SSD/Parkway Newsletter

Dear Parkway Families,

The year is up and running and it’s amazing to see the students and staff back in the schools! While visiting schools and classrooms the first week back, I saw students and staff building community, establishing routines, reinforcing expectations, and spending time assessing student knowledge of concepts.

As the hustle and bustle of the new year begins to increase, our hope is that your family finds the weekly routines that work best for you. We know that these first few weeks of the school year can bring some additional stress as your child(ren) adjusts back into the routine of their M-F schedule. By the looks of many of the faces at the end of the day on Friday of the first week, there was a level of exhaustion that we refer to as ‘first week of school tired!’ With each passing day and week, we hope that the routines being established within the school and home help your student and family have a successful school year!

The district is always looking to be fully staffed. We encourage you to share the link to apply to become a Paraprofessional with SSD. It’s a rewarding position, and we could not do our jobs without the dedicated paraprofessionals supporting our amazing students.

As always, thank you for entrusting us with your children. We look forward to wonderful partnerships with each family this year!

In Collaboration,

Dr. Amy Blumenfeld

Director of Special Education

314-989-8435 / ablumenfeld@ssdmo.org

314-415-5297 / ablumenfeld2@parkwayschools.net

Each month we will introduce and highlight part of our Parkway Special Education Administrative team. This month, we’d like to introduce you to one of our secondary administrators, Teale London.

I’m Teale London, the Special Education Administrator for Parkway Central High School and Parkway Central Middle School. I am beginning my 27th year in education and my 21st year in administration. My educational experience has spanned both primary and secondary grade levels through teaching and General Education and Special Education Administration. I am a parent to a high schooler who also receives services through an IEP so I can relate to the parent perspective of what it’s like to raise a child who navigates school a little differently. Through our work together we will continue to build a community where students will reflect, learn, and grow to meet their full potential.

During the 21-22 school year, SSD partnered with Kelly Education Services for our substitute provider across St. Louis County. Kelly Education Services is actively looking to build their substitute base, and we in Parkway would appreciate any support in building up Kelly Service’s employee base. Please see the attached flyer for information about the process for receiving a substitute certification.

Would you like to learn more about how you can support your student through the IEP process? Join FACE virtually on September 5th at 6pm for a webinar that will link the use of Charting the LifeCourse tools with preparing for your student’s IEP. Click here to register.

FUTURE LEADERS WANTED! Would you like to become more involved in the special education process? Family Leadership Institute offers participants a comprehensive set of opportunities to enhance their skills and knowledge in various areas related to education, family engagement, and collaboration. Sign up today for the Family Leadership Institute (FLI). FLI will be held September, 20th, 27th and October 4th from 5:30-8pm. Click here to find out more and to register.

Join FACE for the first Family Cafe of the 2023/24 school year. On Sep 14, 2023 at North Technical High School. FACE will join with families to provide a safe and welcoming space to connect and learn from each other. Family Cafes are centered on the Strengthening Families Protective Factors: Resilience, Relationships, Knowledge, Support, and Communication. Register today!

New this year, 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. There are only 20 spots available for this six part series that will be held weekly starting September 21st. Click here to register!

FACE’s Lunch and Learn Series is back with an exciting lineup of presenters. This month will highlight an SSD community partner, Easter Seals. Join us live on YouTube on September 27th at 11:30am to learn all about this amazing resource.

Do you want to learn more about SSD? FACE is offering a Virtual Open House on Tuesday, September 21st at 6pm for an introduction to the services and resources available through SSD. Join us here.

Affordable Connectivity Program

The Affordable Connectivity Program is a Federal Communications Commission program that helps connect families or households struggling to afford internet service. This new benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers.

Eligible households can enroll through a participating broadband provider or directly with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) using an online or mail in application. You can learn more about the benefit, including eligibility and enrollment information, by visiting www.fcc.gov/ACP, or by calling 877.384.2575.

Helping Students Navigate Back-to-School Anxiety

Tips for Families

The start of a new school year can bring both excitement and apprehension for students, especially after the challenges posed by the previous year. It's not uncommon for students to experience back-to-school anxiety as they face new classrooms, teachers, and classmates. As a family member, your support and guidance play a crucial role in helping your student manage these feelings and start the year positively. Read more...

