I have a larger space this school year to accommodate groups and smaller classes! Find me in the K-2 hallway in room 105!
When I am not seeing students individually or in a classroom, my office space is available for calming breaks throughout the school day.
If I am unavailable outside of scheduled time, students may "leave a note," from my door and I can find them when I am available. I offer flexible seating in my office space-- you want a meeting on the carpet? Let's do it.
For the 2025-2026 school year, I will host a small skills group for grades 3-5 and this would assist students developing strategies to support emotional health. Many students experience emotional ups an downs and research shows that students with solid self-awareness and good coping skills do better academically and socially during their school years and beyond.
Utilizing TRAILS, this group will be 10-sessions, once a week, and is for students struggling with common symptoms of depression or anxiety. The group will focus on strategies to support emotional health and enable healthy sleep, good social relationships, and optimal academic achievement. Families will receive weekly updates on content and student progress. If you have a student that could benefit from a small group focus, please contact me. Future topics will be support groups for students with incarcerated parents/family, grief/loss, friendship/relationship skills focus groups, and more. Reach out if any of these topics or another would benefit your student.
Ms. Kristine Maki, LLMSW-C (she/her)
Hello, elementary families! This is my fourth year as a School Social Worker here in L'Anse. I work with the whole family regarding mental health, emergencies, support, community resources, and I also manage the Watch D.O.G.S (Dads of Great Students) Program. I am currently managing classroom Social Emotional Learning lessons utilizing the TRAILS to Wellness curriculum for K-2. Small groups (4-8 students at a time) focusing on SEL and mental health throughout the school year. I am also a part of the Behavioral Health Assistant Team (BHAT) and the Wellness Committee. Learn more about TRAILS to Wellness and the BHAT in the Mental Health tab.
I am a member of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and have lived in the Great Lakes area all my life. My partner, Mitch, and I have four sons of our own, two cats, and live right here in L'Anse. I enjoy the outdoors, reading, crafting, and spending time together as a family.
Educational Background/Experience: I graduated with my B.S. in Psychology and Native American Studies at Northern Michigan University. I received both my MSW in Clinical Social Work in 2019 and my SSW certification from Michigan State University. I've received trauma-focused training from Western State University and have experience with the Intergenerational Trauma Treatment Model (ITTM). I also have 6+ years experience in home visiting working with families in Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw, and Ontonagon Counties. 4.5 of those years have exclusively been with tribal families.
Contact me for any questions or concerns you may have-- if it isn't something I can help directly with, I will connect you to someone who can. I look forward to working with you!
Contact: Office: (906) 524-6000 ext. 398 E-mail: kmaki@laschools.us
Build a TREEHOUSE
ABC and 123 ON THE FRIDGE
Let's STACK SOME CUPS while typing
Clifford ADVENTURE STORIES
Watching LIVE streams of nature can be calming for our minds and bodies. Jackie and Shadow's nest is often playing in my classroom. Jackie and Shadow live in Big Bear Valley in Southern, California. This season, they had three eggs successfully hatch! Gizmo, Sunny, and Spirit were born in early March. Unfortunately, Spirit passed away during a terrible snow storm mid-April. Sunny and Gizmo can still be seen in the nest as they grow and get ready to fly!