SSD Pattonville Dispatch
November 2022
Connect with the SSD Board of Education
Student Scholarships Available
Special School District of St. Louis County is fortunate to partner with regional organizations that provide scholarship opportunities for our students. Over the years, many thousands of dollars have been donated to help SSD students take the next step in their education journey.
Graduating seniors should consider applying for these scholarships that are exclusively available to students who receive SSD services and/or attend one of the District’s technical high schools. Each scholarship has specific requirements and applications must be completed online via the links below.
SSD scholarship winners will be honored by the Board of Education in the spring (date TBA).
THE APPLICATION DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 16, 2022
James E. Westbury Memorial Board of Education Scholarships
The SSD Board of Education and other donors provide funds for scholarships each year to SSD students who plan to attend a college, university, or post-secondary program. These scholarships are named in memory of James E. Westbury, who served on the SSD Board for many years and dedicated his life to the education of students throughout the St. Louis region.
Scholarships are awarded to the students who best demonstrate the ability to define a goal and are preparing to achieve that goal.
Recipients of this scholarship will be selected by members of the SSD Board. In most years, two students are selected for scholarships in the amount of $2,000. The funds will be paid directly to each student's college, university, or post-secondary program.
Click here to apply for the James E. Westbury Scholarship.
Bonhomme Lions Scholarships
For many years, the Bonhomme Lions have donated funds for scholarships to SSD students. The organization selects students who have demonstrated strong character, high academic achievement, and participation in community service.
Scholarship applications will be reviewed and recipients determined by the Bonhomme Lions Scholarship Committee. The scholarship recipients each typically receive $1,000 to be used toward education expenses at the recipient's chosen college, university, or post-secondary program. The scholarship amounts will depend on funds available.
Click here to apply for a Bonhomme Lions Club Scholarship.
Allison M. Haake Memorial Scholarship
Established in 2008, the Allison M. Haake Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a qualifying SSD student each year. The scholarship was established in memory of Allison Marie Haake, a former SSD teacher assistant. Allison was an inspirational young woman who, at an early age, knew she wanted to make a career of working with children.
Scholarship applications will be reviewed and a recipient determined by the Allison Haake family. The scholarship recipient will receive $2,500 to be used toward expenses at the recipient's chosen college, university, or post-secondary program.
Click here to apply for an Allison M. Haake Memorial Scholarship.
The John Cary Scholarships
NOTE- NOT DUE UNTIL JANUARY 24, 2023: The John Cary Scholarships are given in honor of John Cary, former Superintendent of Schools for the Special School District. As superintendent, John gave tirelessly of his time to students, staff and parents. A hallmark of John’s leadership was the caring and generous hand he extended to the Special Education Foundation. The John Cary Scholarships will be given to graduating students who receive services from the Special School District of St. Louis County – special education and/or technical education. The selected students will reflect the characteristics most admired by John Cary – resiliency, courage, and determination.
The Special Education Foundation’s John Cary Scholarships are for $5,000 and can be used for tuition only. The scholarship must be used during the upcoming school year.
All applications must be complete for consideration and must include a copy of pages 1 and 2 of Form 1040 from the family’s most recent tax return. Selection is determined by a committee comprised of SEF Board, SSD Board, SSD Superintendent, former superintendents, and Carol Cary.
Apply here for the John Cary Scholarship
Family & Community Engagement (FACE) Workshops
Parent/Family Workshops
All of the workshops offered by FACE are provided free of charge and are open to all parents, families and community members.
After registering, participants will be provided with information about the platform that will be used for the workshop.
If you are unable to attend the live workshop, please still register so that we can send you the link to the recording a day or two after the workshop.
The workshops will be set up as webinars, so you will be able to see the panelists but not other attendees. Your confirmation and reminder email will contain information about how to submit questions to the panelists in advance, or you can use the chat and Q&A features during the workshop. If you have any questions, please let us know.
If you need more information, or if you require an alternative format as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act, contact face@ssdmo.org, 314.989.8460 or 711 (Deaf/HOH).
Registration Options
To register for a workshop, please email face@ssdmo.org or call 314.989.8460.
Upcoming Workshops
November 5th 9:00am - 12:00pm at Northview High School in Florissant
Family Academy - Hosted by FACE
November 11th 9:00am - 4:00pm at the Family Resource Hub at North Tech High
Hub Huddle: CAASTLC - Community Action Agency of St. Louis County
To learn more about Hub Huddles please call 314-989-8034.
November 15th 11:00am - 12:00pm at the Family Resource Hub at North Tech High
Hub Huddle: Higher Education Consortium (HEC)
To learn more about Hub Huddles please call 314-989-8034.
November 17th 6:00pm - 8:00pm at the Family Resource Hub at North Tech High
Family and Community Engagement (FACE) is hosting its first Family Academy on November 5th to celebrate Family Engagement month. We have created an opportunity for families to learn strategies to support their students, navigate community resources, and learn from one another. The course listings and vendors can be viewed by visiting https://www.ssdmo.org/Page/1597. This event is free and open to our stakeholders, but we encourage all to register.
