SSD Webster Groves Schools
October 2022 Community Engagement Newsletter
Webster Groves School District Back-to-School Barbeque
On September 10, 2022, the SSD Leadership team and the WGSD PAC celebrated the collaborative spirit of the district by hosting a table at the Webster Groves Back to School Barbeque. We loved our community members' school spirit and energy. Thanks for joining us at our back-to-school BBQ. We look forward to seeing our community members at future WGSD PAC events.
SSD PAC Hosts first meeting of the 2022 School year with a family style Picnic!
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 Engagement Benefits Everyone
Students do better in school and in life when their families are engaged.
- Family engagement is associated with reduced drop-out rates and higher graduation rates.
- Family engagement leads to increased student achievement.
- Family engagement can reduce absenteeism.
- Family engagement encourages students to have better attitudes toward learning.
- Family engagement leads to better social skills and fewer conduct problems.
Schools benefit from family engagement.
- Family engagement is associated with higher expectations.
- Family engagement can lead to better student-teacher relationships.
- Family engagement helps improve trust in schools.
- Family engagement leads to increased cultural competence.
To learn more visit https://flamboyanfoundation.org/resource/research-on-why-family-engagement-matters/
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.
SSD Parent Advisory Council Meeting
Parent Advisory Council (PAC) is comprised of families advising and collaborating to improve the education, confidence, and social outcomes of each student served by SSD. SSD's PAC works closely with the SSD Board of Education, Governing Council, and District administration to provide valuable input and feedback from the parent perspective.
October's Meeting - Oct. 12, 2022 6:30pm - 8:00pm
SSD Central Office - 12110 Clayton Rd. St. Louis, MO 63131
RSVP by Oct. 5th.
Meetings are open to the public.
For more information or to join the meeting virtually, please visit the PAC website.
PAC general council meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month.
Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Information
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:
SSD Family and Community Engagement (FACE), Activities for Family Engagement Month - Oct. 26, 2022
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.
FACE (Family and Community Engagement) 3 Part Series: Introduction to Charting the LifeCourse Framework will be held on Tuesdays, October 4th, 11th, and 18th from 11:30-12:00pm. In these 30-minute virtual sessions, families will receive an overview of Charting the LifeCourse, gather insight on the history of the framework, and learn how it can provide a systematic way to plan for the future. The second and third sessions will focus on the Trajectory tool and Integrated Supports Star planning tool and how to successfully use them. RSVP for Introduction to Charting the LifeCourse.
Parent Cafe: A Parent Café will be held on October 27th from 6-8 at North Technical 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. RSVP for Family Cafes
Community Action Agency of St. Louis County: Join FACE as they welcome CAASTLC to the Family Resource Hub located in North Technical High School on Friday, October 14th from 9am-4pm. Families can learn about case management, utility assistance, rental assistance, financial education, weatherization, program development and education activities. A CAASTLC representative will be available to answer questions and assist with applications. To learn more about Hub Huddles please call 314-989-8034.
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 evenings from 5:30-8:30pm at SSD Central Office: October 12, 19, 26 and 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