Teachers in Affton will be coming back the week of August 15th. Please plan to hear from your students case manager that week for introductions and any other information you need. Teachers and paraprofessionals attend many meetings and trainings this week so you will hear from them at different times. If you need anything, don't hesitate to reach out to Ky Schlundt or myself prior to then.

Schedule a time to walk through your students new school. We are here to help! Walk through's for AHS and Gotsch are scheduled on August 9th. Please contact kschlundt@afftonschools.net to schedule time for Gotsch and kmmeers@ssdmo.org for Mesnier. Walk through's will be on August 15th for AHS. Contact kmmeers@ssdmo.org. Walk through's for Rogers are on August 3rd with kschlundt@afftonschools.net. The classrooms will not be ready and teachers can't meet at these times, but this is just another opportunity to help students feel comfortable in their new school.

August 3 - Mesnier students have popsicles on the playground from 10-11:30

August 15 - Teachers Return

Open Houses - SSD teachers will be here a half hour earlier than the school Open House to help you have time with case managers. This is new this year and provided based on your feedback!

August 16 - Mesnier Open House for special education services will be 3:45-5.

August 18 - Gotsch Open House for special education services will be at 5:30.

August 22 - First Day of School

August 24 - Rogers Open House for special education services 5-6:30

The results from our survey say:

100% of the families that completed the survey feel valued by the IEP team in Affton.

100% of the families that completed the survey feel that our Affton team is doing all they can to support their child.

Things that are going well are: new plans, progress on goals, and teacher and paraprofessionals that truly care.

Opportunities are: help with transition to new buildings (we have additional opportunities to help you feel comfortable!) and more one on one support (please make sure you talk to your individualized IEP meetings).

There were no topics that were brought up that you would like more learning.

Some families would like more email communication and some felt communication is great!

100% of families who completed the survey are satisfied with communication from SSD administration.

Action Plan:

Please speak with your child's IEP team if you feel that your child requires additional services so that you can all discuss what changes should be made. We will keep communications that we are currently doing, and try to provide you with opportunities to ask for more. We have added time to open houses and an opportunity to meet with administrators prior to school starting to get familiar with new buildings. These will be scheduled by you with Ky or myself.

Please continue to complete survey's when they are available so that we can continue to grow for you!

I hope that you are well. I recognize that this year has been like no other and that you are all short on time. So, I am writing a brief message to share a few supports/opportunities from our department. Please feel free to share these documents and links with those that may benefit from these services. As always, let us know if there are any additional supports needed.

1. The Family Resource Hub –

1. Family Resource Hub Virtual Grand Opening Video

2. Family Resource Hub Flyer

3. Satellite Food Pantry Flyer

2. Variety Club – Free Camp Opportunities – Enrollment ends on 2.7.2022

3. Recreation Council Flyer – Summer Program Guides available on 1.21.22

4. Youth Mental Health Training for Staff –Kickup registration link: https://pulse.kickup.co/events/browse/SKSWHzR83mUrJ7gpEPUpeh

5. Youth Mental Health Training for Families – Google link: https://forms.gle/28CzBcceYgadDhJk6

6. Assistance for families who may have challenges accessing the FREE Covid Tests

Thanks for sharing! Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. - Adrienne Eaglin

The Family Resource Hub located at North Tech High School is a space dedicated to families and our community stakeholders. The resource hub offers families computer and internet access, a satellite food pantry, and support navigating community resources. The space is also dedicated to supporting families by hosting learning labs, community events, and a safe and supportive environment to learn with and from one another.

Set an appointment to meet us there.

Please call 314-989-8311 or email FamilyEngagement@ssdmo.org

Tips to help families get back-to-school transitions and routines ~

https://www.familyeducation.com/school-learning/back-school

https://www.edutopia.org/article/back-to-school-resources-parents

We hope you consider attending our monthly PAC meetings! There will not be one in the summer months, but we have them most months on the third Thursday of the month at 6:30 via Google Meet to make them more accessible to all. These meetings are run by Angie Hanks. We would love one more person to help her lead these meetings! Are you interested? Please reach out to Angie or myself at kmmeers@ssdmo.org. Angie is an amazing volunteer that cares deeply about creating a community for everyone in Affton. We hope that you find an active role in this committee next year! More information will follow after the beginning of the school year!

