SSD/Valley Park Monthly Dispatch
October 2023
Staff Spotlight
Ms. Fox and Ms. Doerr are working with their students on a service project focused on bringing kindness and joy to our teachers.
Monthly, students select 2-3 staff to honor and celebrate. Through this project, not only is the class having fun with creating artwork for the honorees, but they are also engaging in great conversations and lessons around emotions, feelings, communication, and gratitude.
This month, they celebrated Ms. Dana Evans and Ms. Kim Nix.
Wellness Corner - Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a powerful way to navigate life's challenges with ease and resilience. By incorporating these simple yet effective strategies into your routine, you can cultivate a deep sense of inner balance and lead a more fulfilling life. Remember, mindfulness is not a destination, but a journey – one that invites you to embrace each moment as it is.
Nurturing Mental Wellness: Mindfulness Strategies for Inner Balance
In the fast-paced world we live in, it's easy to become overwhelmed by the demands of daily life. Amidst the hustle and bustle, prioritizing mental wellness is crucial for maintaining a balanced and fulfilling life. Mindfulness, a practice rooted in ancient wisdom, offers powerful tools to navigate the complexities of modern existence. In this article, we'll explore the benefits of mindfulness and provide practical strategies to incorporate it into your routine.
Understanding Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present in the moment, without judgment. It involves paying focused attention to your thoughts, feelings, and sensations. By cultivating awareness of the present, you can reduce stress, enhance clarity, and foster a deeper connection with yourself and the world around you.
Benefits of Mindfulness for Mental Wellness:
- Reduced Stress and Anxiety: Mindfulness techniques help to calm the mind, reducing the impact of stressors and alleviating anxiety.
- Improved Focus and Concentration: Regular mindfulness practice enhances cognitive function, allowing for greater concentration and productivity in daily tasks.
- Enhanced Emotional Regulation: By observing emotions without attachment or judgment, mindfulness empowers individuals to respond to situations with greater emotional intelligence.
- Increased Self-Acceptance: Mindfulness encourages self-compassion, allowing you to embrace your thoughts and feelings with kindness and understanding.
- Greater Resilience: It fosters resilience by teaching you to adapt to challenging situations rather than becoming overwhelmed by them.
- Practical Mindfulness Strategies
- Breath Awareness: Find a quiet space and focus on your breath. Observe the inhale and exhale without trying to alter it. This simple exercise can be done anywhere and provides an immediate sense of calm.
- Body Scan Meditation: Lie down or sit comfortably and mentally scan your body from head to toe. Notice any areas of tension or discomfort and allow them to release.
- Mindful Eating: Slow down and savor each bite of your meal. Pay attention to the flavors, textures, and sensations in your mouth. This practice enhances gratitude and improves digestion.
- Gratitude Journaling: Take a few minutes each day to jot down things you're grateful for. This practice cultivates a positive outlook and shifts focus towards the abundance in your life.
- Walking Meditation: Take a leisurely walk and focus on each step. Feel the ground beneath your feet, the movement of your body, and the sensation of the air against your skin.
- Technology Detox: Set aside designated times to disconnect from screens. Use this time for mindful activities like reading, walking, or spending quality time with loved ones.
Valley Park - By the Numbers
FACE (Family and Community Engagement)
Community Action Agency of St. Louis (CAASTL)
The Community Action Agency of St. Louis (CAASTL) will be available at the Family Resource Hub, located inside North County Technical High School on October 6th and November 3rd from 10-2pm. CAASTLC can provide the following programs and services to families:
Case management
Utility assistance
Rental assistance
Financial education
Weatherization
Program development and educational activities.
Contact FACE with any questions.
Behavioral Strategies in the Home and Community Series:
Are you often frustrated or at a loss trying to manage your student’s behavior? Join SSD’s Applied Behavior Analysts on October 9th from 6-7pm to learn basic behavior strategies on how to prevent and react to behaviors when in and out in the community. In this webinar, attendees will review reinforcement strategies, basic functions of behavior, determining what your student prefers, how to apply these things across settings, and where resources are for you in the community. Click here to register and learn more.
Family Academy
Unity Day
Unity Day "Express Yourself" Contest
Unity Day: “Express Yourself” Contest
Welcome to the "Unity Day: Express Yourself" contest, where unity meets creativity! To ensure fairness and a smooth contest experience for all participants, please read and adhere to the following rules.
Eligibility
Open to all students who receive services from Special School District
Submission Process and Guidelines
Submission Deadline: The deadline for entries is October 13 at the end of the school day.
Submission Format: Submissions should be in digital format. Email a picture, video or document to FACE@ssdmo.org. Please be sure to include the student's name, age, district, and school.
Submission Guidelines
Theme: Submissions must align with the theme of “Kindness, Acceptance, and Inclusion.”
Artistic Mediums: Students may choose any artistic medium to express themselves, including but not limited to visual arts (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.), written word (poetry, prose, essays), music (original compositions or performances), dance, photography, or any other form of creative expression.
