BCSC hires wellness director and multicultural coordinator

Bartholomew Consolidated Faculty Corp. has introduced hires for 2 main positions centered on psychological well being and variety.

Kristin Beck, beforehand the Columbus East Excessive Faculty director of counseling, fills the college company’s new director of wellness place. Angie Kirkham, beforehand a Clifty Creek Elementary trainer, has been named as BCSC’s new multicultural coordinator. The varsity board authorised each hires at its July 18 assembly.

“We’re excited to have Kristin develop into this primary director of wellness, as she is keen about connecting college students and employees to sources that assist handle their emotional, psychological and bodily wellbeing,” mentioned Superintendent Jim Roberts. “She is aware of the significance of constructing and sustaining relationships with others, is keen to collaborate with neighborhood companies and people in an effort to handle the wants of all inside our faculty company.”

He mentioned that Beck is, to some extent, a alternative for Doug Moore, a retired Columbus East counselor who was employed because the Counseling Counts techniques coordinator on the program’s inception in 2017.

Nevertheless, Roberts added that Beck’s position goes past that and can assist the college company in various methods, together with the enlargement of Counseling Counts so that each one college students have entry to the sources they should thrive.

Throughout a latest interview about ILEARN outcomes, he mentioned that whereas Beck’s work will concentrate on psychological well being, he additionally expects it to have educational advantages.

In keeping with Director of Secondary Training Invoice Jensen, BCSC noticed 637 psychological well being referrals through the 2021-22 faculty yr, in comparison with 437 in 2020-21 — a rise of virtually 46%.

“Primarily, these are on the sixth grade via twelfth grade ranges,” he mentioned. “So we all know when college students are coping with nervousness, melancholy, coping talent points — which had been the three highest referral causes — that’s going to affect their take a look at scores. It could actually’t assist however try this.”

Beck advised the college board that along with rising the Counseling Counts initiative, she can also be desirous to “keep, develop and coordinate providers, applications and sources that can assist help the general wellbeing of all BCSC staff.”

Beck earned her bachelor’s diploma in particular training from Indiana College and her grasp’s diploma in class counseling from Butler College. Her profession contains 9 years as a particular training trainer and 7 years as a faculty counselor with the Franklin Neighborhood Faculty Corp. She joined BCSC in 2013 as a counselor at Columbus East and served as the college’s director of counseling since 2016.

BCSC’s different rent, Kirkham, fills a multicultural coordinator place that has been vacant for nearly half a yr.

Kirkham earned her bachelor’s diploma in elementary training from IUPUC. Her 13 years of instructing expertise contains three years at Higher Clark County Colleges, one yr for Jennings County Colleges and 9 years for BCSC at Clifty Creek Elementary.

She additionally served as chairperson of the Minorities Affairs Committee for the Indiana State Academics Affiliation for 2 years, was The Arc of Bartholomew County’s Instructor of the Yr in 2018, and was named Clifty Creek Instructor of the Yr in 2021.

“She additionally has developed a skillset instantly for this place instantly via conversations on advocating for racial fairness, advocating for college students with disabilities, mentoring academics as they face challenges with college students and households from numerous backgrounds,” mentioned Roberts. “So her ardour to serve the underserved and underrepresented populations of our company was evident once we took her via the interview course of.”

Kirkham’s predecessor, Kimberly Easton, died in early 2022. Easton, a Columbus native and former journalist, joined BCSC in 2019.

“I’ve loved working at BCSC and representing all the underserved college students and underrepresented college students which have come throughout my classroom,” she mentioned, “And I’m glad to have the ability to do that at a better stage.”