Wendy Mcpherson Email and Phone Number

Provide extensive counseling and supportive services to children and youth in the child welfare system. This support is for those that require academic enrichment and/or programming that will assist in successfully graduating. This also requires mentoring youth and promoting post-secondary educational opportunities as a means to self-awareness and empowerment. Mentor youth by also providing counseling, life skills within both educational and personal aspects to assist in a positive progression towards independent living and post-secondary education. Provide elementary intervention and support to improve academic and self-confidence so that future academic experiences are successful.

Within my position I am heavily involved in the “North end” community and the schools within the area. As a SPSW I am the bridge between students, parents, co-workers, schools and other agencies and service providers within the community and city. This bridge is built with mutual respect and relationship building. I currently work closely with Children of The Earth School and Ndinawe – off campus program by providing support to the school, teachers, families and students who are enrolled in our Education Program and are attending these institutions. Our main goal is to fill the gap to raise the retention and graduation rates of our first nation’s students who live in the catchment area. I provide appropriate programming or assist in finding programming that will help students and their families. I also play a very active role in our summer school program by facilitating and helping E.A’s and tutors on how to effectively assist students towards achieve their academic goals. I also am very active within all committees of CEDA –Pathways to Education by participate in Numerous Committees such as; Student Portfolio/Learning Logs, Student Incentive Policy, Student information System, Off campus programming, Summer school planning and implementation, Social committee, Crisis Management Plan, Program Evaluation, Pathways Operational Planning and Crisis Response Plan. In conjunction to my duties as a SPSW, I have also assisted in recruitment and interviews for various positions within the program.

The school’s philosophy was based on delivering holistic programming to enhance students physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The philosophy I implemented into programming provided a solid foundation to promote retention of students, improve graduate rates while providing a smooth transition to high-school and eventually post-secondary education or future employment. Responsibilities included delivery of the Alberta curriculum with a strong cultural infusion to grades 6 and junior high classes, while providing land-based activities and learning opportunities to promote cultural and communal programming. Along with these teaching duties I also provided counseling to all students, while performing administrative duties as part of the leadership team and cultural infusion assistance to all staff