The Rockwood Reader

Join us in congratulating Shannon Cancila, Teacher at Marquette High School! Shannon has been nominated for SSD's Key to the Classroom Award!

Congratulations to Iesha Smith! She is our SSD Paraprofessional of the month for February 2023.

Iesha has been a paraprofessional with SSD for 10 years, all of them at Lafayette High School. She works in the self-contained settings as well as the general education settings, including Math and Cooking. "I go wherever I'm needed," Iesha said. Iesha also does a lot of the behind-the-scenes pieces that a school building needs to run effectively. She handles schedules for paras and ensures there is coverage for services when a para is out for the day.

After ten years, Iesha is still drawn to the job for the same reason that she started: the kids. "I try to make an impact on the kids everyday and they make an impact on me," she said. "Connections [with the students] are the reason I get up in the morning." At Lafayette, Iesha emphasized the family atmosphere. "Everyone helps each other," she reported. "It's a real family vibe. I feel connected to the kids and the faculty." Another great thing about Lafayette, Iesha noted, is that "there is no separation between Rockwood and SSD. There is a real sense of togetherness."

When asked for advice for new paraprofessionals starting the position, Iesha encouraged them to "find the person you can talk to for questions and concerns. Don't be afraid to ask."

Outside of work, Iesha loves spending time with her family and is currently pursuing her Masters in Special 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.

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.

SEF Accepting Applications for Kid to Camp Program: The Special Education Foundation is now accepting applications to assist children with disabilities served by SSD to attend one or more camps this summer. Each year, the SEF provides tuition assistance to enable students served by SSD to attend summer camps. Sometimes children with disabilities cannot join their peers in a summer camp experience due to financial constraints or other hardships. SEF steps in to help young people and their families take advantage of these experiences that can sometimes be life-changing. Parents and caregivers can have peace of mind knowing that their child is in a safe and healthy place. Apply here.

Student Leadership Opportunities: Please check out these unique and FREE leadership opportunities for high school students with disabilities, ages 16 - 21.

• Missouri Youth Leadership Forum

• Virtual Leadership Summit

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:

• 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.

Autism Overview

Does your student have a new Autism diagnosis or are you interested in learning more about Autism and how to best support student learning in the home environment? Join FACE on April 5th at 6pm as one of SSD’s own Autism Effective Practice Specialists gives practical advice and information. To learn more and to register for this event click HERE.

Toilet Training

FACE along with SSD’s Behavior Analysts are hosting a workshop about toilet training on April 10th at 6:30. You can learn strategies to break down toilet training skills and gather resources to help your student’s success. To learn more and to register for this event, click HERE.

FACE is hosting a Family Cafe at North Technical High School on April 27th at 6pm. Cafes are hosted by families for families and provide a welcoming space for families to learn from each other. Click HERE to register or visit our website www.ssdmo.org/face for more information.

FACE is hosting two HUB Huddles this month at our HUB located in North Technical High School. On April 14 Community Action Agency of St. Louis County (CAASTL) will be available to help families with emergency utility and weatherization assistance from 9am-4pm. On April 18th from 11am-12pm the Higher Education Consortium will be available to provide families with the opportunity to access information and increase their knowledge about education, career, and workforce planning or transitioning. This service is available to all high school students and anyone over the age of 19.

Last call for applicants to the Family Leadership Institute (FLI)! FLI is a great opportunity for educational decision makers to:

● Build an understanding of future planning and problem-solving using Charting the LifeCourse tools.

● Learn to effectively participate in their student's education and improve the educational climate for all children.

● Learn how to positively interact and collaborate with other families and school personnel.

● Discover new resources and network with other families.

This program, which is offered at no cost to participants, is designed for family members who are the educational decision-makers for a student with a disability. The three sessions will be held in-person on Wednesdays, from 5:30-8 PM on April 19, 26, and May 3, 2023. Dinner will be provided for attendees. Click HERE to apply today!

PEERS® (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills) is a 12-16 week social skills program for children, teens or young adults with autism. In this program, individuals are engaged in learning real-life skills for connecting with others, as well as building and maintaining friendships. Parents/Caregivers will also participate in the program and will be taught how to support and assist their child/young adult in making and keeping friends by coaching and providing feedback during weekly homework assignments.

This program is offered to three age groups:

• Children’s Friendship Training: 3rd-5th graders

• PEERS: Middle and high school aged students

• PEERS for Young Adults: Individuals ages 18+ who are no longer in high school

New sessions will begin in May and August 2023.

A pre-program assessment to determine eligibility is required. Funding options include DDRB, DMH and Private Pay

For more information and to see if you qualify, please contact our Admissions Department at 314-394-7100 or via email info@esmw.org

Bullying is an unacceptable part of our children’s lives. Do your children know how to recognize the signs of bullying? Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center offers resources to help. Click HERE to learn how you can become a partner in your child’s learning.

The Family and Community Resource Center (FCRC), located at the Learning Center in Hazelwood, has several books that help to increase awareness and prevent bullying for students of all different ages and abilities. Here is a list of just a few:

Betty Stops the Bully: An Emotional Literacy Book" written by Lawrence E Shapiro, Ph.D

Emily is Being Bullied , What Can She Do? written by Helen Cowie, Harriet Tenebaum, and Ffion Jones

I Wish I Knew What to Do?! Teens tell it like it is...on what to say to get BULLIES to leave you alone! edited by Beth Carls and Amy Looper

Contact FACE today (face@ssdmo.org, 314-989-8460) to have one of these books or many others sent home in your student’s backpack!

The Brain Injury Association of Missouri (BIA-MO) is pleased to offer educational scholarships for survivors of brain injury to pursue post-secondary education.

Click HERE to apply online.

You can also print the scholarship application by downloading the below PDF.

Deadline for Application and Supporting Materials is April 30, 2023.

The mission of the Special School District (SSD) Parent Advisory Council (PAC) is to effectively collaborate with and advise its stakeholders (including parents/guardians, the SSD Board of Education, Governing Council, SSD administration and staff, and partnering school district administrators and staff) in order to improve the educational, self-efficacy, and social outcomes of each student served by SSD.

Please click here to access the PAC website which contains specific information about meetings, agendas & minutes, as well as parent resources.

https://sites.google.com/a/ssdmo.org/ssdpac/

No School - Spring Holiday

Friday, April 7th

Special School District

April 11th @ 5:45 PM

April 25th @ 5:45 PM

More info here

Rockwood School District

April 13th @ 7:00 PM - Reorganization Meeting

April 20th @ 7:00 PM

More info here

• 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

Dr. Carmen Harris, Director of Special Education

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