Amy Blake: Family Education Program

Joining us for the December Educational Initiative is Abbie Slatus. Ms. Slatus is a licensed social worker and currently serves as the Director of Counseling Services for Harlem Village Academy Elementary School. Ms. Slatus has worked with children from kindergarten through twelfth grade in public, charter, and private schools. Her work primarily focuses on supporting students, teachers, and families through the use of children’s literature and guiding the social emotional programming offered at her school. Ms. Slatus feels books open a door into authentic and honest communication, even for the most difficult topics, between children and the adults in their lives.

Ms. Slatus’s conversation will be based on her experiences in using children’s books to support the social emotional learning of students, particularly for kindergarten through fifth grade. Topics may include trauma, race and ethnicity, bullying, bereavement, natural disasters, and adoption.

Students will explore topics that are of importance to them through literature, music and crafts.