Brentwood Special School District
December 2021 Edition
Dear Families,
Here is to a Delightful December!!
I hope that this newsletter finds you all well as we head into winter break. The hallways in all of the buildings are filled with smiling eyes and sounds of learning.
Don't forget this Friday, December 10th from 9:30-10:00, I will be hosting our first virtual parent meeting for parents of students with IEPs in Brentwood. This meeting will be an opportunity for Brentwood parents of students receiving services from Special School District to connect with one another as well as with me to discuss what supports are available to families in Special School District and to talk through what needs we may have in Brentwood. framework. We will use Hostetler Zoom Link for this meeting.
As always, please don't hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns you may have.
Travena Hostetler; Ed D
Director of Special Education; Brentwood
thostetler@brentwoodmoschools.org
314-989-8479
SSD Student Scholarship Deadline Approaching!
Many opportunities for scholarships and awards are now open for SSD students! SSD scholarship applications for graduating high school seniors are active and due Dec. 17, 2021. Students applying for The James E. Westbury/SSD Board of Education Scholarship, The Allison M. Haake Memorial Scholarship, or The Bonhomme Lions Club Scholarship must receive at least one service from SSD and plan to go to a college, university, or postsecondary program. All scholarships require a letter of recommendation. Visit ssdmo.org/scholarships for more information.
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.
SWEP Summer Work Program
Through the program, students hold a summer job in their community and receive job-coaching support. They are paid an hourly wage for their work. SWEP is funded by the Productive Living Board of St. Louis County and is open to county residents with a qualifying disability. It is conducted through a collaboration of six area agencies - MERS/Goodwill is the Lead Agency.
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 ~
Health and Wellness
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
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:
- 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)
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
Upcoming Events
SSD Board of Education Meetings:
December 14, 2021 - 5:45 pm
Please visit the SSD Board of Education for more information.
Brentwood School District Board of Education Meetings:
December 21, 2021 - 7:00 pm
Please visit the Brentwood Board of Education for more information.
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)
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
SSD Board of Education
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