This year, ELHS is welcoming a new member to the student support team: Jacqueline Byrne, our new school social worker. Her role goes beyond the typical idea of counseling, offering a bridge between academic life and the personal challenges many students face outside of the classroom.
Prior to working here at the High School, Byrne was working with younger students as a social worker in an elementary school in New London.
“Elementary school is more like basics and getting into things such as learning, how to develop friendships, and how to adjust emotional skills. I [in a high school], there is more knowledge about other things that can be affecting kids in school,” Byrne said.
Byrne was familiar with the fact that EL is an excellent school system, and she was interested in working with older kids rather than younger kids, which was the main reason for her transition.
Social workers in schools play a vital part in creating balance. They collaborate with teachers, administrators, and parents, making sure students have the resources they need to succeed.
“Social workers kind of are the connection between home and school that can help provide more resources and services if someone needs our help,” Byrne said. Great quote I would move this up.
For students, that support can make all the difference. Many don’t realize that school social workers aren’t only there for emergencies, they are also there for your smaller challenges.
“I want [students] to feel that they can come talk to us, if they need help or feel open to expressing if they need anything,” Byrne said.
With very welcoming decorations on her door, Byrne is going to be the person you go too. The first thing you see outside her room is a notepad stuck to the wall where students can feel free to write down anything you would like Byrne to see, and she will get back to you.
“I really just want to help kids with the pressure. I want to make sure everyone feels welcomed and that they all feel like they have someone to talk to, and they don’t have to keep things in.”