Online SSD Resources to Help Families All Year

Visit SSDMO.org for links to resources that will direct you to information that will be helpful throughout the year - bookmark the webpage to make it easy to find. The links below apply to all students county-wide who receive services from SSD.

• Partner Districts

• Partner District Communication Sequence

• IEPs - Frequently Asked Questions

• Bullying Resources

• Student & Related Services

Free Flu Shots Through BJC

Receiving a flu shot helps keep you and your community healthy! Free flu vaccinations are being provided through Barnes-Jewish Hospital. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit https://bit.ly/3oCxqYu

Greetings Families!

Has special education got you stressed out? The beginning of a new year and

unknowns can be extra scary with an IEP or 504. The system can be hard to

navigate even in the best districts. Those great documents, laws, & policies put

into place to help us are hard to understand. It can be a lonely journey. But you

are not alone! You have the SSD PAC.

The SSD PAC is open to every family with a child receiving SSD services. We have monthly zoom meetings. We are parents like you. We get it. You can just log on and watch. SSD and FACE share updates, great information, and presentations based on your needs. We advocate to inform policy with our parent voice. We share parent perspective to help our schools know how to best help our kids.

We’re having an in-person Family Gathering on Sept. 13, 6:30 PM, at the SSD Learning Center in Hazelwood. Please come; tap into this community that exists for you.

Your New SSD PAC President,

Rebecca Flieg

Wishing everyone a wonderful last few weeks of summer! If you are interested in joining the PACCD leadership team, please click the link below to join them! Dates for this year’s PACCD meetings will be included in the next newsletter!

Parkway PACCD Needs Assessment

Parkway PACCD Leadership Team Interest

September 6: Parkway Board of Education Meeting 7:00

September 19: PACCD Meeting 6:30

September 25: SSD Governing Council 7:00

September 26: SSD Board of Education Business Meeting 5:45

September 27: Parkway Board of Education Meeting (Tax Rate Hearing 6:30 PM)

October 10: SSD SSD BOE Work Study Meeting 5:45

October 17: PACCD 6:30

October 18: Parkway Board of Education Meeting 7:00

October 24: SSD Board of Education Business Meeting 5:45

*November PACCD Sponsored Event (date coming soon!)

November 14: SSD Board of Education Business Meeting 5:45

November 15: Parkway Board of Education Meeting 7:00

December 4: SSD Governing Council 7:00

December 5: SSD Board of Education Business Meeting 5:45

December 6: Parkway Board of Education Meeting 7:00

January 9: SSD SSD BOE Work Study Meeting 5:45

January 17: Parkway Board of Education Meeting 7:00

January 23: SSD Board of Education Business Meeting 5:45

January 31: State of the District 5:30 (Central High School)

February 13: SSD SSD BOE Work Study Meeting 5:45

February 20: PACCD 6:30

February 21: Parkway Board of Education Meeting 7:00

February 27: SSD Board of Education Business Meeting 5:45

March 4: SSD Governing Council 7:00

March 12: SSD Board of Education Business Meeting 5:45

April 9: SSD SSD BOE Work Study Meeting 5:45

April 11: Parkway Board of Education Meeting (Organization Meeting 6:30 PM)

April 23: SSD Board of Education Business Meeting 5:45

May 14: SSD SSD BOE Work Study Meeting 5:45

May 15: Parkway Board of Education Meeting 7:00

May 28: SSD Board of Education Business Meeting 5:45

June 3: SSD Governing Council 7:00

June 11: SSD SSD BOE Work Study Meeting 5:45

June 12: Parkway Board of Education Meeting 7:00

June 25: SSD Board of Education Business Meeting 5:45

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

Email: ablumenfeld@ssdmo.org
Website: www.ssdmo.org
Location: 12110 Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO, USA
Phone: 314.989.8435
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SSDStLCo
Twitter: @SSDDStLCo

Website: https://www.parkwayschools.net/
Location: 455 North Woods Mill Road, Chesterfield, MO, USA
Phone: 314-415-8100