2022-23 News

  • Board Brief

    Board Brief - June 27, 2023

    June 29, 2023 - The Board Brief is a review of actions taken by the SSD Board of Education during the June 27, 2023 meeting. It is one more way SSD is working to be transparent and improve communication, helping keep our community informed. Agenda items are linked, where applicable, to the meeting items on BoardDocs. Official meeting minutes will be posted on BoardDocs.

    Comments (-1)
    No Headlines to display
  •  Coming Soon - New Application Portal

    New Application Portal for Special School District

    June 21, 2023 - SSD will use the TalentEd application portal beginning Saturday, July 1, 2023. The new application portal will allow the Office of Employee Success and Engagement (OESE) to track applicants throughout the hiring process, improve data collection and analytics, and better serve job seekers and supervisors.

    Comments (-1)
    No Headlines to display
  •  Juneteenth - June 19, 2023

    SSD Celebrates Juneteenth

    June 19, 2023 - Today, June 19, SSD celebrates Juneteenth as a day of recognition and celebration of African American freedom and achievement. SSD stands in solidarity with all students, staff, and community members who have experienced hardships, mistreatment, or harassment due to the color of their skin.

    Comments (-1)
    No Headlines to display
  •  SSD maintenance department stands in front of school busses.

    SSD Earns 10th Consecutive State Transportation Award

    June 15, 2023 - For the 10th year running,  SSD’s Transportation Department passed the 2023 Driver and Vehicle Safety Division’s annual school bus inspection program with flying colors. The District received an overall score of 97.9%, which is just over 10% higher than the national average of 87.2%. 

    Comments (-1)
    No Headlines to display
  •  Dr. Erica Karius North Tech Assistant Principal

    Erica Karius Announced as North Tech Assistant Principal

    June 15, 2023 - During the June 13, 2023, Board of Education meeting, Dr. Erica Karius was approved as the assistant principal at North Tech High School. Karius has served as the associate principal of Hazelwood Central High School since 2019 and will begin her tenure with Special School District on July 1, 2023. 

    Comments (-1)
    No Headlines to display
  •  We welcome your feedback

    Board Offers Virtual Listening Session: Community Engagement Plan

    June 9, 2023 - SSD's Board of Education will host a virtual listening session on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at 6 PM to gather feedback on their community engagement plan. We welcome our families and partners to attend and share their thoughts.

    Comments (-1)
    No Headlines to display
  •  Carmen Stayton SSD Board of Education Director Subdistrict 1

    SSD Elects New Subdistrict 1 Board Member

    June 6, 2023 - At the June 5 Governing Council meeting, Carmen Stayton was elected to the SSD Board of Education for Subdistrict 1, representing Hazelwood, Maplewood-Richmond Heights, and Jennings school districts. The special election was held to fill the open Board seat due to a lack of quorum at the March Governing Council meeting.

    Comments (-1)
    No Headlines to display
  •  Spotlight cover graphic

    Spotlight - News About SSD Students, Families, & Staff

    June 2, 2023 - Catch up on the latest SSD news in the Spotlight newsletter, emailed to SSD families and staff on the first Friday of each month. The newsletter contains information about events, Board of Education actions, student activities, and staff recognitions.

    Comments (-1)
    No Headlines to display
  •  SSD Celebrates Pride Month

    SSD Celebrates Pride Month

    June 1, 2023 - Special School District is celebrating Pride Month! We are proud of our commitment to creating a safe, caring, and respectful environment for all students, families, and staff and celebrating the contributions of the LGBTQIA+ community.

    Comments (-1)
    No Headlines to display
  •  SDNEA Awards Mini-Grants, Scholarships at BOE Meeting

    SDNEA Awards Mini-Grants, Scholarships at BOE Meeting

    May 25, 2023 - Special District National Education Association (SDNEA) presented its annual round of student scholarships and teacher mini-grants at the SSD Board of Education meeting on May 23, 2023. Funding these projects has been part of the organization’s mission for many years and demonstrates its support of extraordinary teaching and learning among SSD’s population.

    Comments (-1)
    No Headlines to display
  •  Diamond Lewis, 7th grader at Rockwood South Middle School, poses in the library.