In February we reported on the results that you provided us regarding things that are going well and things that we can work on. I am happy to communicate with you all some changes that we have made and some communication regarding how related service providers in Affton are communicating with you below.

1. Monthly Newsletter of what we are working on

2. Canvas- monthly reminders about canvas activities, new activities posted

3. Positive Communicate- phone calls with student, emails, hand-written notes

4. Progress Notes Quarterly

5. Positive note every time a student fills their "star" behavior chart

6. Emails as needed- we always reach out to parents if there is something to be communicated (if a student is falling behind, when things are coming up, or when they do something amazing). Often it is through email, but we do call parents as well.

7. Parent Teacher conferences

8. IEP conferences

9. Letter at the beginning of the year providing contact information.

10. Holiday help communication

11. We complete behavior sheets as appropriate when students have them for our session as appropriate dependent on team decisions.

12. Communication with outside agencies.

13. Re-evaluation meetings

Not all related service providers are doing all of these things, but these are some examples of how our Affton related service providers are trying to communicate with you. If this is not meeting your current needs, please reach out to them directly so that we can do better to support your family.

Home internet access is important for student success, whether learning in-person or at home. To provide all families with the opportunity to access the internet, the FCC has launched a temporary program, Emergency Broadband Benefit, to help families struggling to afford internet service. The Emergency Broadband Benefit will provide a discount of up to $50 per month toward broadband service for eligible families and households who are struggling to stay connected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible households can also receive a discount of up to $100 for the purchase of a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers. For more info, please visit: fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit

We had almost 50 student attend ESY this June and 100 students attend Summer Journey. ESY is provided to students who qualify for additional learning through SSD over the summer. All Affton students may attend Summer Journey. This was an exciting month where our kids were able to continue with the routine of school with hands on activities. We had 21 SSD staff to support students in Summer Journey and Credit Recovery. We had 19 SSD staff to support ESY. Thank you to all of you who attended. We will continue to learn and make sure that our summer programs continue to grow and get better for all students. It was amazing to see the smiles and progress that students continue to make in Affton. Thank you!

Special School District has launched the new Family and Community Engagement program (FACE), effective July 1, 2022. The program was created by merging Parent Education and Diversity Awareness (PEDA) and Family Engagement divisions.

The mission of FACE is to partner with students, families, and staff to support students throughout the District. These supports will include specialized academic, social, and emotional needs to promote self-determination, equitable opportunities, and authentic inclusion.

Families will still have access to the great resources formerly provided through PEDA and Family Engagement, like the Family Leadership Institute (formerly known as the Parent Leadership Institute), the Resource Hub at North Technical High School, Lunch & Learn virtual series, workshops, and more.

Katy Meers - Affton Special Education Director K-12 and Special Education Coordinator for Mesnier and Gotsch - kmeers@afftonschools.net or call at 314-633-5912

Ky Schlundt - Special Education Coordinator for Gotsch and Rogers - kschlundt@afftonschools.net

Tim Orr - School Psychologist for Mesnier and AHS - torr@afftonschools.net

Marie-France Castor - School Psychologist for Gotsch and Rogers and assists with EC -mcastor@afftonschools.net

Beckie Rainbolt - SSD Social Worker for Mesnier and AHS - brainbolt@afftonschools.net

Deanna Wright-Coffman - SSD Social Worker for Gotsch and Rogers - dwright@afftonschools.net

Pam Miller - SSD Social Worker for Rogers and AHS - pmiller@afftonschools.net

What if I would like to get more frequent or less frequent data on goals? Please contact your child's case manager or service providers.

What if I would like information regarding a class assignment? Please contact the teacher for that assignment.

What if I have a concern? Please contact the students case manager. If you have already contacted the case manager and you have not received results, please contact Ky or Katy.