SSD/Parkway Newsletter

Dear Parkway Families,

It is unbelievable that the pools are closed, the sun is setting earlier each day, and it’s time to bring out the warmer clothes again. This also means that we’ve been in school for a month already and it’s been wonderful to visit classrooms and see students and staff engaged in learning.

We believe that communication is crucial to a healthy relationship between students and staff, families and staff, schools and families, etc. At the start of the year, you should have received communication from your student’s case manager as well as a short introduction from the Special Education Administrator paired with your student’s school. If you have questions or concerns that come up during the year, we hope that you’ll connect with the case manager to work through any questions you might have. The Special Education Administrators also welcome the opportunity to connect with you and to be members of your student’s team. I’m including the list of administrative pairings below as a reminder of all of the team members that are available to support your student’s progress.

The district is always looking to be fully staffed. We encourage you to share the link to apply to become a Paraprofessional with SSD. It’s a rewarding position, and we could not do our jobs without the dedicated paraprofessionals supporting our amazing students.

As always, thank you for entrusting us with your children. We look forward to wonderful partnerships with each family this year!

In Collaboration,

Dr. Amy Blumenfeld

Director of Special Education

314-989-8435 / ablumenfeld@ssdmo.org

314-415-5297 / ablumenfeld2@parkwayschools.net

Each month we will introduce and highlight part of our Parkway Special Education Administrative team. This month, we’d like to introduce you to one of our secondary administrators, Kristin Lesinski.

Hello there, I am Kristin Lesinski, the supporting Special Education Administrator for both Parkway South High School and Parkway South Middle School. This is my 18th year in education, where I have served in several capacities, from paraeducator to administrator. I am very fortunate to be a part of two incredibly student-centered schools, where I see students and colleagues working together to support the collective. I continue to remain passionate about being proactive in serving our students in a manner that promotes their future success. Please feel free to reach out, I am a phone call or e-mail away-

Laura Cleer, Teacher at Hanna Woods Elementary, was recognized by Manchester as the Educator of the Year for her incredible work in the classroom. The City of Manchester shared, “Besides seeing the success of her students, Laura also enjoys building close connections with families. Unlike most other teachers, she is teaching the same students for more than one year. She is grateful there is a great team of paraprofessionals working by her side. “I have never been at a place that has been as supportive,” says Laura about the Hanna Woods staff.” We are so proud of Laura and the work she does!

In honor of Deaf Awareness Month, the Parkway School District highlighted students and teachers from Bellerive Elementary School, one of the six sites within Parkway that hosts a deaf and hard of hearing program.

During the 21-22 school year, SSD partnered with Kelly Education Services for our substitute provider across St. Louis County. Kelly Education Services is actively looking to build their substitute base, and we in Parkway would appreciate any support in building up Kelly Service’s employee base. Please see the attached flyer for information about the process for receiving a substitute certification.

The Community Action Agency of St. Louis (CAASTL) will be available at the Family Resource Hub, located inside North County Technical High School on October 6th and November 3rd from 10-2pm. CAASTL can provide the following programs and services to families:

• Case management

• Utility assistance

• Rental assistance

• Financial education

• Weatherization

• Program development and educational activities.

Contact FACE with any questions.

Do you have a strong desire to make connections with other families in your community? Join FACE on October 5th from 6-8pm for a Family Cafe. Family Cafes are hosted by families for families. Conversations are centered around the Strengthening Families Five Protective Factors: Resilience, Relationships, Knowledge, Support, and Communication. To learn more or to register, click here.

FACE is excited to host Pathways to Independence for a Lunch and Learn on October 25th from 11:30-12. Pathways to Independence is a local non-profit supporting teens through navigating their transition years, with a focus on friendship and social skills. Pathways is geared toward more independent teens, often with a Level 1 Autism diagnosis, a learning disability, or other developmental disability. Through a monthly calendar, participants have their choice of a variety of social activities and social skills classes. To access the video, please visit the SSD YouTube channel.

Behavioral Strategies in the Home and Community Series: Are you often frustrated or at a loss trying to manage your student’s behavior? Join SSD’s Applied Behavior Analysts on October 9th from 6-7pm to learn basic behavior strategies on how to prevent and react to behaviors when in and out in the community. In this webinar, attendees will review reinforcement strategies, basic functions of behavior, determining what your student prefers, how to apply these things across settings, and where resources are for you in the community. Click here to register and learn more.

Family Academy: EXTRA EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT! FACE is hosting its second annual Family Academy on Saturday, November 4th from 9-12 at North Tech High School, 1700 Derhake Rd., Florissant MO 63033. Families will have the opportunity to meet with a wide variety of community providers and vendors as well as participate in self-directed learning opportunities. So gather up the kids and head to North Tech for a morning filled with fun and empowerment. Visit the FACE webpage for more information and to register!

Visit SSDMO.org for links to resources that will direct you to information that will be helpful throughout the year - bookmark the webpage to make it easy to find. The links below apply to all students county-wide who receive services from SSD.

