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New Social Workers Provide Support to Students and Families
The School District of Clayton is committed to the growth and development of the whole child. To provide additional support in meeting students’ academic, physical, social and emotional needs, the District has hired two full-time social workers for its schools this year.
Katherine Burkard will serve students at Captain, Glenridge and Meramec Elementary Schools. She holds a master’s degree in social work from Saint Louis University and comes to the District with five years of school social work experience. Dr. Sheila Powell-Walker will use her 15 years of school social work experience to support students at Wydown Middle School and Clayton High School this year. She holds a doctorate in education and has previously served as a school social worker, district intervention coordinator and professional school counselor.
“Our social workers will serve as liaisons between home, school and the community to support students and families through a wraparound approach,” said Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Dr. Kashina Bell. “They will work to optimize the educational opportunities available to our students while helping them achieve success both inside and outside of our classrooms.”
Burkard and Powell-Walker will use a variety of methods to support students and families at every level across the District. They will work individually and with small groups of students to build conflict resolution and social interaction skills, connect students and families with community resources and play a major role in response to crisis situations. Additionally, the social workers will work closely with teachers, school counselors and administrators to provide greater understanding about factors that may impact a student’s performance and behavior in order to improve the student’s overall learning experience.
The new social work positions are tied to the District’s strategic plan theme focused on the growth and development of the whole child. For the past two school years, the District has partnered with Washington University’s Brown School of Social Work to bring social work interns to the District’s schools. This year, the permanent, full-time social work positions will allow the District to provide even greater support for the social, emotional and mental health needs of its students.
Katherine Burkard will serve students at Captain, Glenridge and Meramec Elementary Schools. She holds a master’s degree in social work from Saint Louis University and comes to the District with five years of school social work experience. Dr. Sheila Powell-Walker will use her 15 years of school social work experience to support students at Wydown Middle School and Clayton High School this year. She holds a doctorate in education and has previously served as a school social worker, district intervention coordinator and professional school counselor.
“Our social workers will serve as liaisons between home, school and the community to support students and families through a wraparound approach,” said Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Dr. Kashina Bell. “They will work to optimize the educational opportunities available to our students while helping them achieve success both inside and outside of our classrooms.”
Burkard and Powell-Walker will use a variety of methods to support students and families at every level across the District. They will work individually and with small groups of students to build conflict resolution and social interaction skills, connect students and families with community resources and play a major role in response to crisis situations. Additionally, the social workers will work closely with teachers, school counselors and administrators to provide greater understanding about factors that may impact a student’s performance and behavior in order to improve the student’s overall learning experience.
The new social work positions are tied to the District’s strategic plan theme focused on the growth and development of the whole child. For the past two school years, the District has partnered with Washington University’s Brown School of Social Work to bring social work interns to the District’s schools. This year, the permanent, full-time social work positions will allow the District to provide even greater support for the social, emotional and mental health needs of its students.