Kirkwood Special School District
September 2023 Edition
Join Us for Unified Night Lights on September 20th!
Dear Families,
The KHS football team, cheer team, dance squad, pep nation and band would like to invite all Kirkwood students with disabilities and their siblings to participate in a Unified Flag Football game. A unified game is one in which people with and without disabilities play together -- side-by-side; shoulder-to-shoulder! We believe sports is one unifying effort that can help provide a path to friendships and understanding.
In addition to playing flag football, there are many other ways your child(ren) can participate. Students can pump up the crowd and dance with the cheerleaders and dance team, go crazy with Pep Nation or jam to the sounds of the KHS Band.
If your student(s) are interested in participating, please visit kirkwoodschools.org/unl for information. To register for the event, visit: https://forms.gle/B9s19C76ggYjKeWS6.
Please complete registration by Friday, September 15. Participants will be partnered up with a member of the KHS football team, cheer team, dance squad, pep nation or band. The partner student will be with your child throughout the event.
All participants and their families are invited to the pre-game pizza dinner which is sponsored by the Kirkwood School District Foundation.
Questions? Please contact Cheri Nienhaus: dewdrop519@yahoo.com or April Curtis: kidscando@yahoo.com.
Thank you and we look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, September 20!
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT (FACE)
Do you want to learn more about SSD? FACE is offering a Virtual Open House on Tuesday, September 21st at 6pm for an introduction to the services and resources available through SSD. Join us here.
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
Helping Students Navigate Back-to-School Anxiety: Tips for Families: The start of a new school year can bring both excitement and apprehension for students, especially after the challenges posed by the previous year. It's not uncommon for students to experience back-to-school anxiety as they face new classrooms, teachers, and classmates. As a family member, your support and guidance play a crucial role in helping your student manage these feelings and start the year positively. Read more...
Online SSD Resources to Help Families All Year: 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.
Family Leadership Institute
Lunch and Learn Series
FACE’s Lunch and Learn Series is back with an exciting lineup of presenters. This month will highlight an SSD community partner, Easter Seals. Join us live on YouTube on September 27th at 11:30am to learn all about this amazing resource.
Family Cafe
Join FACE for the first Family Cafe of the 2023/24 school year. On Sep 14, 2023 at North Technical High School. FACE will join with families to provide a safe and welcoming space to connect and learn from each other. Family Cafes are centered on the Strengthening Families Protective Factors: Resilience, Relationships, Knowledge, Support, and Communication. Register today!
American Sign Language
New this year, SSD's FACE (Family and Community Engagement) will be offering an immersive environment for learning American Sign Language (ASL)! Learn to communicate with Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HoH) individuals with an introduction to fingerspelling and basic signs to use in the home, school, and community. There are only 20 spots available for this six part series that will be held weekly starting September 21st. Click here to register!
Charting the LifeCourse
Would you like to learn more about how you can support your student through the IEP process? Join FACE virtually on September 5th at 6pm for a webinar that will link the use of Charting the LifeCourse tools with preparing for your student’s IEP. Click here to register.
SSD Parent Advisory Council (PAC)
Greetings Families!
Has special education got you stressed out? The beginning of a new year and
unknowns can be extra scary with an IEP or 504. The system can be hard to
navigate even in the best districts. Those great documents, laws, & policies put
into place to help us are hard to understand. It can be a lonely journey. But you
are not alone! You have the SSD PAC.
The SSD PAC is open to every family with a child receiving SSD services. We have monthly zoom meetings. We are parents like you. We get it. You can just log on and watch. SSD and FACE share updates, great information, and presentations based on your needs. We advocate to inform policy with our parent voice. We share parent perspective to help our schools know how to best help our kids.
We’re having an in-person Family Gathering on Sept. 13, 6:30 PM, at the SSD Learning Center in Hazelwood. Please come; tap into this community that exists for you.
