Special School District of St. Louis County

🌈 Exciting news! The Synapsory, a non-profit committed to aiding families of children with specific needs, has generously donated 50 Calming Kits to our Vocational Skills Program (VSP)! These kits, designed to combat sensory overload, are equipped with calming cards, sensory toys like fidget spinners, a weighted lap blanket with color-changing lights, and more. A heartfelt thank you to Tatianna Ware, our social worker, who facilitated this wonderful partnership. 🌟 Tatianna highlighted, “The calming kits are a boon, offering students the means to self-regulate independently, crucial for their journey towards independence.” Ready to be distributed across St. Louis County, these kits promise to make a significant difference in our community-based sites, aiding students in their social and emotional growth. A huge shoutout to The Synapsory for their kind donation and for supporting our mission towards fostering independence. 💙 #TheSynapsory #VocationalSkillsProgram #CommunitySupport Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gm_Pm7bp

🌟 Today, SSD's amazing team came together to show their support for Unity Day by wearing orange! 🧡 Unity Day is all about standing against bullying and promoting kindness in our community. Check out these photos capturing our staff’s commitment to making a difference. Let’s continue to spread love and positivity every day!

Happy Boss's Day to our incredible superintendent, Dr. Michael Maclin! 🎉 Your leadership and vision not only inspire us daily, but also drive us toward excellence in everything we do. Thank you for your tireless dedication, support, and guidance. Here's to celebrating the amazing boss you are!

#NDEAM - Accent Group Solutions is a woman-owned local company that does design work, printing, and order fulfillment. Students in the Vocational Skills Program (VSP) work in the fulfillment warehouse, learning hard skills, and employability skills (also referred to as soft skills). Some of the hard skills students learn are putting together boxes, stacking pallets, and using the pallet jack. Employability skills include how to take feedback from a co-worker or supervisor and how to be appropriate with a co-worker at the job site. The employability skills tend to be the most important, because they’re the skills that are actually inhibiting a student from employment after graduation. Students at Accent regularly interact with employees. They even lead culture-building activities like a crafting day at the end of October and a secret gift exchange in the winter time. These activities promote a positive work environment for Accent employees and provide an opportunity for the employees to get to know the VSP students. VSP Teacher Claire Wilmes says Accent is “a very welcoming, inclusive environment. I think the CEO and president do a good job of [acknowledging] we have people with disabilities working alongside you, [and an expectation of] acceptance and knowing that they're equal workers just like you.”

#NDEAM - Students who participate in the Vocational Skills Program (VSP) at Little Creek Nature Area help care for the 97-acre lot, the animals that live there, and the classrooms on the property. The Ferguson-Florissant School District owns the nature area and uses it daily for field trips and a high school-level field biology course. On the grounds, there are two buildings for classes, a visitors’ center, two gardens, trails, and animals. In addition to the animals that live in the visitors' center, there are goats, sheep, alpacas, and chickens. To help care for the grounds, students learn a variety of employment skills through their experience at Little Creek - landscaping, gardening, forestry, trail maintenance, animal care, and custodial work. Students also take on projects. Joseph Schappe, the VSP teacher at Little Creek described a project from last school year, “we grew native flowers from seed and we had a big plant sale in the spring.” As a result of partnerships with environmental organizations, students get access to some cool activities that are unique to Little Creek. The Missouri Department of Conservation stocks its pond with fish and provides saplings; Forest Relief provides saplings to Little Creek as well. Students get to try fishing and plant the saplings as part of their VSP experience.

🍎✨🎉 Big shoutout to three remarkable SSD educators who've secured grants from the Missouri Retired Teachers Association (MRTA)! Join us in celebrating Amanda Wise, Debra Bear, and Hannah Smiles for their incredible achievements. MRTA, an organization committed to the welfare of retired school employees, also supports active educators in enhancing public school education through grants. 📚💡 Hannah Smiles, OT in Hazelwood School District, received a $500 Patty Dean Grant which she invested in sensory tools to empower her students to work independently and stay engaged in the classroom. Amanda Wise, Litzsinger School Teacher, received a $150 Patty Dean grant, which she utilized to enrich the Exact Path school store, buying essential appliances and inventory. This initiative not only fosters a love for learning among students but has also improved assessment scores. Debra Baer, RBT in Kirkwood School District, received a $500 Maggie Elder Grant, which went towards sensory tools and task boxes, enabling students to master various skills autonomously, fostering independence, and enhancing their learning journey. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gkFWrUVi

Excited to kick off National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)! 🎉 This October, let's celebrate the incredible contributions of individuals with disabilities in the workforce and reaffirm our commitment to inclusive employment practices. Join us in promoting accessibility and recognizing the talents and skills that every person brings to the table. 💼🌈 #NDEAM #Inclusion #DiversityInWorkforce

🌟 Exciting News From Bridges! 🌟 Bridges was chosen by the Missouri Retired Teachers Association (MRTA) as their supported school for the 2024-25 academic year! A heartfelt thank you to Rozlind Cantoni and Donna Lainoff, esteemed members of MRTA and champions of education, for kicking things off with a generous donation of school supplies. 📚✏️ Their contribution includes essential items students use daily: notebooks, folders, pencils, crayons, binders, and more. It’s gestures like these that truly make a difference in our students' lives. Let’s give a big round of applause to MRTA for their support and to everyone involved in making this happen. Together, we are making a difference in the lives of our students.

🌟 Happy IT Professionals Day! 🌟 Today, we take a moment to celebrate the incredible individuals behind our screens and in ourserver rooms. SSD thrives on innovation and excellence, much of which wouldn't be possible without our dedicated IT team. Their hard work, problem-solving abilities, and commitment to keeping us connected does not go unnoticed. Here's to the unsung heroes who make digital learning and administration seamless. Thank you for all that you do! #ITProfessionalsDay #ThankYouITTeam 🖥️💼👏

#HiringNow - We are hiring board-certified behavior analysts, monitors, and drivers and would still love to talk with you about teaching at SSD. Being part of something special means you have outstanding benefits, including parental leave, employer-provided health insurance, staff health clinics, a commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable culture, and extensive resources and growth opportunities. #JoinSSD See all of our opportunities on our website: ssdmo.org/joinssd