Welcome, Julie Brock!

 Julie Brock starts this week as our new part-time School Counselor. Julie is amazing! She has over 15 years of experience supporting students in schools, including middle and high school counseling in the Northshore School District and at Munich International School. In addition to providing academic, social, and emotional counseling in her schools, Julie focuses on nurturing students toward independence through skill-building activities (like goal setting and self-advocacy), along with building community around racial and educational justice. She has also coordinated accommodations for students with learning differences and developed expertise in supporting teachers with effective classroom communication and positive behavior management.

Julie’s most recent principal described her as a “unicorn” – that kind of person who you want on your team no matter where you go. She was described as thoughtful and tenacious, able to form strong bonds with students, families, and colleagues across cultural differences, and ready to work through large and small issues with grace and “a deeply humanistic perspective.” In our earliest interactions with Julie, we are learning that to be absolutely true. Our faculty spent the day with her yesterday at our In-Service program, and this morning Julie is observing classrooms and beginning to get to know our students. Tara and Tim, and I are thrilled to be able to work with Julie in building a counseling program at Explorer West that strengthens not only our ability to support students and families when they are having an especially hard time but to build skills and processes across the board to help all students thrive.

Julie will be here all day Mondays and Tuesdays and also Thursday and Friday afternoons. Stay tuned for opportunities to get to know her!