Early Childhood Special Education

November

The mission of the Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Department is to build independence in all preschool students to enable them to reach their full potential in preparation for kindergarten.

Connect with the SSD Board of Education:

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.

People Make All the Difference! What One Set of Transportation Staff Did to Welcome a Student (Click here to read article)

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.

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Important to note: November is Family Engagement Month please stay tuned to our district website and social media accounts for ways to engage families.

Event Information

Lunch and Learn Series 2022-2023

Special School District’s Family and Community Engagement (FACE) department is excited to offer a virtual Lunch & Learn series for SSD families and stakeholders. The series, which will involve community organizations sharing information about their work, will continue during the 2022-23 school year and take place from 11:30 AM - Noon.

Representatives from three community organizations and three SSD departments will participate in order 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.

Features in the 2022-23 Lunch & Learn Series are:

Recreation Council of Greater St. Louis, Summer Resources - Dec. 15, 2022
Productive Living Board (PLB), Resources for Families - Jan. 25, 2023
SSD Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) department - Feb. 22, 2023
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - April 26, 2023
SSD Family and Community Engagement (FACE), Summer Engagement Activities - May 24, 2023

Each event is held virtually through YouTube Live. To access the video, please click on the organization's name in the list above. The videos will not be available to view until their scheduled date and time.

When?

Thursday, Dec 15, 2022, 11:30 AM

Family Academy Information

Join us for SSD’s very first Family Academy on November 5th from 9am to noon at Northview

High School located on Derhake Rd in Florissant. Family Academy is an opportunity for SSD families to learn and utilize resources and strategies to improve student outcomes. The Family Academy will offer networking with community agencies and other families. There will be music, light refreshments, fun learning opportunities, and learning resources to support your student in the home. The course listings and vendors can be viewed by visiting https://www.ssdmo.org/Page/1597. This event is free and open to our stakeholders, but we encourage all to register.

Family Cafe:

Family and Community Engagement (FACE) will be hosting a Family Café on November 17, 2022 from 6-8pm at the Family Resource Hub, located in North Tech High School. 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. https://bit.ly/FamCafes

CAASTL (Community Action Agency of St. Louis County):

Please join FACE on at the Family Resource Hub, located Nov 11, 2022 in North Tech High School, from 9am to 4pm. CAASTL (Community Action Agency of St. Louis County) will be available on that date to 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, and program development and education activities. A CAASTLC representative will be available to answer questions and assist with applications.

Higher Education Consortium (HEC):

The Higher Education Consortium (HEC) will be at the Family Resource Hub, located in North Tech High School, from 11am to Noon on Nov 15, 2022 . The HEC can provide families with

information to increase their knowledge about education, career, and workforce planning or transitioning. High school students and anyone over the age of 19 are eligible to receive services from HEC.

Would You Like to Recognize A Staff Member?

Applications for several awards which honor the contributions of SSD staff and community members are awaiting nominations, due Jan. 6, 2023. 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:

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 (e.g., students, parents, partner district staff, and other community members). Consider submitting a nomination and help us provide the recognition they deserve for their meaningful work in SSD!

ECSE Family Channel

Click here to see useful evidence based strategies on a variety of parenting topics for use in your home: Rules * Toilet Training * Schedules * Avoid Power Struggles & MORE. Compiled by the ECSE Student Support Facilitators.

Resources:

Special School District Website; Here is the Special School District Website. Please explore to learn further.
Superintendent Insider; A Few words from Dr. Keenan.
Family and Community Engagement: The mission of the FACE department is to partner with students, families, and staff to support students' specialized academic, social, and emotional needs to promote self-determination, equitable opportunities, and authentic inclusion.
Parent Advisory Council of Special School District ; Please visit this site to learn details about the Parent Advisory Council (PAC)