Early Childhood Special Education
December
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.
Sharing information with our families in Affton, Bayless, Hancock Place, Maplewood-Richmond Heights and Jennings:
We provided services for some but not all of these districts listed. Please consider supporting not only those students at the Early Childhood level but also those kindergarten and up in the regions listed below.
Hazelwood, Maplewood-Richmond Heights, Jennings
Candidate filing for three open seats on the Special School District’s Board of Education opens at 8 AM on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022 and continues until 5 PM on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022. One of the available seats represents Subdistrict 1 - Hazelwood, Maplewood-Richmond Heights, and Jennings school districts. 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.
Affton, Bayless, Hancock Place, Mehlville
Candidate filing for three open seats on the Special School District’s Board of Education opens at 8 AM on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022 and continues until 5 PM on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022. One of the available seats represents Subdistrict 2 - Affton, Bayless, Hancock Place, and Mehlville school districts. 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.
Assistive Technology Workshop:
Join FACE for a workshop all about assistive technology. In this virtual session, participants will be introduced to Assistive Technology, by SSD Assistive Technology Specialist Kim White. Learn how to request an AT consultation and participate in demonstrations of universal tools available to all SSD students. Examples will be provided for low- and high-tech AT options that can be implemented in the home and school environments. Click here to register: Assistive Technology Workshop Registration
Tuesday, Dec 13, 2022, 11:30 AM
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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.
Thursday, Dec 15, 2022, 11:30 AM
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Check out these sensory friendly options for your family this winter
St. Louis Zoo’s Sensory-Friendly Wild Lights Night
Dec. 9, 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.
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.
Sibshops at ARC:
Wednesday, December 14 4:30 – 6:00 pm , Monthly on the second Wednesday
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.
ARCH Respite Flier: https://share.peachjar.com/https://share.peachjar.com/flyers/2372403/districts/50008flyers/2372403/districts/50008
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!
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)
The ECSE Administrative Team
Director of Early Childhood Special Education
(314) 989-8411
Special Education Coordinator
Ladue & Ritenour
(314) 989-8374
Special Education Coordinator
Affton, Bayless, Hancock, South County Head Start, &Webster
(314)-989-8546
Special Education Coordinator
Brentwood, Lindbergh & Valley Park
(314)989-8376
Special Education Coordinator
ECSE Deaf/Hard of Hearing, & Audiology
(314)-989-8274
Special Education Coordinator
Evaluation Teams & Parkway Step Program
(314) 989-7831 or (314) 415-4980
Special Education Coordinator
Parkway ECC, Parkway North Preschool, & Satellite Sites
(314) 415-4983
Special Education Coordinator
Maplewood-Richmond Heights, Jennings, Normandy, & Riverview Gardens
(314) 989-8213