Bayless/SSD Newsletter
December 2021
SSD Staff Awards
Applications for awards which honor the contributions of SSD staff and community members are awaiting nominations, due Feb. 7, 2022. Please encourage your staff, students, school parents and community partners to submit nominations to ensure they are recognized for their meaningful work in SSD.
Key to the Classroom Award (classroom teachers)
Building Block Award (paraprofessionals)
Lasting Impression Award (staff who are not classroom teachers or paraprofessionals)
Special Ambassador Award (community members, and SSD staff in some cases)
Special School District Student Scholarships
The Special Education Foundation (SEF) sponsors the John Cary Scholarships for high school seniors, as well. Applications are due Jan. 24, 2022.
For more information, please contact Deana Parsons, SSD internal communications coordinator, at dmparsons@ssdmo.org or 314.989.8102.
Summer Work Experience Program (SWEP)
A few important things to remember about eligibility for the SWEP program:
- You must be a resident of St. Louis County.
- You must be between 16 and 20 years of age and planning to return to a school program in the Fall of 2022.
- You cannot participate in SWEP while participating in the Extended School Year Program.
- Your teacher needs to submit a Teacher Input form before the program begins.
- You must be available for the entire 8 weeks of the program.
- You must have your own transportation to participate in the program.
- Not everyone who applies to the SWEP program will be able to participate this summer.
If your student is interested, please reach out to their case manager for the application OR download the application that is attached below ~
Wellness Corner
It is hard to believe that we have made it this far into another crazy pandemic year and that the final holidays are just around the corner. If you’re like many of us, you love the holidays but start feeling stressed just thinking about the amount of work and finances that can be required to make them feel successful. It is all too easy to set unrealistic expectations of how we want our holiday season to go and then feel stressed when we try to actually reach those expectations. Not to mention the fact that our holiday traditions may not be what they once were due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic - you may not be able to see certain family members, gatherings may be happening on a much smaller basis, you might not feel comfortable traveling to family members, etc.
The Mayo Clinic provides several suggestions to help us reduce stress as much as possible so that we can enjoy the upcoming holiday season. Such suggestions include working to acknowledge and accept whatever feelings we are having as the holidays approach. Feelings are always okay, and accepting them as they are creates a safe space for us to feel accepted and not judged or guilty for having them.
Additional suggestions from the Clinic include trying to set more realistic expectations for your holidays, creating a budget for spending, saying “no” if something is too much for you, and planning ahead as much as possible to avoid last minute stress (such as when you’ve forgotten to purchase a gift for someone or forgot to grab ingredients for holiday baking while rushing through the grocery store). Try to notice when your stress level is too high so that you can implement self-care strategies to stay regulated, happy, and healthy. Exercise, breaks, eating well, getting enough sleep, and finding time for our interests and hobbies can make a world of difference when life gets stressful. Practicing gratitude can also go a long ways in helping to reduce stress while simultaneously improving health and feelings of happiness.
The Aetna article listed below includes 5 different exercises you might practice to help prepare you for the upcoming holiday season. Most importantly, reach out for help if needed. Help could be reaching out to a friend or family member or even seeking professional help if symptoms of stress get too big and are interfering with your daily functioning. It’s okay to want the best for your holidays, but it’s also important to take care of yourself and make sure that you aren’t overdoing so that you can be present for this wonderful time of year.
Here are the resources that provided ideas for this article and might be helpful in managing holiday stress:
Stress, Depression and the Holidays: Tips for Coping
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20047544
5 Gratitude Exercises to Help you Cope with Holiday Stress
https://www.aetna.com/health-guide/gratitude-exercises-for-holiday-stress.html
PEDA Update
The Parent Education and Diversity Awareness (PEDA) Program invites families and community members to visit our Family and Community Resource Center at the Learning Center in Hazelwood. The program is excited to offer a diverse collection of materials, including many new books that are ready to be shared.
Parent Education has a workshop scheduled for December 9th at 6:30 PM. The workshop, hosted in collaboration with the St. Louis ARC, will be on zoom. Please see the information below.
WORKSHOP: Supported Decision Marking (In Collaboration with St. Louis ARC)
Dec. 9, 2021
Starts at 6:30 PM
Description
When an individual with a disability becomes 18, they are legally an adult. This workshop is designed to help families understand the options they have to help their loved one make good decisions and build a circle of support. Using tools from Missouri Supported Decision Making Consortium and Charting the LifeCourse, Debra and Sharon will coach your family how to access each of the six life domains (health, employment, safety, etc.) and create a plan that uses a variety of resources to build self-determination skills. This workshop is ideal for primary caregivers, their family member with a disability, and siblings or other key people who support planning and problem solving in their lives. Small groups will use Zoom breakout rooms to start creating their own supported decision-making plans with templates from the Missouri Supported Decision Making Consortium.
Presenters: Sharon Spurlock, Director of Family Support, St. Louis Arc and Debra Fiasco, Administrator, Parent Education and Diversity Awareness, Special School District
Register for the Event through Zoom
We are also taking applications for the Parent Leadership Institute. PLI will occur over 4 evenings in February and March. You can learn more and download the application here: Parent Leadership Institute
Finally, PEDA would love your feedback! Please complete are PEDA Communications survey here: PEDA Survey
SSD Board Information: Filing for SSD Board of Education Opens Dec. 7
Candidate filing for two open seats on the Special School District of St. Louis County Board of Education opens at 8 AM on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, and continues until 5 PM on Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021. The terms of current Board members Ms. Katie Pottroff, Subdistrict 3 and Mr. Scott Moeller, Subdistrict 4 expire in March 2022.
The two open seats are for three-year terms beginning in March 2022 in the following subdistricts:
- Subdistrict 3 – Parkway School District
- Subdistrict 4 – Ferguson-Florissant, Pattonville, and Riverview Gardens school districts
Learn more about the filing process and eligibility requirements on the SSD website.
Parent Advisory Council
The SSD Parent Advisory Council has scheduled the following meetings for the 2021-2022 school year. All meetings are held virtually via Zoom, from 7-9 PM. Additional information about meetings, including agendas, can be found on the PAC's website.
- Dec. 8, 2021
- Jan. 12, 2022
- Feb. 9, 2022
- March 9, 2022
- April 13, 2022
- May 11, 2022 (this meeting will be held virtually and in-person)
Please contact the Superintendent's Office at 314.989.8419 or 314.989.8281 by noon on the Wednesday before the meeting and an American Sign Language interpreter will be provided.
For more information about the SSD PAC or who represents your district, e-mail pac@ssdmo.org.
Lunch and Learn
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:
· 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 4Upcoming Events
December 20-21 6-12 grades Final Exam Days and teacher work days (1/2 day)
December 22 K-12 grades teacher work day (1/2 day)
December 23 Winter Break begins
Contact Us
Special School District of St. Louis County
12110 Clayton Road
Town & Country, MO 63131
Phone: 314‐989‐8100
Maureen Nelson, Director of Special Education
Stephanie Wansing, Social Worker
Lindsay Amen, School Psychologist
Jason Driedger, School Psychologist
Email: monelson@ssdmo.org
Website: baylessk12.org
Location: 4530 Weber Rd, Affton, MO 63123, USA
Phone: (314) 256-8690.3009