Kirkwood Special School District
November 2023 Edition
Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Upcoming Events
Family Resource Hub
The Community Action Agency of St. Louis (CAASTL) will be available at the Family Resource Hub, located inside North County Technical High School on October 6th and November 3rd from 10-2pm. CAASTLC can provide the following programs and services to families:
Case management
Utility assistance
Rental assistance
Financial education
Weatherization
Program development and educational activities.
Contact FACE with any questions.
Lunch and Learn Series
Join FACE as they welcome Starkloff Disability Institute for a Lunch and Learn on November 15th at 11:30am live on YouTube. This Lunch and Learn will highlight Starkloff’s Dream Big and Access U programs. Each of these programs help student’s focus on the future by offering career and post-secondary education guidance. You can find this live event as well as previously recorded Lunch and Learns on the SSD YouTube page.
Family Cafe
Are you interested in making connections with other families and community members in our district? Join Face on November 16th, for the final Family Cafe of the semester. Family 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. Three cafes will be hosted each semester. This semester they will be held at North Technical High School 1700 Derhake Rd., Florissant, MO 63033 from 6-8pm. Register today!
Family Academy
November is Family Engagement month! FACE is hosting Family Academy, this highly anticipated event on Saturday, November 4th at Northview High School from 9am to noon. There will be interactive activities, community vendors, networking opportunities, music, light refreshments and fun learning! We will also have a timely presentation from our community partners at Crisis Aid International. They will share information that will help our students and loved ones stay safe from sexual exploitation and trafficking. Families and staff are welcome to join at any point during the day and stay as long as they wish. All are welcome, but we ask you to RSVP is you plan to attend.
Hub Huddles
FACE will host Vocational Rehabilitation for a HUB Huddle on Friday, November 17th. SSD's The Department of Vocational Rehabilitation to provide our community with additional support and access to resources that support employment after transition. A representative from VR will be available at the SSD Family Resource Hub (located inside North Tech High School) to provide information on many of their programs, including VR Youth Services, Pre-Employment Transition Services (pre-ETS), and share support for families.
Kid to Camp Program
Camp programs help to maintain educational momentum for students during extended academic breaks throughout the year. The Special Education Foundation's (SEF) Kid-to-Camp program can help bridge the learning gap for students served by SSD during the upcoming winter break. Camperships are awarded based on financial need and student benefits. For a list of camp resources and to apply to SEF's Kid-to-Camp program, visit https://sef-stl.org/programs/kid-to-camp/
Virtual Open House
Are you new to SSD or just wanting to learn more about the district? Join FACE for a Virtual Open House on Tuesday, November 21st at 9:30am. Families can receive an introduction to the services and resources available through SSD. These virtual meetings invite all families into our learning community as equal partners throughout the learning process, symbolizing that FACE's door is always open! Click here to join the virtual meeting.
Public Notices
Each year, the Special School District posts annual public notices as required by Board of Education policy and state law. These notices primarily serve to inform parents and students of their rights. Full SSD Board of Education policies and regulations can be found on the District website. All of SSD's public notices can be found on the District website at www.ssdmo.org/publicnotices.
Procedural Safeguards Notice
Did you know that the SSD has copies of the Procedural Safeguards and Parent Bill of Rights available in multiple languages on our website? The Procedural Safeguards help keep families informed about their rights and protections under IDEA. Visit the Procedural Safeguards section of the District website to review.
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:
December 6, 2023
February 8, 2024
April 24, 2024
Clayton SSD PAC Invites You....
Please join us on Monday, November 6th from 7:00-8:30 via Zoom Link
Presentations from SWEP, Neighborhood Experiences, and Youth Summer Program, along with a Q & A.
Staff Spotlight
Lisa Willis
Hi! I am Lisa Willis. I am a special education teacher at Robinson Elementary. This is my fifth year with SSD and my tenth year as a special education teacher. What I love most about my job is watching the students learn and grow. I'm just so fortunate to get to work with an outstanding team of colleagues who share this passion of doing what's best for the students. Working on a sequential Master's in Reading takes up lots of my spare time, but I try to squeeze in some time with my three adult children. If I'm really lucky, there's an hour or two still leftin the week to play tennis.
Molly Nuno
Mike Werkmeister
Hello, my name is Mike Werkmeister and I have been working at SSD for the past 3 years. I currently work at Nipher Middle School. At Nipher, I really enjoy working with our students both in the general education classes and in the ALC room. It so rewarding to see how excited the students get with their accomplishments. These accomplishments can range from unlocking their lockers by themselves for the first time to doing a speech in front of their classmates. Outside of work, I enjoy spending as much time as I can with my wife at the Lake of the Ozarks and bowling in a league with my son.
Upcoming Events
SSD Board of Education Meetings:
November 14, 2023 Board of Education Business Meeting 5:45 PM/Executive Meeting 7:00 PM
Please visit the SSD Board of Education for more information.
Kirkwood School District Board of Education Meetings:
November 6, 2023 Board of Education Work Session 6:30 PM
November 20, 2023 Board of Education Business Meeting 6:30 PM
Please visit the Kirkwood Board of Education for more information.
November 7: No School for Students: Staff Development Day
November 8: SSD PAC Meeting 7:00 PM
November 22-November 24: No School: Thanksgiving Recess
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