School Support Programs

Catholic Family Service offers two school support programs in partnership with the Calgary Catholic School District.

Student Support

Many students in elementary, junior and senior high school deal with feelings and behaviours that often get in the way of students’ having a successful year in school. To help students overcome these challenges, Catholic Family Service employs School Support Workers and places them in schools that have requested this service.

School Support Workers connect with students, families and teachers to increase the child’s chances of success by developing positive skills, providing ongoing support and helping families to access community resources.

Some of the issues School Support Workers help with are:

• peer pressure
• low self-esteem
• acting out
• bullying and aggression
• skills for coping, social interaction and problem-solving

Multicultural School Support Program

Calgary schools support a growing number of students and families who arrive from various parts of the world. Catholic Family Service employs Multicultural Support Workers to address the many cultural and language needs faced by new Canadians. With first-hand knowledge of the immigration experience, these trained Multicultural Workers share their stories, expertise and knowledge and support the transitions of new Canadians into Canadian society by:

• Helping students and families adjust to Canadian school culture.
• Connecting students and their families to resources.
• Supporting the social and behavioural development of students in school and the community.
• Helping with communication between the family and the school and other agencies.