Pattonville Parent Advisory Council Meeting
The Pattonville Parent Advisory Council will hold the monthly meeting Thursday, November 17, from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. A local parent advisory committee provides parents an opportunity to learn more about the supports and resources available to parents of students with disabilities and collaborate with other local parents.
Join Zoom Meeting: ZOOM LINK
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.
November's Meeting - Nov. 9, 2022 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Meeting ID: 955 4237 2430
Passcode: 795650
All meetings are held virtually via Zoom.
For more information, please visit the PAC website.
PAC general council meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month.
Affordable Connectivity Program
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.
SSD Family Leadership Institute – Fall 2022
SSD’s Family and Community Engagement (FACE) program is seeking applicants interested in participating in the Fall 2022 SSD Family Leadership Institute.
Family Leadership Institute participants have the opportunity to:
Build understanding of future planning and problem-solving utilizing the 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 educational decision-makers for a student with a disability.
The last session will be held in-person on Wednesday, Nov. 2 from 5:30-8:30 PM. Dinner will be provided for attendees.
For More Information
Call 314.989.8460 or email face@ssdmo.org.
Lunch and Learn Series
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.
Maryland Heights Community Program
Home Safe is a free service offered by the Maryland Heights Police Department that will help officers make contact and develop plans with those who have medical conditions or disabilities which can make effective communication challenging. While this program was first envisioned for people with wandering behaviors, we encourage any individuals with a disability who may not specifically wander or bolt to also register for the program. Caregivers are encouraged to apply for individuals, if the individual is unable to do so themselves, to establish a partnership with the MHPD in case an emergency arises.
The Home Safe program is a useful tool that provides law enforcement with critical information about those registered. With Home Safe, dispatchers and officers are informed of the communication abilities, routines, behaviors, potential triggers emergency contacts, detailed physical descriptions, and photographs of those registered in the program. All of these details better enable us to sensitively and meaningfully respond to people with special needs should situations potentially arise. All information provided for Home Safe is completely confidential, and can only be accessed by a Maryland Heights Police Dispatcher or Officer in case of an emergency.
How does Home Safe work?
The Home Safe Registry gives the Maryland Heights Police Department quick access to critical information about a registered person with disabilities or medical conditions in case they get lost or wander away. If an officer finds someone who cannot communicate where they live, the officer can search the database by description and return the person to their home and loved ones safely.The registry also gives us the information to quickly and easily communicate the registered person's identity and information to officers, improving the quality of response to calls of this nature.
Additionally, the MHPD is able to meet in-person with those applying. Meeting an officer in a safe and comfortable setting (of your choice) will allow the individual to introduce themselves, ask questions and make a friend. Those interested can call Officer Mancusi at (314) 738-2358 or email here. At that time, please let us know if there are any sensory issues or specific behaviors that we should be aware of.
Who is eligible for Home Safe?
All members of our community with a disability, special needs, or other medical/sensory conditions that may have challenges communicating are encouraged to register for Home Safe.What should I do if my loved one goes missing?
Call 9-1-1 immediately and explain your loved one's medical condition or special needs. If they are enrolled in Home Safe, please let the dispatcher know when you call. If your loved one is not registered with our Home Safe program, please make sure you have the following information on hand to provide to the dispatcher and arriving officers:- If they can verbally communicate, or how they communicate
- What names they are responsive to
- Their medication needs
- Places they are most likely to visit
- If they are afraid of noises, loud sounds, being touched, etc...
You can sign yourself or your loved ones up for the Home Safe program by contacting Officer Terry Mancusi here or by accessing the registration link at below.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR HOME SAFE
- Officer Terry Mancusi
The Family Resource Hub
For more information visit the The Family Resource Hub.
The Family Resource Hub Satellite Food Pantry is located at North Tech High School which supports families with access to non-perishable food items and household supplies.
Free At-Home COVID-19 Test
Residential Households in the U.S. can order one set of 4 FREE at-home tests from usps.com. To order the free tests visit covidtests.gov.
Upcoming Dates
November 1
No school for staff development
November 23 - 25
No school for Thanksgiving holidays
Special School District of St. Louis County
Email: DByrnes@ssdmo.org
Website: www.ssdmo.org
Location: 12110 Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO, USA
Phone: 314.989.8100
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SSDStLCo
Twitter: @SSDDStLCo
Pattonville School District
Latoria Cain, Director of Student Services
Deidre Smalls, Special Education Coordinator - Bridgeway, Parkwood, Rose Acres
Carla Addoh, Special Education Coordinator - Remington, Willow Brook, Robert Drummond
Dee Byrnes, Special Education Coordinator - Holman Middle
Leigh Ann Richelman, Special Education Coordinator - Pattonville Heights & Pattonville HighWebsite: https://www.psdr3.org/
Location: 11097 St Charles Rock Rd, Saint Ann, MO, USA
Phone: 314-213-8500