Brentwood Special School District
October 2021 Edition
Dear Families,
I wanted to take this opportunity to talk briefly about some of the changes going on throughout our special education department here in Brentwood. In August, Lindsay Clemens, joined our team. Dr. Clemens is an Instructional Coach and supports our Brentwood team as well as Maplewood Richmond Heights. This position is a new position for Special School District and Instructional Coaches are working throughout the county in all partner districts as well in our SSD Schools. Dr. Clemens has been a great asset to our team and has been supporting teachers in classrooms as well as working with our instructional leadership team.
I would also like to encourage each of you to complete the SSD Parent Community Interest Survey (form ). I am interested in connecting with each family and learning from each of you about your experiences and work to build a supportive network for parents of students with IEPs in the Brentwood Community.
Travena Hostetler; Ed D
Director of Special Education; Brentwood
thostetler@brentwoodmoschools.org
314-989-8479
Family Involvement
Have you ever wanted to really think about the goals you have for your student and your family? Charting the Life Course is a great activity to complete with your family that can also help you communicate with your student's case manager the goals that you have for them in the future. There are many free resources. Please take a look and let us know if we can help!
Health and Wellness
There has been much guidance and resources around supporting students through COVID-19. We have noticed students have shown a tremendous amount of resilience in their ability to adapt to changes in the school setting and daily practices to ensure safety. Routines have supported our students in their transitions into the school year. Below are examples of some of the strategies that students benefit from in order to cope in times of adversity. Challenge yourself to explore these strategies and try them out. Remember, progress is slow, and even if you practice 1 minute a day, this is still progress! According to Medium small increments get BIG results.
- Evaluate and identify your core values:
Core values are the personal standards that guide our choices. Ask yourself what is most important? Then start making choices that align with these core values to live a life full of meaning and purpose. Indeed will walk you through the “6 Steps to Discover Your Core Values.”
- Set daily Intentions:
Intentions, a commitment to yourself, can help increase productivity and maintain a positive outlook despite daily adversities. We cannot stop the waves but we can learn to surf! So set an intention to be more aware, listen more, or be open to changes that occur in your day. This helps set you up to be more resilient throughout your day. You can learn more about how to set daily intentions at https://theblissfulmind.com/daily-intentions/.
Wherever you are in your life, mindfulness can meet you there. Mindfulness, according to mindful.org is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. Do you ever feel like you are on auto-pilot? Do you arrive at your destination only to realize that you can’t recall your drive, only your arrival? Mindfulness is evidenced-based and can decrease stress/ anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, symptoms of ADHD, and emotional regulation. Begin using mindfulness during daily routines to practice. Check out the mindful website for ways you can practice daily mindfulness.
Give one of these a try.
VIRTUAL LUNCH & LEARN SERIES FOR SSD FAMILIES AND STAKEHOLDERS
Special School District’s Family and Community Outreach, Social Work, Parent Education and Diversity Awareness (PEDA) and Communications departments have teamed up 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 take place on the first Wednesday of each month during the 2021-22 school year, from 11:30 AM - Noon.
Representatives from nine community organizations will participate in order to increase awareness about their agency and make connections with those in our SSD community who may benefit from their programs and services.
Organizations represented in the Lunch & Learn series include:
- The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) – Sept. 1
- The Community Action Agency of St. Louis County (CAASTL) – Oct. 6
- Operation Food Search – Nov. 3
- Behavioral Health Response – Dec. 1
- Easterseals Midwest – Jan. 5
- The Recreation Council of Greater St. Louis – Feb. 2
- Team Activities for Special Kids (TASK) – March 2
- St. Louis ARC – April 6
- St. Louis County Library – May 4
SSD PARENT EDUCATION (PEDA)
PEDA has several workshops scheduled for October. These include:
WORKSHOP: Planning for the Future - Augmentative Communication Funding
Oct. 14, 2021
Starts at 12:30 PM
Description
Augmentative Communication facilitators from Special School District will discuss ways that families and students can pursue funding for augmentative communication devices. An additional discussion will include what the process is for families to purchase dedicated communication systems for their student when considering transition and post-secondary outcomes.
WORKSHOP: Why is my Child Misbehaving? (This is a workshop for families who have early childhood aged children)
Oct. 20, 2021
Starts at 12:30 PM
Description
This training will focus on early childhood specific positive parenting strategies to manage challenging behavior. Parents will leave with hands-on strategies that can be implemented in the home setting.
Along with workshops, PEDA also has a Family and Community Resource Center at the Hazelwood Learning Center that has books and resources available for check out. Families and community members are welcome to visit the center and/or contact PEDA with inquiries. In the Spring of 2022, PEDA will be hosting another Parent Leadership Institute and will begin taking applications soon. Please contact us at 314.989.8460 or ssdpeda@ssdmo.org if you have any questions and visit our website at www.ssdmo.org/PEDA
Upcoming Events
SSD Board of Education Meetings:
October 26, 2021 - 5:45 pm
November 9, 2021 - 5:45 pm
December 14, 2021 - 5:45 pm
Please visit the SSD Board of Education for more information.
Brentwood School District Board of Education Meetings:
October 19, 2021 - 7:00 pm
November 16, 2021 - 7:00 pm
December 21, 2021 - 7:00 pm
Please visit the Brentwood Board of Education for more information.
Staff Shout Out!!!
Do you have a teacher or staff member who has gone above and beyond for you or your child supporting them, encouraging them to do their best or being a listening ear when they need someone? Please take a minute to write a note of thanks by sharing your appreciation with them. You may fill out this form as many times as you would like for different school personnel.
Helpful Links
Contact Us
Special School District of St. Louis County
12110 Clayton Road
Town & Country, MO 63131
Phone: 314‐989‐8100
Travena Hostetler
- Director of Special Education; Brentwood
- trhostetler@ssdmo.org
Erik Lewis
- School Social Worker
- erlewis@ssdmo.org
Mary Herbst
- School Psychologist
- meherbst@ssdmo.org