SSD Webster Groves Schools
November 2022 Community Engagement Newsletter
TRIP TO BUSCH STADIUM
Hixson Middle School 6th Graders take on Camp Wyman!
In the month of September and October, the 6th grade teams had an amazing experience at Camp Wyman. Students were assigned to their cabins. High school students served as camp counselors. Students participated in different activities where they created cabin rules for the week, set schedules for showering, and general team building activities.
The 6th grade students also participated in a myriad of activities throughout the week. One activity period they worked as a team to navigate a low ropes course. During another activity, they worked together at the climbing wall and climbing crates. The goal was to make it to the top of the wall and stack as many milk crates as possible, while standing on the crates.
Some students also spent time in a geocache activity, searching for different locations in the woods as a team. They learned about the water cycle and water ecology and they learned to fish.
Another activity combined multiple activities. From learning to shoot a bow and arrow to learning to shoot slingshots. They threw axes and participated in a living history activity. The living history activity allowed the students to work with tools they would have used in the early days of settlement in this area, and they worked as a team to determine what they needed to bring on a cross-country wagon ride, based on needs and weight of needed materials.
Finally, they had field time to burn what little energy they had left throughout the days. On the final night, students participated in a bonfire where they listened to a storyteller, roasted marshmallows and made s'mores. We had a few students who did not want the fun to end!
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.
Dream Big: Fall Career Club schedule Free Career Exploration Event
The Dream Big program helps transition-age students (14-21) with disabilities (individuals who have IEPs, and 504 plans) who plan to attend college or trade/tech school explore in-demand careers that will one day lead them to economic independence.
The Dream Big Team has several academic year events we would like to share with you and your team. All Dream Big Career Club events will be hosted virtually via Zoom. We would be grateful if you would pass the information along to your team and families of students with disabilities who plan to attend 2-or 4-year college/universities or trade/technical schools.
The first Wednesday of every month (Oct-Dec) Dream Big will host Career Club via Zoom from 4:00pm-5:00pmCT. Career Club events are career exploration events during the academic year, where students have the opportunity to interact with a variety of professionals in different career clusters. The professionals share their educational and career journeys. At the end students will be able to ask panel members questions. This event is FREE and will be hosted virtually via Zoom!
I am attaching two items, The Fall Career Club flyer and a Dream Big overview document. The Fall Career Club flyer contains information about the event and a hyperlink to registration that allows students/parents to register at once and choose which events they would like to attend. Students are able to attend as many events as they would like. The Dream Big overview document contains a general overview of the Dream Big program. If [insert school/organization] have any additional questions or want to set up an informational meeting with us, please don’t hesitate to put some time on my calendar click here to schedule some time to learn about the Dream Big program or feel free to call or email me at 314-860-2238 or dgiuffrida@starkloff.org.
Best
Danielle Giuffrida
Danielle Giuffrida (she/her/hers)
Dream Big Camp Coordinator
The Workforce, Workplace Disability Advisor
133 S 11th Street, Suite 500
St. Louis, MO 63102
314-588-7090 (O)
(314) 860-2238 (D/M)
Sign up for Dream Big newsletter click here !
Schedule a meeting with me Click here! .
Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Information
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.
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.
Family and Community Engagement (FACE) will be hosting a Family Cafe 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
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.
Lunch and Learn Series 2022 - 2023
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
Family Leadership Institute
The highly successful SSD Parent Leadership Institute that has had more than 280 participants since 2007 is once again being offered under a new name of Family Leadership Institute (FLI).
The Institute will be Wednesday evening from 5:30-8:30pm at SSD Central Office: November 2.
If you are a parent or family member who makes the educational decisions for a child with a disability, investing the time to attend these four Wednesday evening sessions will provide:
VISION: for the future of your child.
KNOWLEDGE: to help effectively participate in your child's education.
LEADERSHIP SKILLS: to improve the educational climate for all children.
ACCESS: to new resources, friends, and experts to help you on your journey.
Apply today https://SSDPEDA.as.me/FALL2022FLI
Communications
Affordable Connectivity Program
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.