Louisiana Special School District

NOTICE: SSD Newsletter Published The April edition of the SSD newsletter has just been released. You can see the newsletter at this link on SSD's Website: https://5il.co/3dk02

Announcement: Raptor Visitor Management System to Be Used to Screen Visitors Coming Onto SSD’s Baton Rouge Campus The Louisiana Special School District is pleased to announce that we will begin using the Raptor Visitor Management System at our campus at 2888 Brightside Drive in Baton Rouge, to strengthen our program of campus safety for students and faculty. Part of keeping students and faculty safe is knowing who is in our buildings at all times, and the Raptor system will allow us to do that. The Raptor system will better allow us to screen visitors, contractors, and volunteers in our schools and provide us with a safer environment for our students and staff. Upon entering campus via our security guard station, visitors will be asked to present an ID such as a Driver’s License, which can either be scanned or manually entered into the system. If a parent or guardian for any reason does not have a US government-issued ID, the school staff member can use any form of identification and manually enter the person’s name into the Raptor system. The Raptor system will check to ensure that registered sexual offenders are not entering our school campuses without our knowledge. The Raptor system checks the visitor's name and date of birth for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders. The registered sex offender database is the only official database checked by the Raptor system. No other data from the ID is gathered or recorded and the information is not shared with any outside agency. Once entry is approved, SSD security will issue a badge sticker that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of his/her visit. Users whose identification returns a positive match against the offender registry will be denied entry onto the campus. This badge is to be worn by the visitor at all times while on campus. The safety of our students is our highest priority and the Raptor visitor management system allows us to quickly identify those that may present a danger to our students. Thank you in advance for your understanding and your support in enhancing the school safety protocols in our district. A link to this announcement as a PDF can be found on our website at this link: https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4654/LSS/5511342/SSD_Raptor_Notice_04.07.2025.docx__1_.pdf

REMINDER: Board of Directors Meeting Today Date: 03/18/2025 Time 9:00 a.m. Location: 2888 Brightside Dr. Baton Rouge, LA 70820 SSD Board Room - Student Center If you are unable to attend in person the meeting with be available via Livestream on SSD's YouTube Page. A link for the stream is here: https://youtube.com/live/f2pWYiYzqg4?feature=share You can find this agenda here: https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4654/LSS/5403543/Agenda_3.18.25_Final.pdf

NOTICE: SSD Newsletter Published The February edition of the SSD newsletter has just been released. This issue features a story about the new barn project which we cut the ribbon on last month as well as articles from other departments across SSD. You can see the newsletter at this link on SSD's Website: https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4654/LSS/5299014/February__SSD_Newsletter__FINAL.pdf

NOTICE: The Louisiana Special School District Board of Directors' meeting scheduled for Feb. 11, 2025 at 9:00AM has been cancelled.  The next scheduled board meeting is March 18, 2025 at 9:00AM.

Earlier this month, SSD held the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting for our new barn. Attendees got a chance to see the animals that are already here and an overview of the programs including aquaponics. We were thankful to have Senator Caleb Kleinpeter come to campus to show his support. Representing the SSD Board of Directors was President Kristy Flynn and Sherry Crosby.

In addition to the State office closure on Wednesday, 1/22, State offices are also closed on Thursday, 1/23, therefore all SSD offices will be closed Wednesday and Thursday. We will continue to provide updates as they become available. Stay safe!

LSDVI will be closed on Monday, 1/20, for the MLK Holiday and will be closed on Tuesday, 1/21, due to the predicted winter weather. The situation is being monitored closely and will be reevaluated on Tuesday. The decision has been made that residential students will not come to campus next week but will participate in virtual learning when school reopens.

ANNOUNCEMENT: LSD Student Performance Scores Show Record Increase From: Dr. David Martin, SSD Superintendent Date: November 22, 2024 The Louisiana Department of Education released the 2023-2024 School Performance Scores this past Wednesday. The Louisiana School for the Deaf (LSD), which is operated by the Louisiana Special School District (SSD), posted a record increase of 27.4 points moving it up a letter grade and off of the F list for the first time in 20 years. This 27.4 point improvement ranks the school as one of the top increases in school performance scores statewide. Dr. Natalie Delgado serves as the LSD Executive Director. The 2023-2024 school year was her first year serving as the leader of the school. She attributes the increase performance score to the hard work of the staff and intentional focus on student outcomes. “LSD has been laser focused on student outcomes,” Delgado commented. “Through increased teacher collaboration and addressing the complex needs of the whole child, we are moving the needle on student achievement.” She further added, “Ensuring student success is truly a collective effort and every LSD staff member and student played a part in this accomplishment.” “I am really proud of the progress made by Dr. Delgado and her team this past year,” Dr. David Martin, SSD Superintendent commented. “The whole LSD community truly rallies behind its students and makes remarkable opportunities happen for them each and every day.” Kristy Flynn, SSD Board President stated, “The growth seen at LSD can be directly attributed to the hard work of the school’s leadership and teachers. The SSD has some of the most skilled and dedicated educators in the state and working together, they are moving students forward.” Aside from LSD, the SSD operates the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired (LSVI) and the Special Schools Programs (SSP) which provides special education services for the Office of Juvenile Justice, Department of Corrections, and educational programming for selected Department of Health sites. More information about the SSD can be found at www.ssdofla.org. Media Outlets: Please contact Dr. David Martin for any further information. David.Martin@la.gov or via telephone, 502-422-0571. Link to full press release in PDF format visit: https://5il.co/31ohk

