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Contact information
Mrs. Nowak, MSW, LCSW
Phone: (708) 364-3631
Email: enowak@orland135.org
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Yo u may be wondering how, exactly, Mrs. Nowak can assist Meadow Ridge students and families. Below are some common questions that parents have.
Q: For what kinds of things does Mrs. Nowak see students?
A: Students are referred for Social Work service for an extremely wide variety of reasons. Any factor that is impacting a student's educational performance is an appropriate reason for a referral. Some of the specific reasons students work with Mrs. Nowak are (not a complete list):
- Social skills
- Friendship making
- Coping skills
- Learning academic skills (how to be a good learner, goal-setting, becoming more responsible and accountable, etc.)
- Stress or anger management
- Homework completion
- Difficulty attending or concentrating
- Family factors (divorce/separation, death or illness in the family, etc.)
- Confidence building
- Behavioral concerns
Q: How does a student get referred to Mrs. Nowak?
A: Students may be referred for School Social Work services by their parent or guardian, a school staff member, or the student themselves. If a student would like to request some time with Mrs. Nowak, there are green "Need to Talk?" sheets posted outside of the Social Work office (Room 316).
Q: Are there any social work groups available for my child?
A: Specialized groups are available at Meadow Ridge, depending on need. These groups are time-limited, typically running 6-8 weeks. Some groups that have run in the past address:
- Divorce or separation
- Having an absent parent
- Chronic illness or cancer in the family
- Friendship-making
- Grief and loss
If you feel like your child might benefit from one of these groups, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Q: Are there any community resources available to assist my child or my family?
A: There are some online resources for different issues included on this webpage. If you are in need of physical resources (outside counseling referrals, family activities, tutoring, recreational programs, access to financial assistance or healthcare, etc.), please contact me.
 What does the School Social Worker Do?
The School Social Worker serves students, parents, schools, and their communities by acting as a liaison between these entities. The purpose of the school social worker is to help overcome barriers to a child's education. By working with students individually, in groups, or as a classroom, social work interventions help students to achieve their best potential.
The School Social Worker helps students with issues such as (but not limited to):
- developing interpersonal relationships, both with adults and peers
- coping with challenging emotions and/or behaviors
- learning problem solving skills
- managing conflict appropriately
- improving attention and/or concentration difficulties
- assisting with unresolved issues in their family, such as divorce
- providing support regarding a family illness or death
The School Social Worker helps parents by:
- maximizing their ability to support their child's education
- understanding and meet their child's social and emotional needs
- learning about programs available to assist students with different needs
- accessing school and community resources
The School Social Worker helps schools by:
- facilitating an understanding of factors that may be affecting a student's ability to perform at maximum ability
- working with teachers, administrators, and other staff to meet the needs of students and their families
- helping to make the school an environment that is safe (no bullying, harassment, etc.) for all students
- act as the liaison between students, parents, school staff, and community agencies
The School Social Worker helps communities by:
- becoming aware of existing or new community resources to better appropriately refer families, when needed
- collaborating with outside agencies or providers to coordinate best service to our school and students
Rules and Expectations
Just as in classrooms, students at Meadow Ridge are expected to follow rules and expectations in the social work office, which are as follows:
- I will be respectful of others.
- I will be polite and helpful.
- I will join in the activity.
- I will be a good listener.
- I will keep my belongings, hands, and feet to myself.
- What is said here stays here, unless Mrs. Nowak needs to tell to keep someone safe.
Students that receive regular, weekly social work services will earn rewards by following these rules and expectations. Behavior is managed by a "Green, Yellow, Red" card system. All students begin each class on "green." Every time a rule is not being followed, the student will receive one verbal warning. The following times rules are not being followed, the student will be asked to "flip his/her card." (Ex: from green to yellow, or yellow to red.) At the end of each class, students will earn rewards (or consequences) based on the color on which they ended.
Green = sticker. For every five stickers earned, the student will earn a reward of their choosing (extra time in the gym, computer time, lunch with a friend, game with a friend, or prize from the treasure chest).
Yellow = Note to parent.
Red = Phone call to parent, other consequence as appropriate, based on behavior (Minor, loss of recess, classroom teacher consequence, etc.)
Resources and Helpful Links
If you think your family might benefit from resources other than those listed below (counseling referrals, familiy or recreational activities, access to financial or healthcare assistance, etc.), please contact Mrs. Nowak.
Parenting
BBC - Parenting
Family Education
KidSource Online
Parenthood
Parenting.com
Parenting.org
Parents.com
Today's Parent
Bullying
Stop Bullying Now!
Facts for Families about Bullying
Cyberbullying
Counseling
Orland Township Youth & Family Services
Metropolitan Family Services
*Mrs. Nowak has a complete list of counseling referrals. Please contact the Social Work office for these.
ADD/ADHD
CHADD
National Resource Center on ADD/ADHD
ADD Association
LD Online: ADD/ADHD
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