SSD-Hazelwood Summer News
July 2021
Save the Date! August 14 HSD School Supplies Event
The Back 2 School Drive-Thru Fairs at all three high schools are scheduled for Saturday, August 14, beginning at 10:00 a.m. HSD families can stop by to receive FREE backpacks and school supplies.
- West High School - 1 Wildcat Lane, Hazelwood, MO 63042
- Central High School - 15875 New Halls Ferry Road, Florissant, MO 63031
- East High School - 11300 Dunn Road, St. Louis, MO 63138
All supplies will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis until they are gone. In addition to giveaways, HSD families will enjoy music and see some familiar faces from their favorite schools along the drive-thru routes.
SUMMER LEARNING LOSS
Don't forget about the IEP. Without regular practice, new skills and knowledge fade. Most students don't require extended school year services, but that doesn't mean that they should put learning on hold. Before you make your summer plans, review your child's IEP goals to look for activities and projects to do that will help them maintain the progress they worked so hard to achieve during the past school year.
Find learning opportunities in your daily routine. We all do chores. Use everyday tasks to help disguise learning in a fun way. Practicing fractions by measuring ingredients while cooking or learning about money management by budgeting for your grocery shopping are two examples. Work on sorting and classification by doing laundry or reorganizing a messy closet. There are so many fun and practical activities you can do to incorporate learning into your daily routine.
Keep it simple. You don't need to create elaborate plans or force learning upon your child. If your child needs to improve social skills, plan a play date with his or her friends. If you’re trying to build or retain math skills, ask your child to count specific things as you’re out and about: “How many red cars do you see?” “How much change do I have in my purse?” Math is everywhere! If you want to improve reading skills, check out your local library for summer reading programs.
Plan outings. There are so many learning opportunities outside the home to explore. Field trips or "staycations" are easy, inexpensive, and fun! Take a nature walks and have your child record the number of trees that are along the path. Head to the zoo and play an "I spy" game to identify different animals. Build your child's independence and confidence by having them plan an activity away from home.
Unplug. Yes, unplug. During the school year, technology embedded into classroom activities in almost every class. Unfortunately, frequent computer use has been linked to several health issues, such as headaches, vision and back problems, and increased stress. Summertime is a great time to take a break from that. Connection through social media and texting has proved to be much less emotionally valuable than face-to-face connection with people. Tik Tok is fun, but it's more fun (and more beneficial) to do rather than to watch. Find an old video recorder or an actual camera, and let your child record the memories.
Relax. Summer learning is necessary to prevent or reduce learning loss during the summer, but so is taking a well-deserved break and relaxing. Kids need to unwind and recharge before starting back to school. And they're not kids for long, so relax and enjoy that time with them.
Are you looking for things for your kids to do this summer? See below for some options!
KEEN St. Louis
Click here to go to the website for more information.
Sensory Story Time at Prairie Commons Library
The Prairie Commons Branch of the St. Louis County Library offers Sensory Story Time for families with children ages 3-9 who are on the autism spectrum or who have multi-sensory needs at 10:00am on the 2nd Saturday of each month. The next event is scheduled for August 14.
Click here for more information.
Accessible Outdoor Adventures
For more information, visit the Missouri Department of Conservation website.
SSD Let's Talk
Let’s Talk is an open invitation from Special School District to tell us what’s on your mind.
Submit your feedback here.
Questions?
If you have any questions feel free to contact us at any of the following:
Special School District of St. Louis County
12110 Clayton Road
Town & Country, MO 63131
Phone: 314-989-8100
Hazelwood School District
Director of Special Education for Hazelwood
Dr. Jana Schaefer
Phone: 314-989-8228