TODAY: LSVI's Annual Family Engagement - Bake Sale and Silent Auction Date: Friday, November 22, 2024 Time: 9:00AM -11:00AM Join us this year to help raise money for our Trojans! We are seeking donations of sweet treats, cakes, cookies and morel. A silent auction will be held at school to auction all items donated. Watch out for the specialty items auctioned as well! You Never know what's in store! *All monies raised will be added to the student activity fund.. This fund helps pay for field trips, special events, and more.

Here is a photo of CLSSC's students’ framed art from their partnership with River Oaks Arts Center. Mrs. Lindsay Moore has been working with our students on this collaborative art piece. It is currently hanging at River Oaks and will be on display for the run of their current show which opens with a ceremony on Thursday evening. Ms. Lexie Walker is planning a few trips to let her students see their beautiful work hanging in the gallery!

We are proud of Jeri Thiels, an instructor at Renaissance Home for Youth, presented at the National Science Teaching Association conference held in New Orleans this week. She did a fantastic job of representing Special School Programs.

REMINDER: Tuesday - Board of Directors Meeting Date: 11/12/2024 Time 9:00 a.m. Location: 2888 Brightside Dr. Baton Rouge, LA 70820 SSD Board Room - Student Center If you are unable to attend in person the meeting with be available via Livestream on SSD's YouTube Page. A link for the stream is here: https://www.youtube.com/live/mq384BDV0kc?si=Wz72ueynO2deJ2Sz You can find this agenda here: https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4654/LSS/5006651/Agenda_11.12.24.pdf

REMINDER: SSD Board of Directors Meeting Tuesday; November 12th, 2024 Time: 9:00 am Location: 2888 Brightside Dr. Baton Rouge, LA 70820 Student Center Board Room Link to agenda: https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4654/LSS/5006651/Agenda_11.12.24.pdf

Each year the students from LSD and LSVI trick or treat around our campus getting treats from our staff. The departments really get into the spirit and this year the team from District Wide Supports (DWS) chose a PAC man theme.

The Louisiana Special School District is excited to announce it has launched a newsletter this month to keep stakeholders informed of events and information important to the agency. You can find the first in this series located at this link: https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4654/LSS/4930300/October_SSD_Newsletter.pdf Topics covered include ; School News, Business and HR information and details from Special School programs. Please feel free to share this with those who may be interested.

REMINDER: SSD Board of Directors Meeting tomorrow Time 9:00 a.m. If you are unable to attend in person the meeting will be available via Livestream ion SSD's YouTube Page at this link: https://youtube.com/live/87MwPqg8bMg?feature=share To see the documents from this meeting visit the document library located here: https://www.ssdofla.org/page/boardmeetings Location: 2888 Brightside Dr. Baton Rouge, LA in the Student Activity Center; Room 196 For more information visit www.SSDofLA.org

NOTICE: SSD Board of Directors Meeting Date: October 15th, 2024 Time: 9:00 a.m. Location: Louisiana Special School District 2888 Brightside Dr. Baton Rouge, LA 70820 Student Center Board Room To view the agenda for the meeting and other documents from Board Meetings visit our Documents page and then select "Board of Directors Meeting Documents". The agenda for the meeting can be found at this link: https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4654/LSS/4922591/Agenda_10.15.24.docx__2_.pdf

September 19, 2024 The Louisiana Special School District is pleased to announce the implementation of the Safe Schools Anonymous Reporting App. The Governor's Office and Louisiana State Police have partnered with Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans to offer the Safe Schools Louisiana App to all middle and high schools throughout the state. The Safe Schools Louisiana Anonymous Reporting App, is a free resource for our school community, providing students the ability to communicate, anonymously, about a pressing school, criminal, or mental health concern or issue. Tips are monitored and received via the Safe Schools Louisiana App or via the website, www.safeschoolsla.com, and once vetted, the proper representatives are notified for engagement. When there is an emergency, our Safe School team will be contacted for immediate response and intervention. The web based platform called P3 Campus is used in over 20,000 schools and by over 10 million students across the United States. How It Works: • Submit an anonymous tip 24/7 through the website or the Safe Schools Louisiana Mobile App (links above) • Receive a Report ID and Password if you would like to follow-up on your report • The Crimestoppers Call center reviews, assesses and processes all submissions • The Crimestoppers Call center sends all submissions to law enforcement and/or school administration for intervention • If needed, the Crimestoppers Call center may contact you anonymously through the app or by case number follow-up • The Crimestoppers Call center posts status of submission with case number as case progresses and closes • If this is an emergency, please immediately call 911!

Due to the impending storm expected Wednesday and Thursday, LSDVI is CLOSED to students on Wednesday, September 11th, and Thursday, September 12th. We will remain open on Friday unless otherwise communicated. Stay safe and dry!