Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools aims to meet the needs of students and their parents through WRAP-AROUND SOCIAL SERVICES and RESILIENCY WORK. Our commitment to these services is crucial for fostering a supportive student environment.
Regardless of characteristics and identified needs, every child in the district is challenged to reach high academic standards and given requisite pedagogical, social, emotional, mental health counseling and programs for students with special needs. This, in turn, promotes social equity, breaks the cycle of poverty, and creates a more inclusive and just society.
The district intentionally leverages expertise, community partnerships, and funding to provide additional support services beyond academic education. These services can address students’ and families’ unique community challenges, contributing to their well-being.
Getting ready for prom can be such a joyous time for students. It can also have its share of stress.
Leaders of McKinney-Vento are doing their part to help students have a stress-free and memorable prom. The program has aligned with Woods Chapel United Methodist Church of Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Each year, the church hosts the WCC Prom Boutique. It’s a free event for Kansas City area students hoping to attend prom but may not have the resources to do so. Nancy Lewis, one of the boutique organizers, is a Wyandotte County native and graduated from Washington High School.
Before it officially opened, WCC Prom Boutique invited students from Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools. Among 3,500 new or nearly-new prom attire, students found the perfect dress, shoes, accessories, and tuxedos before anyone else could. Free alteration services are available to make sure everyone has a well-fitted outfit.
“This has always been one of the highlights of the year. We include seniors who are part of McKinney Vento, and we also reach out to our social workers to see if they have any seniors in need,” said KCKPS McKinney- Vento Program Coordinator Jessica Smith.
One of the students who took advantage of the prom boutique was Wyandotte High School Senior Estrella Corrales. “I’m super excited about my dress and shoes,” said Corrales.
The McKinney-Vento program offers services to KCKPS students and their families who need assistance with food, clothing, employment, emergency services, and housing.
By Heidi Louis, Washington High School Dean of Students/RJ Facilitator
I came to Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools in the 22-23 school year when all KCKPS high schools hired a Dean of Students/Restorative Justice Facilitator to move towards a more restorative school culture that focuses on relationships and repair of harm rather than punitive and exclusionary discipline practices. This is exactly the kind of work that our kids, schools, and community need; it’s also my dream job!
Society has become more reactionary and less empathetic, and educators are seeing this in schools as students are quick to shut down, quick to anger, quick to conflict, and quick to assume poor intentions from their peers and teachers. This reactionary approach to social interactions has made school a tense and sometimes chaotic place that is not conducive to learning. The bottom line is that someone almost always feels their dignity was violated. They felt disrespected.
My job is multifaceted. First, we are trying to frontload students with social-emotional learning lessons and opportunities to build relationships with each other and staff at Washington through weekly community-building circles during Family Advocacy.
We can build empathy, positive regard, and trust through these relationships. Additionally, we are also working on the backend after there is conflict. Traditional punitive discipline follows that students are suspended and excluded from school for some time. They return, historically, with little to no intervention but a lot of anger and resentment.
At Washington, we are working to conference individually with students after conflict and offer space for mediation between parties to repair the harm and move forward. This practice helps students build communication skills, promotes resilience, and empowers them to have the skills to make better choices in the future.
Restorative practices shift our thinking from pushing kids away from school for their actions to holding them close while teaching them to repair the harm caused by their actions. When kids know their classmates, teachers, and the school community cares about them, they want to be here. The impact of this work is huge; it’s everything. Everyone can be a part of it: parents, teachers, siblings, custodians, nutritional staff, bus drivers, and the community.
There is pain, harm, and trauma in this community, and only when we seek a more empathetic, restorative approach can we hope to thrive.
The 2023 Kansas Social Worker of the Year, Quindaro Elementary’s Abby Cole.
Like every other Wednesday afternoon, the staff at Quindaro Elementary School gathered in the school’s library for professional development, but this time it was for a special announcement.
During the meeting, Abby Cole, the Behavioral Health Social Worker at the school, learned that she had been named the Kansas School Social Workers Association 2023 Kansas Social Worker of the Year.
Principal Dezarae Albritton made the formal announcement and presented Cole with the award.
“I knew I had been nominated, but there were so many other amazing school social workers throughout our district and our state. I was surprised I won but also honored,” said Cole.
Allbrittion said the honor was bestowed upon Cole because of her exemplary work at Quindaro Elementary and in the Kansas City community. It was Allbritton who nominated Cole.
“She does so much work around here. She supports students; she supports staff. She’s on our diversity and equity team. I don’t think there’s one program in this building that Miss Cole is not a part of. And she does it with all her heart,” said Allbritton.
“I am so proud of the work that the KCKPS Behavioral Health Social Workers have done since we started our work in 2018, and this award belongs to all of them as well.” - Ms. Abby Cole
Cole admitted the work can sometimes be challenging, but she is proud of what she does.
“I have an amazing team at Quindaro—an amazing work family. I have an amazing community that backs everything I do. I’m proud to receive this award, but I’m also proud that Quindaro has received this award,” added Cole.
