Riverview Gardens / SSD
Newsletter for Families, May 2023
Riverview Gardens School District Information
Special School District Information
Youth Mental Health First Aid Training is available for families in SSD. The course is located at Maryland Heights Community Center on July 22, 2023 from 9 - 3:30 PM. The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. To join us please register at https://forms.gle/CRFvDJH76XbSyFQg7. Seats are limited. Register to become a mental health first aider today.
The National Association on Mental Illness (NAMI) offers meaningful resources to support youth, educators, families, and caregivers have productive discussions about mental health with youth and young adults. Please visit the website to review the resources. https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults/Youth-and-Young-Adult-Resources
SEF Accepting Applications for Kid to Camp Program
The Special Education Foundation is now accepting applications to assist children with disabilities served by SSD to attend one or more camps this summer. Each year, the SEF provides tuition assistance to enable students served by SSD to attend summer camps. Sometimes children with disabilities cannot join their peers in a summer camp experience due to financial constraints or other hardships. SEF steps in to help young people and their families take advantage of these experiences that can sometimes be life-changing. Parents and caregivers can have peace of mind knowing that their child is in a safe and healthy place. Apply here.
FACE Workshops and Community Collaborations
FACE Workshops and Community Collaborations are now posted on the SSD site at https://www.ssdmo.org/Page/495.
FACE is hosting a HUB Huddles this month at our HUB located in North Technical High School.
- The Community Action Agency of St. Louis County (CAASTL) will be at the HUB, located in North County Technical School, on May 12, 2023 from 9-4pm. CAASTL can help families in need of rental assistance, utility assistance, and weatherization needs.
SUMMER HOURS FOR THE HUB: Access to the HUB, located in North Technical High School, will only be available over the summer by appointment. Email face@ssdmo.org to make an appointment.
SPOTLIGHT ON BULLYING
Bullying is an unacceptable part of our children’s lives. Do your children know how to recognize the signs of bullying? Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center offers resources to help.
Click here to learn how you can become a partner in your child’s learning.
The Family and Community Resource Center (FCRC), located at the Learning Center in Hazelwood, has several books that help to increase awareness and prevent bullying for students of all different ages and abilities. Here is a list of just a few:
“Betty Stops the Bully: An Emotional Literacy Book” written by Lawrence E. Shapiro, Ph.D “Emily is Being Bullied. What Can She Do?” written by Helen Cowie, Harriet Tenebaum, and Ffion Jones
“I Wish I Knew What to Do?!, Teens tell it like it is…on what to say to get BULLIES to leave you alone!” edited by Beth Carls and Amy Looper
Contact FACE today (face@ssdmo.org, 314-989-8460) to have one of these books or many others sent home in your student’s backpack!
Lunch and Learn Series 2022 - 2023
Lunch and Learn Series 2022 - 2023: Special School District’s Family and Community Engagement
The 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), Summer Engagement Activities - May 24, 2023
- Join the FACE team on May 24th for a Lunch and Learn to discover new and exciting ways to engage your students this summer. Face will highlight various local opportunities as well as ways to keep your students’ skills sharp over the summer break.
Join us live on our SSD YouTube Channel.
Lunch and Learn past videos
SSD (FACE), Activities for Family Engagement Month - Oct. 26, 2022
Recreation Council of Greater St. Louis, Summer Resources - Dec. 15, 2022
SSD Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) department - Feb. 22, 2023
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - April 26, 2023
SSD Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/c/SpecialSchoolDistrictofStLouisCounty
Community Supports and News
Summer Activites
Still on the hunt for good summer camps or activities? There are search engines that can help with that. Blueprint 4 Summer and Kids out and About are great resources to help fill those hot summer days.
In-Home Residential Support (Respite)
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.
https://www.slarc.org/programs/family-support/in-home-support/
ARCH Respite serves St. Louis County and St. Louis City to register, or learn more, contact ARCH@slarc.org or call 314-817-2236.
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.
Special School District of St. Louis County
Website: www.ssdmo.org
Location: 12110 Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO, USA
Phone: 314.989.8100
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SSDStLCo
Twitter: @SSDDStLCo
Riverview Gardens School District
Website: http://www.rgsd.k12.mo.us/
Location: 1370 Northumberland Drive, St. Louis, MO, USA
Phone: 314-869-2505