Sixth grader Ali Kricho was honored as an ambassador for braille literacy after leading activities in honor of National Braille Literacy Month. View photos from Patch or video from our partners at FOX2.
This year, special school district in Affton students fixed Thanksgiving dinner for faculty, sang Christmas carols on Cougar News and cheered on their classmates during sporting events.
Everybody’s alike, and everyone is different: that’s the motto in Affton High School’s special education class. “They know certain things are challenging for them, but not impossible,” Special School District teacher Mary Beth Merlo said about her students. “They really yearn to be friends with the general education population.” Special education students in Affton manage cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injuries, autism, blindness, language impairments, Down syndrome and other special needs on top of their academic responsibilities. “The Affton students are absolutely phenomenal with the acceptance and their kindness to these kids,” Merlo said. “It’s really heartwarming.” This year, special education students fixed Thanksgiving dinner for …
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The district has proposed a $.19 increase on the November ballot to fund technology upgrades, teacher salaries and building improvements.
For the first time in six years, the Special School District of St. Louis County, which provides staffing for 22 school districts in the area in addition to the district's own schools, will ask voters to approve a tax levy increase that on a $100,000 house would equate to roughly $36 annually. The increase, which at $0.19 would bring the overall tax levy to $1.19 per $100 assessed valuation, comes at a time when district superintendent John Cary said, for the first time in his more than 30 years in education, all sources of district revenue have gone down during the economic slowdown. As a result, Cary said the district has been cutting expenses and staff--between 75 and 100 positions annually over the past three years. If approved, funds …
The non-profit provides work for the disabled and was our nominee in the ‘Click to Claim’ contest.
In a large, clean, high-ceilinged industrial building in the Green Park Commerce Center in Green Park, 150 workers pack mailings, wrap spray cans and fill colorful rubber balls. It’s a Monday, but the workers aren’t grumbling about the start of the workweek. To the contrary. “Our cliché is TGIF, but theirs is ‘thank God it’s Monday,’” said Greg Keller, who does business development and public relations for Heartland Industries, located at 9727 Green Park Industrial Drive. Heartland Industries—previously W.A.C. Industries—is a non-profit company that aims to do more than just light manufacturing and mechanization for its customers: it’s primary objective is to provide jobs for the intellectually challenged and the disabled. W.A.C., which …
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The Rosemary Zander Award honors positive attitude and determination.
Last Wednesday two Bayless High School students were recognized by the Bayless School Board for having earned the Special School District's Rosemary Zander Award. William Brahan and Ra'Shawn Wright came with their families and thanked their teachers as the board honored them. According to the Special School District website, the Rosemary Zander Award, founded in 1988, recognizes accomplishments by SSD students that demonstrate positive attitudes and an unwavering will to succeed. The award is named for an SSD teacher who died in a car accident in 1988. SSD's website describes Zander: In her 20 years with SSD, Rosemary Zander came to know hundreds of young people. And although her students came to her classroom with a wide range of …
The Red Cross program is being offered for a second year at the Shrewsbury Family Aquatic Center.
A new program, Learn to Swim, initiated by the American Red Cross last summer to provide swimming lessons for individuals with special needs will be taking a dip at the Shrewsbury Family Aquatic Center again this year. Stephanie Landess, the Learn to Swim coordinator for American Red Cross' St. Louis Chapter, said lessons start June 11. Families can sign up by calling Landess at 314-516-2272 or emailing her at slandess@redcrossstl.org. The cost of the program is $10 for the eight-week session—a price subsidized by the Tilles Foundation. Landess said the goal of the program is to provide a safe and welcoming environment where trained instructors can teach basic swimming techniques. The participants are accompanied by their adult caregiver …
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Claire Heckenkamp won an award for her work teaching health and nutrition to special education students.
Affton High School senior Claire Heckenkamp has been named one of Missouri's 2011 Girls of Distinction, an award given by the Girl Scouts. She will receive the honor at a ceremony on March 29. "Winning the award was really unexpected," Heckenkamp said. "I didn't even know I was nominated, so I was in a state of shock. I just couldn't stop smiling!" The Girls of Distinction award was based partly on Heckenkamp receiving the Girl Scout Gold Award for writing and implementing lesson plans on healthy living for special education students. Her project, which she worked on with the Special School District, focused on food measuring, portion sizes and nutritional healthy snacks. Grants Program Manager Michelle Johnson of the Girl Scout Council of…
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Mesnier Principal Dr. Steve Brotherton was chosen to lead district after extensive search.
After a six-month search, Dr. Steve Brotherton, principal at Affton's Mesnier Primary School, has been named the next superintendent of the Affton School District. "I think this is the culmination of my life's work. I'm totally excited." Brotherton said after the announcement during Tuesday's board of education meeting at Rogers Middle School. Brotherton will take the post July 1. Interim Superintendent Dr. Ken Weissflug will continue to helm the district for the rest of the year and is expected to stay on in his previous position as assistant superintendent. "I'm not going anywhere," Weissflug said. "Hopefully Dr. Brotherton and I will make a real good team." Before moving to Mesnier this year, Brotherton was the assistant …
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Thirty-eight Affton students and their families received toys, winter clothes and gift cards for gas and food.
A program by the Affton School District used an anonymous online wish list to collect toys and clothes for 38 Affton students and their families. Student organizations, faculty members, and district parents adopted students, donating over 300 gifts to families that were not able to afford presents this Christmas. The gifts were wrapped and delivered this past Friday and Monday. The wish list was the brainchild of Dena Christ, Affton School District social worker, and Maggie Stockmann, Special School District social worker for Affton. This was the first time the district has organized this project. "In the past we've had help from area agencies and neighborhoods who donate a lot of money to us that we use to purchase gift cards," Christ …
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PaulRevere
5:21 pm on Monday, November 5, 2012
Perhaps the Special school district should get a larger share of our current property taxes. Wage differences in Public schools vs Special school district is unwarranted. Let's get a new Prop that demands more sharing of current Real Estate tax. I am voting NO, because our current Real Estate Taxes should allocate More to the special school district. more ›