Former Sundre High School student Kailyn Jones has returned to the school as the new Family School Wellness Worker (FSWW) – and she's already working hard to make sure students and their families have all the support they need.
Originally from Sundre, Kailyn graduated Sundre High in 2007. She then attended the University of Alberta's Augustana campus in Camrose where she took a bachelor of arts degree in psychology.
After taking an interim position with Sundre FCSS last summer, Kailyn accepted the position as Sundre High's new Family School Wellness Worker in September.
The FSWW position provides students and their families with preventive support throughout the school year, she explained.
“We are supporting students and families who might be facing emotional and social challenges and struggles,” said Jones. “We are promoting things such as effective communication, conflict resolution, and any kind of topics that are beneficial in developing students. I think one of the keys of the program is that if we want students to be successful academically, it's really important that we focus on, and develop the person behind the learner.
“So that might mean supporting and creating healthy homes, supporting and creating positive peer groups; anything that helps the student outside the classroom that in turn helps them be successful academically.”
Jones is the FSWW for the high school, with another FSWW at the K-8 River Valley School. The FSWW program is free for all students, and is strictly confidential.
It is not a counselling service, but rather a support program for all students and their families in all grade levels, she explained.
“We try to be really careful around that because the perception of us being counsellors definitely exists,” she said. “Technically we are not counsellors; we are support staff. A big part of my role is connecting students and families to resources and other professionals.
“We might make connections to crisis response counsellors and psychiatrists and that kind of thing. We provide a more informal support, but we do a lot of referrals and connect families with those resources when they are appropriate.
“If somebody comes in and they are not seeing those professionals but it would benefit them or their families, then we can help provide that connection that they maybe wouldn't connect with on their own.”
Although the FSWW position is not new for Sundre, it continues to evolve and expand under the direction of the school board and the high school administration, she said.
Chinook's Edge and Sundre High School have made the program a priority “because they recognize the need for students to be supported outside of classrooms so they can be successful in the classroom,” she said.
Her first two months in the position have been great, with lots of support coming back to her from students, teachers, administration and support staff, she said.
“It's been incredible to be back in the community that I was raised in,” she said. “It's been wonderful to come back to rural Alberta and apply some of the skills that I developed with my degree. It's been wonderful working with the students so far. It's a great team atmosphere.”
In addition to school students, the FSWW support is available to other families in the community as well, she said, noting anyone interested in availing themselves of the FSWW program support can contact Jones through the high school.
High school principal Jason Drent said Jones is fitting into the school community very nicely.
“When we talk about students who are having issues, Kailyn can really assist in giving the kids support, and that's a huge part of our support network at Sundre High School,” said Drent.
“Chinook's Edge is really striving to provide that kind of student support and we are really happy with that.”
