What does a School Social Worker do?
Well, it depends!
As for my role in your student's school, I provide resources to families including food, clothing, and school supplies, and I work with families to find community resources to meet other needs. I work with students when mental health struggles are making it hard for them to participate in class. In addition, I support students and families to promote regular school attendance as part of a multidisciplinary team. I am a bridge between home and school to reduce barriers to student success; I am a part of the school team that wants your student to thrive and succeed in all that they do!
I serve students at Rossville Elementary, Stone Creek Elementary, Rossville Middle School and Ridgeland High School.
Click the link below for more information about who your school social worker is.
Christine Brown, LMSW
Walker County School Social Worker
Ways to Get involved
"Here are 11 suggestions for getting involved in your child’s education.
- Attend back-to-school nights or other orientation events. Get to know your teen’s teachers in the beginning of the school year. These events are also a great way to meet other families. Attending parent-teacher conferences throughout the year ensures you are on the same page.
- Ask your teacher how they would like to communicate. For each teacher, find out whether phone calls, emails, or texts are the best way to stay up-to-date on progress and communicate if a problem arises. Don’t be afraid to speak up for your adolescent’s needs.
- Demonstrate a positive view of education at home. Parental school involvement does not only occur inside the schools. It is also about communicating your larger values and attitudes regarding education and the hopes, dreams, and expectations you hold for your children. Communicating these values motivates young people to be persistent when faced with challenging educational tasks.
- Encourage reading. Helping your children develop a love of reading is the single most important thing you can do to help them succeed in school and in life. Show them the importance of lifelong learning by reading books on your own. Even better, read the same book with them. Taking it one step further, discuss the book together afterwards!
- Help manage the homework process. Let your teen know you think education is important and that homework is a priority. Set aside a special place to study and establish a regular time for homework. Help your child stay organized, ask about daily assignments, and monitor their work. Always remember to notice and praise effort.
- Attend school events. Go to games and concerts, student exhibitions, and award events that your teen is and is not involved in. Your involvement in school-wide events, even when your tween or teen is not directly involved, helps build a community at large. You’ll meet other members of the school community and show your support for ALL kids.
- Attend parent organization meetings. At most schools, parents meet regularly to discuss school issues. Join the PTA (Parent Teacher Association) or PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) to work with other families to improve the school. If you can’t attend the meetings in-person, ask to join the meetings virtually or ask for the notes to be emailed or sent to you.
- Volunteer in the school. Schools often allow volunteers to chaperone trips or dances, help in classrooms, or run a school event. If your work schedule doesn’t allow you to volunteer in the school building, there are other ways to offer your time.You can volunteer to translate newsletters into other languages, make phone calls to let others know about school-related activities, or work on materials for school events. Be on the lookout for volunteer opportunities and share your special skills!
- Let the school know what groups, classes or guidance you would like them to provide. Schools are a great resource to improve your own learning. If you want to know more about the school’s new math curriculum, how to talk with your teen about relationships, or how to help your teen apply to financial aid, let the school know! Chances are if you want to learn more about a topic, other parents do as well.
- Encourage active learning. Young people need to be encouraged to ask and answer questions, solve problems, and explore their interests. Have frequent conversations about what they are learning and be prepared to ask questions. When you encourage this type of learning at home, your teen’s participation and interest in school may increase.
- Learn about your rights. It’s important to know what your rights are as a parent when it comes to special services such as English instruction, immigration status, individualized education plans, and more."