    Diamond Lewis HMH Award Winner

    May 18, 2023 - Diamond Lewis, 7th grader at Rockwood South Middle School, is a Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) 2022 Student Award Winner. Nominated by her teacher, Helen Allinder, the award is given to students who have overcome learning challenges and experience growing success every day.

    Comments (-1)
    No Headlines to display
  •  Neuwoehner student Evelyn Bret holds up her Character Captured Award certificate.

    Students Awarded for Exhibiting Excellent Character

    May 15, 2023 - Students and staff at Neuwoehner High School rallied together to celebrate the success of service-learning projects and Character Captured Award recipients in May. During the ceremony, eight students and four projects from each learning community were acknowledged.

    Comments (-1)
    No Headlines to display
  • Ackerman students transplant flower and vegetable starts in the school's garden.

    Students Excel in Culinary Arts and Gardening

    May 12, 2023 - As the weather gets warmer and the grass gets greener, students and staff at Ackerman School anxiously await restarting the seasonal culinary arts and gardening programs. 

    Comments (-1)
    No Headlines to display
  •  SSD Partnership Highlight: Schnucks

    Partnership Highlight: Schnucks

    May 11, 2023 - There is a lot that happens in a grocery store. Keeping items on the shelf is only part of the equation. Items must be turned to face forward, stocked by date, removed if expired, and placed in the correct spot. These are just a few of the tasks required to make sure grocery items get from the store to your home, and at Schnucks in Des Peres, SSD students are completing them.

    Comments (-1)
    No Headlines to display
  •   Miles Miller, 8th grader at Valley Park Middle School, works on a classroom assignment at his desk

    Hancock Place Students End School Year with Improved Grades and Behavior 

    May 10, 2023 - Be ready. Be responsible. Be respectful. These expectations are known as the three R’s at Hancock Place Middle School, and students in Special Education Teacher Amy Bortle’s class have been working to excel in these areas since the beginning of the academic school year. 

    Comments (-1)
    No Headlines to display
  • Mario Holmes smiles at the camera in the hallway of Valley Park Middle School

    Mario Holmes Making High Achievements in STEM

    May 9, 2023 - Mario Holmes is not even in high school yet, but he is earning accolades left and right as an eighth grade student at Valley Park Middle School. He is a 2021-22 National Junior Honor Society member, was selected as student of the month in October 2022, and is also one of 16 students who was chosen to participate in the BrightPath STEAM Academy program at Washington University in St. Louis.

    Comments (-1)
    No Headlines to display
  •  Litzsinger student and teacher blow bubbles for the annual Talent Show.

    Litzsinger Spring Program and Art Walk

    May 8, 2023 - Litzsinger students put in weeks of dedication, strong work ethic, creativity, and patience in preparation for the annual Spring Program and Art Walk. The special day is led by Music Teacher Kyle Spies and Art Teacher Stephanie McCoy.

    Comments (-1)
    No Headlines to display
  •  South Tech carpentry student and Matt Westhoff, instructor, shake hands during Signing Day.

    South Tech Carpentry Signing Day 

    May 3, 2023 - Seven students in the Carpentry Program at South Tech were celebrated during the school’s annual Construction Signing Day. Seniors Gavin Beaudreau, Jacob Borst, Reece Doza, Zander Estrella, Tim Fisher, Collin ORourke, and Aniyah Williamson committed to working for companies such as Builder’s Bloc, CCS, PARIC, and Doza Painting immediately following graduation. 

    Comments (-1)
    No Headlines to display
  •  Special Olympics athlete gets first place in sporting event.

    Webster Groves Presented Special Olympics Certificate of Appreciation

    May 1, 2023 - Webster Groves High School is one of 13 districts who hosted a Special Olympics Track & Field Meet this spring. During the event in April, students competed in relay races, shot put, 200 meter dash, and long jump. 

    Comments (-1)
    No Headlines to display
  •  Student Survey Feedback Wanted

    SSD Student Surveys 2023

    April 27, 2023 - In collaboration with Panorama Education, SSD students in grades 3-12 are invited to share their voices through two surveys, a climate survey and a social-emotional learning (SEL) survey. The surveys will be given during the fall and spring of the 2022-23 school year, with the spring survey window being May 1-19. The surveys will be administered electronically, but PDF versions can be previewed on SSD’s website.

    Comments (-1)
    No Headlines to display