Rockwood Celebrates School Social Work Week, Social Work Month

March is Social Work Month and the week of March 1-7 is National School Social Work Week.

In the Rockwood School District, we are taking this opportunity to celebrate the impact of our 22 school social workers, who are exceptionally skilled in providing services to students who face serious challenges to school success and play a vital role in the lives of our students and families.

Hear from three of our school social workers about how they value the roles they inhabit in their school communities.

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Anna Greenwood, Pathways Wellness Center

What is the most rewarding part of being the "bridge" between home, school and community?  

Watching connection turn into change.  Building relationships with students and their families is the most rewarding part of this job. I get to help translate concerns into solutions — whether that’s helping a parent navigate resources, supporting a teacher with strategies or empowering a student to use their voice. 

If you could give the school community one piece of "social work wisdom" to carry with them, what would it be? 

Behavior is communication. When a student is struggling — whether that shows up as withdrawal, big emotions, defiance or lack of focus — it’s usually a sign that something deeper is going on. When we lead with curiosity instead of judgment, we create space for understanding, connection and growth. 

If we walked into your office or a group session, what is something cool we’d see the students working on?  

You might be surprised to see that the “coolest” thing happening isn’t a worksheet or a big lesson — it’s connection. You’d see students laughing, opening up, practicing real-life coping skills, role-playing tough conversations or working through problem-solving activities together. At the heart of everything I do is relationship-building. I believe the most powerful intervention we have is connection. I make it a priority to get to know all students — not just the ones on my caseload — so they feel seen and valued in our school community. My goal is that when something exciting happens in their life, they want to pop in and share the news. And when something scary or overwhelming happens, they know my office is a safe space where they’ll be heard, supported and guided through it. That trust and consistency are what truly make the work meaningful.

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Sydney Harris, Kehrs Mill, Ridge Meadows and Westridge elementary schools 

What is the most rewarding part of being the "bridge" between home, school and community?  

Being able to give families a sense of relief. A lot of times, families don’t know where to start, who to talk to, or they don’t feel comfortable asking for help. That can feel really overwhelming. What I value most is working alongside families, supporting them as they figure out next steps and connecting them to resources in a way that honors their dignity and strengths.

It’s amazing to see the difference those connections can make in a family’s life. Teachers work so hard to support students in the classroom, and I value being able to support students and families outside of it as well. When families feel a little more supported and some of that stress is lifted, it can benefit the student in school, too. If I can help lighten that load even a little and help families feel supported, that’s what makes the work worth it.

If you could give the school community one piece of "social work wisdom" to carry with them, what would it be? 

Choose curiosity over assumption. So often, we only see what shows up in the classroom, but there can be so much more going on beneath the surface for students and families. When we assume, it’s easy to miss the bigger picture. When we stay curious, we create space to really understand.

If we walked into your office or a group session, what is something cool we’d see the students working on?  

You would see a group of students building a tower out of notecards. They work together to make it as tall as possible. Once the tower is built, I read general positive and negative statements. For each positive statement, they add a card to the tower, and for each negative statement, they remove a card. As the tower eventually falls, students see how repeated negative actions or words can tear someone down and how positive actions can build others up. This creates a space for personal reflection and growth. This activity not only gives students a visual understanding of the impact their words and actions have but also practices teamwork and builds connections with others in the group.

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Amy Horn, Rockwood South Middle

What is the most rewarding part of being the "bridge" between home, school and community?  

The trust that comes with that bridge. The families I serve continue to believe in me and are confident in my abilities to support not only their children but members of the community that need it. The trust they instill in me to hear concerns and take action accordingly is something I do not take for granted. 

If you could give the school community one piece of "social work wisdom" to carry with them, what would it be? 

Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.

If we walked into your office or a group session, what is something cool we’d see the students working on?  

- Students actively engaged in conversation or discussing/practicing the skills we were working on. (Study skills/coping skills) 

- Students laughing, chatting and feeling heard/safe with me also laughing/ smiling engaged in their conversation

-Students helping each other: whether with an upcoming test or retake, different strategies they use that helps with anxiety or peer conflicts.