Welcome and thanks for stopping by!  Social workers work in a variety of different places such as hospitals, nursing homes, hospice, children protective services, substance abuse facilities, private practice counseling, schools, and other locations. School social workers are hired by school districts and are primarily concerned with providing services to students and parents, working with school personnel, and improving school-community relations.  The services that can be provided vary with the needs of the school district.

Your school social worker is Kristina Forst.  Mrs. Forst  works for the Barton, Dade, Jasper County Special Education Cooperative serving Avilla, Everton, Golden City, Greenfield, Jasper, Liberal, and Lockwood School Districts.  Mrs. Forst has her Master of Social Work Degree from Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University) and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.  Mrs. Forst's favorite part of her job is getting to know the students who have IEPs receiving special education services and their families and watching positive changes take place!  Mrs. Forst is available to work with students and their families from preschool through high school.

You can reach Mrs. Forst by phone at 417-232-4562, ext. 3 or email at kforst@tigersk12.org . 

What does a school social worker do?  See the brochure below...

Helping Students...

• Increase academic success
• Improve relationships with peers
• Cope with challenging life events
• Improve self-esteem and self-discipline
• Learn problem-solving skills
• Learn decision making skills
• Become resilient, successful learners

Helping Educators...

• Understand family, cultural, school and community factors that may impact student performance
• Link with families to address obstacles to academic success
• Develop and implement strategies to enhance academic success
• Understand child abuse and neglect reporting laws, procedures and policies
• Address social, emotional and behavioral challenges of students
• Coordinate school and community resources to meet student and family needs

Helping Families...

• Understand the educational and developmental goals of their children
• Advocate on behalf of their children regarding school performance
• Link with helpful school and community resources
• Understand school policies, programs and services
• Identify and celebrate family strengths that promote academic success

You can reach Mrs. Forst by phone at 417-232-4562, ext. 3 or email at kforst@tigersk12.org 

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE MATTERS!!!

Families really are the key to good student attendance!!!!

• Avoid extended vacations that require your children to miss school.

• Whenever possible, work with doctors to schedule appointments outside of school hours.

• For younger children, set a regular bedtime and morning routine. Lay out clothes and backpacks the night before school.

• YOUNG CHILDREN NEED 9 - 11 HOURS OF SLEEP!

• For older children, help them set homework and bedtime routines. When the lights go out, make sure video games, computers and cell phones are 'out' too!

• FOR OLDER CHILDREN, ALLOW FOR 8 1/2 TO 9 1/2 HOURS OF SLEEP!

• Get to know your child's administrators, teachers, counselors and school social workers. All of these professionals can help you and your children stay on track throughout the school year.

• Set a good example! Whether your child is five or fifteen, let him or her know that attendance matters to you; that there is no negotiating when it comes to regular, on time attendance.

Pre-K and Elementary

• Starting in kindergarten, too many absences can cause a child to fall behind

• Missing 10% (or 18 days in a 180 day school year) can make it harder for a child to learn to read

• Students can fall behind even if they miss one or two days every other week

Keep Your Child on Track - Middle & High School

• Students should miss no more than 9 days of school each year to stay engaged, successful and on track to graduation.

• Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with a bully or facing some other serious issues

• By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of the signs that a student may drop out of high school.

• By 9th grade, regular and high attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.

HEAD LICE AN UNWELCOME VISITOR?