Originality: All submissions must be original and created specifically for this contest. Plagiarism or copyright infringement will result in disqualification.
Content Guidelines: Submissions should promote unity, respect, and inclusivity. Content that is offensive, discriminatory, or harmful will not be accepted.
Judging Criteria:
Creativity: Entries will be judged based on their originality, creativity, and artistic merit.
Relevance: Submissions will be evaluated on how well they express the theme “Kindness, Acceptance, Inclusion.”
Impact: The emotional impact and message conveyed by the entry will also be considered.
Winners
Notification: Winners will be notified on Unity Day, October 18, via the contact information provided during submission. Make sure your contact information is accurate and up-to-date.
Details: Winners will be honored at the Board of Education meeting on October 24.
Rights and Usage:
Rights: By submitting an entry, participants grant the contest organizers the right to display, reproduce, and share their work for promotional and non-commercial purposes, with proper attribution to the artist.
Ownership: Participants retain full ownership and copyright of their submitted work.
South Technical High School - Preview Night
October 18, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Preview Night allows prospective students and families to visit Tech, see our programs and classrooms, speak with our experienced instructors, get questions answered, and discover the programs that suit their interests. Learn more!
SSD Survey Student Survey
Family Cafe
Do you have a strong desire to make connections with other families in your community? Join FACE on October 5th from 6-8pm for a Family Cafe. Family Cafes are hosted by families for families. Conversations are centered around the Strengthening Families Five Protective Factors: Resilience, Relationships, Knowledge, Support, and Communication. To learn more or to register, click here.
SEF Critical Needs Program:
Lunch and Learn - Pathways to Independence
FACE is excited to host Pathways to Independence for a Lunch and Learn on October 25th from 11:30-12. Pathways to Independence is a local non-profit supporting teens through navigating their transition years, with a focus on friendship and social skills. Pathways is geared toward more independent teens, often with a Level 1 Autism diagnosis, a learning disability, or other developmental disability. Through a monthly calendar, participants have their choice of a variety of social activities and social skills classes. To access the video, please visit the SSD YouTube channel.
Hazel HEART Mental Health Services
As part of continuing efforts to provide services that support student wellness, Valley Park School District is partnering with Hazel Health to offer free mental health teletherapy visits for all students.
With Hazel HEART, students can meet with a licensed therapist from school or at home, bridging the gap until local therapists become available or helping with less acute issues. The referrals can come from school personnel or directly from a parent or guardian. Like all Hazel telehealth services, parental consent is required.
This service is available to all Valley Park School District students and it is provided at no cost to VPSD families. Please note, Hazel works with insurance plans, and collects insurance information as part of the consent process. Hazel works with all students at no cost to families, regardless of insurance status, including families that do not have insurance. When insurance is billed, the district will cover any out-of-pocket costs. We encourage families to check with their insurance plans to determine if there are any annual caps on the number of allowed therapy sessions, as Hazel visits might count against any limits.
Hazel HEART mental health services include:
Short-term therapy visits: Therapy sessions can help students cope with everyday issues such as anxiety, bullying, withdrawal, grief, peer and family relationships, depression, not enjoying things they used to enjoy or simply not feeling like themselves.
Care coordination: Family resource managers from Hazel work closely with families to coordinate their child’s care. If your child needs additional services outside of what Hazel can offer, Hazel will help families connect with great local providers.
Therapists who care: Hazel therapists know how to connect with children and teens. Their multilingual team practices culturally competent care for all students.
This expanded partnership is designed to increase access to quality health care for all students, working in partnership with community providers to quickly address the social-emotional needs of students who may be struggling.
Learn more here.
Valley Park Visitor Management System
Valley Park School District welcomes parents and other community members into our schools for special events, meetings, tours, and other occasions. However, keeping our students and staff safe while at school is something we take very seriously. To increase security at all our school buildings, we have started using the Hall Pass Visitor Management System to track visitors. The system is simple and easy to use. The only thing you need is a government-issued ID. For more information, click here.
VP Upcoming Events
To access key school information, please go to the following sites:
Valley Park Elementary School: https://www.vpschools.org/o/vpes
Valley Park Middle School: https://www.vpschools.org/o/vpms
Valley Park High School: https://www.vpschools.org/o/vphs
Valley Park Early Childhood Center: https://www.vpschools.org/o/ecc
Contact Us
Special School District of St. Louis County
12110 Clayton Road
Town & Country, MO 63131
Phone: 314‐989‐8100
Julie Schroeder
- Director
- jmschroeder@ssdmo.org
Dana Evans
- School Social Worker
- devans@ssdmo.org
Jenna Donze
- School Psychologist
- jrdonze@ssdmo.org
Website: https://www.vp.k12.mo.us/Page/1
Location: One Main St, Valley Park, MO 63088
Phone: (636) 923-3500
SSD Valley Park Feedback
Families - we want to hear from you! If you have a celebration, concern, or idea for our SSD team - please add it to this survey. I will do my best to consider all feedback ~