savanna Wylie said interacting with fellow Best Buddies leaders from around the nation was inspiring and gave her some great ideas for events to bring back to Eureka.

“Every leader was super welcoming and passionate about Best Buddies,” said Savanna, who attended with her brother, Ethan. “My favorite part about Best Buddies is our monthly events outside of school. I love spending time with all of the buddies and seeing smiles on everyone's faces. Although it’s a time commitment, people should think about it as more than just that. Being a peer buddy fosters a friendship that can last a lifetime.”

5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

SSD Central Office, 12110 Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO 63131

SSD's FACE (Family and Community Engagement) will be offering an immersive environment for learning American Sign Language (ASL)! Learn to communicate with Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HoH) individuals with an introduction to fingerspelling and basic signs to use in the home, school, and community. Topics include family, school, food, and community signs. Deaf cultural norms will be discussed, which include introductions and daily interaction between the deaf and the hearing.

This course will be hosted over three sessions. Classes will be held on:

• Oct. 1, 2024

• Oct. 15, 2024

• Oct. 29, 2024

• Nov. 6, 2024 - Make-up session

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Virtual Meeting

Join SSD's FACE for a virtual workshop on functional communication in the home and community.

When families are asked to share the concerns they have about their student during IEP meetings, communication is typically at the top of that list. This training will focus on common strategies for increasing opportunities for modeling communication using a variety of modalities, as well as how to encourage communication across home and community settings. There will be an emphasis on how to target communication for students with limited spoken language, including the use of augmentative communication devices or other communication systems.

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Family Resource Hub inside North Tech High School,

1700 Derhake Road, Florissant, MO 63003

Visit with partners of SSD in FACE's Family Resource Hub as they provide resources, information, and additional supports to SSD families.

CAASTLC (Community Action Agency of St. Louis County, Inc.) will provide additional support and access to resources that promote healthy families and a thriving community. Families can learn about case management, utility assistance, rental assistance, financial education, weatherization, program development, and education activities. A CAASTLC representative will be available to answer questions and assist with application.

5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

SSD Central Office, 12110 Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO 63131

SSD's FACE (Family and Community Engagement) will be offering an immersive environment for learning American Sign Language (ASL)! Learn to communicate with Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HoH) individuals with an introduction to fingerspelling and basic signs to use in the home, school, and community. Topics include family, school, food, and community signs. Deaf cultural norms will be discussed, which include introductions and daily interaction between the deaf and the hearing.

This course will be hosted over three sessions. Classes will be held on:

• Oct. 1, 2024

• Oct. 15, 2024

• Oct. 29, 2024

• Nov. 6, 2024 - Make-up session

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Virtual

SSD’s FACE is excited to offer a virtual Lunch & Learn series for SSD families and stakeholders, involving community organizations sharing information about their work.

Representatives from community organizations and SSD departments will participate to increase awareness about their agencies or programs and make connections with those in our SSD community who may benefit from their programs and services.

Join us on Oct. 17, 2024, as Yvonne Rydman, Missouri Treasurer, discusses MO Able accounts. MO Able accounts are helping Missourians achieve greater independence and financial security. MO Able provides tax-free savings for disability-related expenses and the ability to save and invest without losing needs-based benefits.

Special School District values the academic and personal well-being of our students and prioritizes making data-informed decisions to support their success. In collaboration with Panorama Education, SSD students who receive special education services in grades 3-12 are invited to share their voices through two surveys: a climate survey and a social-emotional learning (SEL) survey. The surveys will be given during the fall and spring of the 2024-25 school year, with the fall survey window being Sept. 18 through Oct. 18. The surveys will be administered electronically, but PDF versions can be previewed on SSD's website.

SSD believes that the responsibility for the education of a student is shared between the family and the school. SSD welcomes the support of families and encourages their involvement in their student’s learning, both at school and at home. The information in this Partners for Success booklet is provided to support families seeking to engage with staff on their student’s educator team. While there is no perfect roadmap, this tool provides a guide to support two-way communication, self-determination, advocacy, and networking with several programs and agencies within St. Louis County. We encourage you to use this tool as a starting point navigate your student's unique educational journey. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your team at SSD for assistance at every transition in your student’s life, from early childhood to post-secondary. We want to partner with you!

NOTICE OF OPEN MEETING:

October 15th (Virtual)

November 19th (Virtual)

December 17th (In-Person with Virtual Option)

January 21st (Virtual)

February 18th (In-Person with Virtual Option)

No March Meeting Due to Spring Break

April 15th (Virtual)

May 20th (In Person with Virtual Option)

Notice is hereby given that the SSD PAC will conduct a meeting at 7:00 to 9:00pm every 3rd Tuesday of the month, on the dates and locations shared above. In person meetings will be held at SSD Central Office Room 60/61, 12210 Clayton Rd, Town and Country MO, 63131, unless otherwise noticed. To ensure equal access to attend meetings, all meetings have the option of joining by zoom, and the information needed to join our SSD PAC meetings may be found below.

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.

Monday, September 2, 2024

No School - Professional Development Day

Monday, October 7, 2024

Special School District

October 22 @ 5:45 PM

November 12 @ 5:45 PM

December 10 @ 5:45 PM

More info here

Rockwood School District

October 24 @ 7:00 PM

November 7 @ 7:00 PM

November 21 @ 7:00 PM

• SSD Superintendent Updates
• SSD Parent Advisory Council
• Parent Education & Diversity Awareness Program
• SSD Guidance/Resources for In-Person and Distance Learning
• SSD Partner District - Rockwood
• Academic and Related Services Toolkit

314-989-8268

Mandy Lloyd, Administrative Assistant

636-733-2071

Website: https://www.ssdmo.org
Location: 12110 Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO, USA
Phone: 314.989.8100
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SSDStLCo
Twitter: @ssdstlco

Website: https://www.rsdmo.org
Location: 111 East North Street, Eureka, MO, USA
Phone: 636-733-2000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rockwood.School.District
Twitter: @rockwoodschools