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Hazelwood SSD News & Updates
December 2022
Sensory Friendly Options for your Family this Season
St. Louis Zoo’s Wild Lights – Sensory-Friendly Wild Lights Night
When: December 9, 2022
Time: 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Nothing says St. Louis Christmas quite like Wild Lights at the St. Louis Zoo. Your family can stroll through the grounds surrounded by a million lights, including animated displays, fireside stories, campfire s’mores, photo opportunities, and more. This event is made sensory-friendly with trained staff on-hand and quiet areas to help your child decompress. Get more information and tickets at stlzoo.org or by clicking the link below.
Website: https://www.stlzoo.org/events/calendarofevents/wild-lights-2022
Location: STL Zoo, 1 Government Dr, St. Louis, MO, USA
Saint Charles Christmas Traditions on Historic Main Street – Sensory-friendly Tours
The Historic Main Street of Saint Charles is a magical and fun place to visit during the Holiday season. With a new inclusion initiative, Saint Charles is now offering guided sensory-friendly tours. These guided tours are conducted twice daily by sensory specialists. Each 90-minute tour introduces guests to several Christmas Legends and ends with an opportunity to get your picture with Santa and a full deck of 2019 Saint Charles Christmas Traditions trading cards. Tours are Saturdays and Sundays during the holiday festival. For more information, including dates and times, visit discoverstcharles.com or click on the link below.
Website: https://www.discoverstcharles.com/events/christmas-traditions/inclusion-tours/
Location: 500 S Riverside Dr, St Charles, MO 63301, USA
Phone: 636.946.7776
Congratulations Ms. Twyla Redd!
Ms. Twyla Redd received the "Apple for the Teacher" award, presented by the Alpha Zeta Chapter of Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc., at their 41st annual awards ceremony held on Saturday November 19, 2022. The purpose of this award is to show, support, appreciation and give thanks to teachers who work hard in the educational system while facing challenges. Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc expressed their appreciation for the hard work and what Twyla is doing for our students.
Ms. Redd is currently employed with the Special School District of St. Louis County as an Essential Skills teacher at North Middle School in the Hazelwood School District. In this role, she teaches students with moderate to severe disabilities the essential skills that they may need within their daily lives to be successful. Previously, Ms. Redd has worked in both the general and special education setting. She supported students in the co-taught setting, and essential skills setting with special school district.
Interesting fact: Ms. Redd is a children's book author. She wrote and had her first book, Affirmations for Students with Special Needs, published in 2021. She completed and published her second book titled I can handle it in February of 2022. Her second book was written to support adults or families who have children with special needs.
Please join SSD Hazelwood in congratulating Ms. Twyla Redd!
Assistive Technology Workshop
Sibshops at ARC
Date: Wednesday, December 14, 2022
Time: 4:30 – 6:00 pm
Location: St. Louis Arc, 1177 N Warson Rd, St. Louis, MO 63132, US
Ages: Siblings ages 7 – 15
Sibshops offer an opportunity for brothers and sisters of children with disabilities to get peer support and education within a recreational context. This free series includes a fun mix of information, games, activities, and discussion. Children between the ages of 7-15 years old who have a sibling with a disability are encouraged to participate.
For more information, contact Lee Anna Sanders at 314-817-2269.
ARCH Respite
ARCH Respite reimburses primary caregivers at a standard rate for short-term relief services they receive either in their own home, with the community, or in the home of a care provider.
ARCH Respite serves St. Louis County and St. Louis City to register, or learn more, contact ARCH@slarc.org or call 314-817-2236.
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.
SSD School Board Elections - 2022
SSD’s Board of Education is composed of seven elected representatives, in seven subdistricts of St. Louis County. The Board is responsible for setting District policy, selecting the superintendent of schools, and approving the tax rate. Board members serve three-year overlapping terms, with two or three members elected each year. Board members, who are unpaid, are committed citizens who devote countless hours working on behalf of children and the educational interests of the SSD community.
Candidate filing for three open seats on the Special School District’s Board of Education opens at 8 AM on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, and continues until 5 PM on Tuesday, December 27, 2022. One of the available seats represents Subdistrict 1 - Hazelwood, Maplewood-Richmond Heights, and Jennings school districts.
Are you interested in learning more about the filing process, eligibility, or the responsibilities/time commitments of an SSD Board member? Visit the Board Election section of the District website.
SSD's Lunch and Learn Series
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:
SSD Transition department - Sept. 28, 2022
SSD Family and Community Engagement (FACE) (Activities for Family Engagement Month - Oct. 26, 2022)
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.
Hazelwood SSD Parent Advisory Council
The Hazelwood SSD Parent Advisory Council (PAC) is a cross-categorical group of parents of children receiving services from the Special School District. It is a volunteer organization made up of parents, SSD and Hazelwood administrators who are committed to identifying and building upon the strengths of all children in the Hazelwood School District. Hazelwood Parent Advisory Council provides a forum for parents to meet other parents and share information concerning their children and resources.
If you would like to become involved in the Hazelwood SSD PAC or if you would like more information about Hazelwood SSD parent supports and resources, please complete the survey found here: Hazelwood Parent Involvement Survey
Let's Talk
Lunch & Learn Series
Click here to view recorded sessions from SSD's Lunch & Learn series that features community organizations.
SSD Website
Questions?
If you have any questions feel free to contact us at any of the following:
Special School District of St. Louis County
12110 Clayton Road
Town & Country, MO 63131
Phone: 314-989-8100
Hazelwood School District
Director of Special Education for Hazelwood
Meet the SSD Team
Hazelwood Special Education Coordinator Contacts
Email: mrlong@ssdmo.org
Website: https://www.ssdmo.org/ssdmo
Phone: 314-989-8221
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SSDStLCo/
Twitter: @ssdstlco