Your New SSD PAC President,
Rebecca Flieg
Kirkwood SSD Parent Advisory Council (PAC)
The KSD PAC is a group of volunteer parents working together with Kirkwood and SSD to
SUPPORT, EDUCATE, and CONNECT other parents of children in special programs. 2023-2024 PAC meetings will be held on the following dates from 6:30-8:00 PM:
October 4, 2023: KHS Library
December 6, 2023
February 8, 2024
April 24, 2024
Wellness Corner
Back to School: Parent Involvement from the CDC:
A new school year gives parents new opportunities to engage in their child’s school activities. Learn how you can help create a healthy, supportive school.
Get involved! When parents participate in their child’s school activities, kids get better grades, choose healthier behaviors, and have better social skills.
- Parent involvement makes school a healthier and more supportive place.
- Your involvement shows you are committed to supporting your child’s learning and development!
How You Can Get Involved in School Activities:
- Become part of the decision-making process for school health policies and practices. For example, ask to join the school wellness team.
- Ask the school to offer opportunities for parents to engage in school health activities, like a districtwide fitness challenge, family nights, or family wellness events.
- Talk with your child about healthy behaviors. Reinforce messages and practices learned in school about nutrition and physical activity.
- Set goals with your child’s school or teacher for building strong, positive relationships with peers and adults who can support your child’s emotional well-being.
Back-to-school season is an ideal time for parents to reinforce behaviors that help reduce the effects of stressful life events and teach children the skills to overcome them so they can reach their full potential. Access our parent tip sheet for more information about working with your child’s school to create a healthy and supportive environment.
More information
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Lara Evans
My name is Lara Evans. I am a resource teacher at Nipher Middle School. I have spent all of my 22 years with SSD as a Nipher Knight! I love my job because I love building relationships with students and watching them achieve success! In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, gardening, listening to live music, canoeing, and hiking.
Shelly Everson
Hi, my name is Dr. Shelly Cox Everson and I am the Instructional Coach assigned to the Kirkwood School District. After spending 20 years in the classroom my goal was to shift more towards empowering teachers and teams through professional development and collaboration. My role is to coach around high leverage practices and evidenced based strategies so that all students have access to equitable curriculum and instruction. The best part of my job is being able to serve all K-12 Kirkwood schools. I am able to see first-hand how student engagement and team morale directly impact student growth over time. I am a researcher in both my professional and personal life. When I'm not wallowing in best educational practices and reviewing data, I'm often researching the next best place to travel, concert to attend, broadway show to see or historical novel to read.
Amanda Lutton
Hello! My name is Mandy Lutton and I work as a paraprofessional at Robinson Elementary. I started out as a substitute para but loved it so much, I applied and have been working with SSD as a para since last March. I really enjoy my job working with students. One of the things I love most about my job, is the team and students I get to work with. We have an amazing group of students and staff. In my free time, I love to hang out with my friends and family, read, hike, travel, and listen to music.
Upcoming Events
SSD Board of Education Meetings:
September 26, 2023 Board of Education Business Meeting 5:45PM/Executive Meeting 7:00PM
Please visit the SSD Board of Education for more information.
Kirkwood School District Board of Education Meetings:
September 11, 2023 Board Work Session 6:30 PM
September 18, 2023 Board Meeting 6:30 PM
Please visit the Kirkwood Board of Education for more information.
September 4 No School
September 13 SSD PAC Meeting
September 20 Unified Lights
September 25 No School
Contact Us
Special School District of St. Louis County
12110 Clayton Road
Town & Country, MO 63131
Phone: 314‐989‐8100
Taneal Davis
- Director of Special Education-Robinson
- tmdavis@ssdmo.org
- taneal.davis@kirkwoodschools.org
Colleen Card
- Special Education Coordinator-KHS
- COcard@ssdmo.org
- colleen.card@kirkwoodschools.org
Emily Meuth
- Special Education Coordinator-Keysor, Westchester, NKMS
- ELMeuth@ssdmo.org
- emily.meuth@kirkwoodschools.org
Amy Wassman
- Special Education Coordinator-North Glendale, Tillman, Nipher
- AKWassman@ssdmo.org
- amy.wassman@kirkwoodschools.org