• Partner Districts

• Partner District Communication Sequence

• IEPs - Frequently Asked Questions

• Bullying Resources

• Student & Related Services

Unity Day is coming to Special School District. All across the nation, Unity Day is being celebrated on October 18th. Students should wear and share orange to unite for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion to send a visible message that no child should ever experience bullying. FACE will be holding a “Unity Day: Express Yourself” contest. Students are encouraged to submit entries based on the theme: “Kindness, Acceptance and Inclusion.” All forms of artistic expression will be accepted. Check the FACE website for more details on how to enter.

Students Who Receive Special Education Services Invited to Take SSD Survey: Special School District values the academic and personal well-being of our students and prioritizes making data-informed decisions to support their success. In collaboration with Panorama Education, SSD students in grades 3-12 are invited to share their voices through two surveys, a climate survey and a social-emotional learning (SEL) survey. The surveys will be given during the fall and spring of the 2023-24 school year, with the fall survey window being Sept. 19 through Oct. 9. The surveys will be administered electronically, but PDF versions can be previewed on SSD's website.

SEF Critical Needs Program: The Special Education Foundation (SEF) offers Critical Needs services - a solution to provide immediate funding to those students served by the Special School District (SSD) where the family is either unable to financially meet the need, has exhausted community resources, or is at risk for a student medical emergency that may result in the loss of independence or academic failure. Applications (accepted year-round) are to be completed by a social worker, teacher or administrator through the SEF website, submitted to Adrienne Eaglin at aeaglin@ssdmo.org or mailed to the Special School District Learning Center at 900 Hornet Drive, Hazelwood, MO 63042.

Free Flu Shots Through BJC: Receiving a flu shot helps keep you and your community healthy! Free flu vaccinations are being provided through Barnes-Jewish Hospital. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit https://bit.ly/3oCxqYu

PACCD hosted a great first meeting of the school year. Ralph Knese shared schematics for the upcoming playground revisions. Susan Irby Hawkinson shared Parkway updates regarding dyslexia and how the district is moving forward in light of updates to the state requirements. Deb Fiasco from the SSD FACE department presented on IEP 101. The PACCD steering committee looks forward to a successful year supporting the families within Parkway. If you were unable to join for the first meeting, don’t worry! There are plenty of opportunities throughout the year. Please mark your calendars for Oct 17, and Feb 20. A special event sponsored by PACCD for November is in the planning stages. Details coming soon! A March PACCD date is also being added (while avoiding the Spring Break window!).

Parkway PACCD Needs Assessment

Parkway PACCD Leadership Team Interest

October 10: SSD SSD BOE Work Study Meeting 5:45

October 17: PACCD Parkway South Middle Library 6:30

October 18: Parkway Board of Education Meeting 7:00

October 24: SSD Board of Education Business Meeting 5:45

*November PACCD Sponsored Event (date coming soon!)

November 14: SSD Board of Education Business Meeting 5:45

November 15: Parkway Board of Education Meeting 7:00

December 4: SSD Governing Council 7:00

December 5: SSD Board of Education Business Meeting 5:45

December 6: Parkway Board of Education Meeting 7:00

January 9: SSD SSD BOE Work Study Meeting 5:45

January 17: Parkway Board of Education Meeting 7:00

January 23: SSD Board of Education Business Meeting 5:45

January 31: State of the District 5:30 (Central High School)

February 13: SSD SSD BOE Work Study Meeting 5:45

February 20: PACCD Parkway South Middle Library 6:30

February 21: Parkway Board of Education Meeting 7:00

February 27: SSD Board of Education Business Meeting 5:45

March 4: SSD Governing Council 7:00

March 12: SSD Board of Education Business Meeting 5:45

April 9: SSD SSD BOE Work Study Meeting 5:45

April 11: Parkway Board of Education Meeting (Organization Meeting 6:30 PM)

April 23: SSD Board of Education Business Meeting 5:45

May 14: SSD SSD BOE Work Study Meeting 5:45

May 15: Parkway Board of Education Meeting 7:00

May 28: SSD Board of Education Business Meeting 5:45

June 3: SSD Governing Council 7:00

June 11: SSD SSD BOE Work Study Meeting 5:45

June 12: Parkway Board of Education Meeting 7:00

June 25: SSD Board of Education Business Meeting 5:45

• SSD Superintendent Updates
• SSD Parent Advisory Council
• Parent Education & Diversity Awareness Program
• SSD Guidance/Resources for In-Person and Distance Learning
• SSD Partner District - Parkway
• Academic and Related Services Toolkit

Amy Blumenfeld, Director of Special Education

Email: ablumenfeld@ssdmo.org
Website: www.ssdmo.org
Location: 12110 Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO, USA
Phone: 314.989.8435
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SSDStLCo
Twitter: @SSDDStLCo

Website: https://www.parkwayschools.net/
Location: 455 North Woods Mill Road, Chesterfield, MO, USA
Phone: 314-415-8100