Special School District of St. Louis County

?? Happy National Education Support Professionals Day! ?? Today, we celebrate the unsung heroes of our schools—the dedicated support professionals who make a difference every day. From the counselors and librarians to the paraeducators and administrative staff, your hard work and commitment ensure our students thrive. Thank you for your unwavering support, guidance, and care. You truly are the backbone of our education system! ????

?? Help us celebrate National School Psychology Week! ?? We want to take a moment to recognize and express our heartfelt gratitude to our incredible school psychologists. Their dedication to supporting the mental health and well-being of our students is invaluable. They work tirelessly to create safe, inclusive, and nurturing learning environments where every child can thrive. Thank you for your compassion, expertise, and commitment to helping our students succeed both academically and emotionally. Together, we are building brighter futures! ??

Thank you to all the brave men and women who have served our country. This Veterans Day, we show our gratitude and appreciation to all who have served.

Dr. Juanika Givens, an SSD math teacher in the Riverview Gardens School District, was presented the Harris-Stowe State University Outstanding Alumni Leader Under 40 Award at an event held at the school on Oct. 18. The award was given to a total of 17 successful alumni at a luncheon on the school's campus. "I'm honored to receive this award from Harris-Stowe," she says. "I'm entering my 13th year in education, after working in both general education and special education. I’m a dedicated educator who is motivated to increasing student achievement, especially in the area of mathematics. I believe that all students can learn." In addition to teaching, Givens is the business owner and operator of Nail Doctor Unblemished, where she serves clients as a master pedicurist and esthetician in Maplewood. To help others enter the profession, she established an annual $250 scholarship last year for individuals in Missouri who are enrolled in a cosmetology, manicure, or esthetician school.

?? Exciting news from the Vocational Skills Program (VSP) at the SSD Learning Center! Joy Voss and Rachael Blake, our dedicated (VSP) instructors, have been awarded the Innovative Technology Grant from the Innovative Technology Education Fund (ITEF). This generous grant provides $60,000 worth of technology equipment to empower our students as they prepare for their upcoming online store. With new tools like sublimation printers, a heat press machine, vinyl cutters, and touch screen laptops, students will be able to design, market, and sell their own creations, turning their ideas into reality! During a recent visit from ITEF's CEO Charmine Smith, our students showcased their creativity and skills in marketing, production, and design. Amelia Rose McGhee demonstrated her marketing prowess by creating logos and artwork for the store. While the online store won’t launch until December, students are already selling handmade pens and keychains. This initiative not only equips our students with valuable skills for the marketplace but also inspires a sense of accomplishment and motivation as they tackle real-world challenges. We can't wait to see what they achieve next! ?? Learn more: https://buff.ly/3UESEEq

?? Exciting news! Dr. Darryl Diggs, SSD's executive director of DEIA, has been recognized with the prestigious Vocational Excellence Award from Missouri Baptist University. This honor spotlights alumni who excel in their fields and show promise of further distinction. In his inspiring remarks at the ceremony, Dr. Diggs emphasized the need for leadership rooted in service, stating, “Our society should never find itself in short supply of leadership and service.” His words remind us that true leadership comes from serving first, especially in these challenging times. Throughout his career, Dr. Diggs has been committed to supporting educators of color through various social groups and programming initiatives. A proud alumnus of Missouri Baptist with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees, he also holds a Trauma Informed Educator Certificate. This certification enabled him to connect the university with the SSD Bridges program, facilitating crucial trauma-informed training for staff. With a commitment to excellence in education, Dr. Diggs has consistently contributed as a guest speaker, sharing his insights on leadership at the university. Congratulations, Dr. Diggs! ?? Learn more: https://buff.ly/3YUoTlC

#NDEAM - ?? As National Disability Employment Awareness Month comes to a close, let’s continue to celebrate the incredible contributions of individuals with disabilities in the workforce! Their talents and determination inspire us all. Let’s keep the conversation going and advocate for inclusivity every day! Check up our NDEAM round-up story, along with great resources from SSD's Transition and FACE: https://lnkd.in/gEh9zVvq

#NDEAM - At Missouri Baptist, VSP students work throughout the hospital. They are filing slides, stocking equipment for the operating rooms, preparing food for the cafeterias, and welcoming people at the front desk. It takes training to learn each of these positions, but the deeper learning for these students, are the employability skills they practice daily. Employability skills, often called soft skills, are challenging because you can’t see them or feel them until you actually experience them. Students are coached and graded on professionalism, interpersonal skills, communication, and self-direction. These are tough things to learn from a lesson or by reading, they are skills that are developed on the job. Right now, students are focusing on learning to ask for help and accepting constructive criticism. Students at Missouri Baptist work with the staff and build relationships. Students are always included in pizza lunches and office parties. It is a work environment where students can look up to their co-workers as examples of how to handle themselves in the workplace.

?? Meet Joey Tena, a vibrant 10th-grader in the Affton School District and the Employee of the Month of Affton High School's CBVI Program! According to his CBVI teacher, Sharon Palmer, "Joey has a huge personality and heart, always wearing a smile." His dedication at Schnucks, where he bags groceries and stocks inventory, has been truly impressive. Despite the program typically being for juniors and seniors, Joey's quick progress in the CBVI 1 program allowed him to step up early – proving that hard work and enthusiasm pay off! Joey’s natural ability to connect with others shines through in everything he does. Whether greeting peers or learning new skills on the job, he sets a great example for his classmates. With plans to gain more experience at St. Luke’s Hospital next year, Joey is excited about his future career. In his downtime, he loves drawing, especially transformers and pirate ships. We can’t wait to see how far his kindness, curiosity, and talent will take him! Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gVTMmD3c

#NDEAM - Andy Quirin is an operations lead at Bayer, managing all of the agricultural operations in the south, east, and west coasts of the country. While his main focus is crop production, he is also part of ENABLE, which is Bayer’s business resource group dedicated to the wellness and development of employees with disabilities and employees with children, family, or friends with disabilities. In celebration of NDEAM, he has set up a table in Bayer’s cafeteria to help bring attention to disability employment. Quirin has been working with one of SSD’s interns, Michael, for the past year. They have weekly one-on-ones where they discuss his goals, challenges, and strategies to overcome challenges. One of Michael’s current goals is to ask for help and make sure that if he does get stuck, he comes and one of his teachers to get direction. At Bayer, some students work in housekeeping, keeping the meeting rooms and cubicles clean. Other students work in food service, preparing food, keeping items such as container boxes stocked, and sanitizing surfaces. In addition to learning these hard skills, students focus on more complicated employability skills. Communication and teamwork are the most prevalent employability skills students practice day to day. The program at Bayer is well received by employees. Employees interact with students and work together on tasks. Bayer employees are such big fans of SSD students that when the mentorship program Quirin is involved in launched, 70 people were interested in working with SSD students.