Family & Community Engagement (FACE)
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- Special School District of St. Louis County
- Family Academy
Family Academy
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SSD's FACE (Family and Community Engagement) is excited to host the first annual Family Academy!
Families can join us at Northview High School on Saturday, November 5, from 9 AM-noon, for interactive classes, community vendors, networking opportunities, music, light refreshments, and fun learning! Sessions will include support decision-making, long-range planning, Charting the LifeCourse, self-care for caregivers, and more!
Families are welcome to join at any point throughout the day and can stay for as many sessions as they wish. Family-to-family networking, light refreshments, and community vendors will be available during the entire event.
All are welcome, but we ask you to RSVP if you plan to attend.
Schedule of Events
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9:00 - 9:15 AM: Registration and Vendor Meet & Greet
Vendors
- Recreational Council of St. Louis County
- Ferguson Municipal Library
- St. Louis ARC
- Pathways to Independence
- Behavior Health Response
- CHADS Coalition
- Communication Action Agency of St. Louis (CAASTL)
- Higher Education Consortium
- SSD's FACE (Family and Community Engagement)
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9:15 - 10:00 AM
Elementary Literacy
Presented by: Mollie Bolton, Ed.D
In this offering, you will learn strategies to promote elementary reading skills such as problem-solving unfamiliar words, understanding what you have read, and reading smoothly and efficiently to support understanding. You will leave with ideas and books to take home and apply the strategies.
Early Math Skills
Presented by: Angie Simmons
Set your emerging mathematician up for success by learning more about counting and counting on, comparing numbers and adding sets to 10. Explore hands-on activities and games you can play at home that will support them as they develop number sense and positive relationships with math.
Augmentative Communication
Presented by: Nikki Brentlinger, Ed.S
Curious about what assistive technology resources could help your student's learning in the classroom? We will discuss how Assistive Technology and Augmentative Communication can benefit student learning and will provide hands-on examples that students may use in the classroom/school environment.
Supporting Your Child's Social and Emotional Learning
Presented by: Carrie Aydt
This course will help families understand challenging behavior, learn strategies to support student behavior in the home, and ways to partner with the school for improved outcomes.
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9:30 - 10:30 AM
Supported Decision-Making Alternatives to Guardianships
Presented by: Casey Wisdom and Debra Fiasco
NOTE: this is a two-period class. Please exclude your third course.
When an individual with a disability turns 18, they are legally an adult. This workshop is designed to help families understand the options they have to assist their loved ones in making good decisions. Learn how to assess the decision-making skills your family members have and the supports they already use to assist them when making decisions. Legally binding tools that can be created with the person and their family, without seeking guardianship, will be shared and discussed.
Self-Care for Caregivers
Presented by: Rita McLafferty, NAMI
Learn more about the importance of taking care of your mental health and self-care strategies than can be used to reduce stress
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10:15 - 11:00 AM
Middle School Math Skills
Presented by: Amanda Wise
Fractions, decimals and percents, oh my! It has been a while since most of us have sat in a middle school math classroom and there is no shame in needing a refresher. Come learn how to use various functions on a scientific calculator to support your learner as they tackle increasingly complex math problems such as simplifying fractions, evaluating exponents and converting mixed numbers. Participants will receive a calculator to take home.
Early Literacy Skills
Presented by: Mollie Bolton, Ed.D
In this offering, you will learn strategies to promote those beginning reading skills such as oral language development, listening to stories, and building those skills to become a reader. You will leave with ideas and books to take home and apply the strategies.
Augmentative Communication and Assistive Technology
Presented by: Nikki Brentlinger, Ed.S
Curious about what assistive technology resources could help your student's learning in the classroom? We will discuss how Assistive Technology and Augmentative Communication can benefit student learning and will provide hands-on examples that students may use in the classroom/school environment.
Supporting Your Child's Social and Emotional Learning
Presented by: Carrie Aydt
This course will help families understand challenging behavior, learn strategies to support student behavior in the home, and ways to partner with the school for improved outcomes.
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10:45 - 11:45 AM
Charting the LifeCourse Tools for Transition
Presented by: Casey Wisdom and Debra Fiasco
Life is a journey with many different paths, adventures, and even roadblocks sometimes. It can be overwhelming thinking about the future. This workshop will provide an overview of the Charting the LifeCourse framework, which has been adopted by local and state agencies. This framework promotes the core belief that “All people have the right to live, love, work, play and pursue their life aspirations in their community”.
Mindfulness for Families
Presented by: Greg Hungerford, Ed.D
The on-going challenges for families are real. There is much to balance as family members navigate the demands of each day. Practical and impactful approaches that support stress-management and overall well-being are possible. This session provides an overview of mindfulness and how specific mindfulness practices and strategies can enhance your mental and physical self-care. In turn, we are able to respond versus react to challenging moments we encounter while at home and in other settings. (Note: this is a two period class. Please exclude your third course.)
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11:00 - 11:45 AM
Secondary Literacy Skills
Presented by: Mollie Bolton, Ed.D
In this offering, you will learn strategies to promote secondary reading skills (middle school/high school) such as identifying important information in textbooks and using tools to organize understanding and vocabulary.
Elementary Math Skills
Presented by: Amanda Wise
Understanding the base ten number system is crucial for elementary math students. Explore various activities that you can do at home to strengthen your learner’s understanding of place value, addition and subtraction strategies, how to use 100s boards and some fun games that might not even feel like math.
Augmentative Communication and Assistive Technology
Presented by: Nikki Brentlinger, Ed.S
Curious about what assistive technology resources could help your student's learning in the classroom? We will discuss how Assistive Technology and Augmentative Communication can benefit student learning and will provide hands-on examples that students may use in the classroom/school environment.
Support Your Child's Social and Emotional Learning
Presented by: Carrie Aydt
This course will help families understand challenging behavior, learn strategies to support student behavior in the home, and ways to partner with the school for improved outcomes.
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11:45 AM - Noon: Event Evaluation, Vendors, Networking, Light Refreshments
Vendors
- Recreational Council of St. Louis County
- Ferguson Municipal Library
- St. Louis ARC
- Pathways to Independence
- Behavior Health Response
- CHADS Coalition
- Communication Action Agency of St. Louis (CAASTL)
- Higher Education Consortium
- SSD's FACE (Family and Community Engagement)