“We have a new student at our school. In her second week here she had gotten into trouble at lunch, which had prompted our vice principal to make a phone call home. Her mother expressed how much she wanted her daughter to meet with someone at the school for extra support. She immediately began working with our school counselor and myself. As we got to know her more, we began to realize there was a lot that she needed assistance with.
This student and her family have moved a lot over the years, and her mother, being a single mom and working lots of hours, was struggling to get them started in a new town. The student and her younger brother were in need of new backpacks and school supplies, which I provided on their first day. I noticed that she often wore clothes and shoes too small for her that hurt her feet. I provided her with a new pair of shoes and socks, as well as clothing to replace some of her small shirts until mom could afford to get her new clothes. After she shared that money was very tight and they had little food until her mom was able to be paid, I quickly had an emergency food box put together with items that could be used for dinners and snacks, thanks to one of our local community partners. Our school counselor and I also considered how she moved frequently, which affected her socially and with peers. We added the student to our Life Skills lunch group that teaches students about friendship and other valuable life skills, as well as working together and making friends. By collaboratively working with this student, her family, and the school, I have successfully been able to make her feel welcomed to our school and she now feels more confident in friendships, as well as content in knowing she has a great support system at her new school if she ever needs anything!”
– Site Coordinator, Centerville-Abington Elementary School