Hazelwood SSD News & Updates

August 2023

zoom_out_map

Important August Dates

August 8 – 10 All Staff Hazelwood Professional Development

August 9 SSD Parent Advisory Council (PAC) Meeting

August 12 Back-to-School Fairs at WHS, CHS, and EHS

August 14 – 18 All Staff Orientation Week

August 21 First Day of School for Students

Dates for SSD-sponsored events and community events can be found elsewhere in this newsletter.

Message from the Director

With the 2023-2024 school year rapidly approaching, I hope you’re taking time this summer to enjoy spending time with those you love and are taking time to rest, relax, and rejuvenate.

The SSD Hazelwood Special Education Coordinators have done an excellent job recruiting, interviewing, and hiring high quality educators to join us in Hazelwood. We are in a much better place than last year at this time regarding staffing. I believe this is, in part, due to reaching our goal of increasing employee retention by 10%! So, for the returning professionals reading this letter, THANK YOU for staying with us!

Please join me in welcoming the following new Special Education Coordinators to our awesome SSD Hazelwood Team: Dr. Willie Mae Dean (Central High), Dr. Alan Garelick (Armstrong, Jamestown, Larimore, Twillman), Tara Mueller (Brown, McCurdy, Lusher, Walker), and Denise Quante (East High). You will have the opportunity to meet these amazing leaders very soon during before school professional development. Contact information for all special education coordinators can be found at the end of this newsletter.

Your child's special education case manager will communicate with you within the first two weeks of school. Questions about student schedules should be directed to the school's office.

FACE News

open_in_new zoom_out_map

Recreation Council 2023 Summer Resource Guide is Now Available!

Recreation Council of Greater St. Louis Mission

We aim to connect individuals of all ages with developmental disabilities with a variety of recreation activities and programs across the greater St. Louis area. We work to ensure individuals are aware of and have access through funding to recreation opportunities, including community inclusive recreation

programs, specialized city programs and camps and other community resources. Through these connections, we encourage them to build communities of their own.

Click on the here for more details. Financial assistance available.

zoom_out_map

Family Workshops

All of the workshops offered by FACE are provided free of charge and are open to all parents, families and community members. After registering, participants will be provided with information about the platform that will be used for the workshop.

The workshops will be set up as webinars, so you will be able to see the panelists but not other attendees. Your confirmation and reminder email will contain information about how to submit questions to the panelists in advance, or you can use the chat and Q&A features during the workshop. If you have any questions, please let us know. If you are unable to attend the live workshop, please still register so that we can send you the link to the recording a day or two after the workshop.

If you need more information, or if you require an alternative format as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act, contact face@ssdmo.org, 314.989.8460 or 711 (Deaf/HOH).

Ready to Register?

FACE has an updated registration process that makes it easy for all! Find the event you wish to register for in the list to the right and select it. Inside, you will find a registration link. Please be sure to register for each event you are interested in!

If you need additional assistance, please email face@ssdmo.org or call 314.989.8460.

View the FACE workshop calendar and events here!

Hazelwood SSD Parent Advisory Council

zoom_out_map

The Hazelwood SSD Parent Advisory Council (PAC) is a cross-categorical group of parents of children receiving services from the Special School District. It is a volunteer organization made up of parents, SSD and Hazelwood administrators who are committed to identifying and building upon the strengths of all children in the Hazelwood School District. Hazelwood Parent Advisory Council provides a forum for parents to meet other parents and share information concerning their children and resources.

If you would like to become involved in the Hazelwood SSD PAC or if you would like more information about Hazelwood SSD parent supports and resources, please complete the survey found here: Hazelwood Parent Involvement Survey

Hazelwood SSD Parent Survey

forms.gle

Work for SSD in Hazelwood!

zoom_out_map

SSD is hiring all summer long! Come join the amazing SSD HSD instructional team!

An awesome benefit of working at a school is that you have the same schedule as your child! Pictured below are just a few of the positions currently available countywide - in Hazelwood, we specifically need teachers and paraprofessionals. We have openings in middle schools and elementary schools from the West side of the district to the East. We have open opportunities to work with students in general education classrooms, special education classrooms, collaboratively taught classrooms (two teachers - one HSD & one SSD), essential skills classrooms, and classrooms for students with our highest support needs.

Please also share this information with friends and family looking for a collaborative, equitable, and committed work culture, outstanding benefits, and competitive salaries.

Click here for more information about working for SSD.

Click here to see a current list of job vacancies on the SSD website.

Click here to contact a special education coordinator to ask about opportunities at a specific school or in a specific classroom.