Ritenour students attended the Special Olympics basketball event hosted by Parkway West High School on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. Due to previous COVID-19 restrictions, this was the first time that the event was held indoors since 2020. Around 200 athletes from Special School District were able to attend. The event was covered by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. To see all of the event photos, please visit stltoday.com.

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

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 education 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!

Visit with local organizations to learn about services and resources available for individuals with autism and their families. Please click here for more information.

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.

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

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 goal of the RSD-SSD PAC is to collaborate with parents/guardians, Ritenour School District Administration, and SSD Administration to improve the overall results of our kids. We seek parent input on matters concerning special education services.

We meet monthly to develop our abilities to:

• Share information and support with other parents navigating the special education process

• Learn about advocating effectively for our children

• Improve communication and promote collaboration between Ritenour Schools and Special School District

• Promote a positive, inclusive understanding of students with disabilities

The RSD PAC meeting will be on Monday, April 24th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm at the Ritenour Administrative Center. Future meetings will be held on the 4th Monday of each month.

The Affordable Connectivity Program is a Federal Communications Commission program that helps connect families and 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.