Welcome! I am very happy to be part of a wonderful staff who support, nurture, and teach the students here at the Mary Kay McNeill Early Learning Center. I joined District 34 in 2017. I worked at Hillcrest before moving with the early childhood program to the new Mary Kay McNeill Early Learning Center in 2019. I am the proud mother of two sons. My oldest graduated from FSU last year and continues to live in sunny Florida. My youngest is starting his senior year at Lakes Community High School. 

My involvement with students takes place in several ways. One function of a school social worker is to help support whole-school prevention programs, such as safety awareness and Erin’s Law lessons. Some of these lessons may take place within the classrooms. 

Another function of the school social worker is to facilitate student groups. I facilitate whole group social-emotional skills lessons in all the classrooms using the Second Step curriculum. We work on important social skills, such as active listening, communication, feelings, sharing and taking turns.

I also push into choice time in most classrooms to facilitate the teaching of social skills and problem solving skills as they occur during natural play. 

Lastly, I am available to meet with parents. I regularly attend IEP meetings and parent-teacher conferences. As needed, I can meet with parents individually to discuss specific concerns or to serve as a liaison for families needing community resources. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me by email at psmith@antioch34.com or by phone at 847-838-8014. 

The 2020-2021 school year will be full of firsts for all of us. Whether you are a new family or a returning one, we are all starting remotely together for the first time. This is a learning process for all of us. If you are in need of resources, assistance, or have concerns about your child's social emotional well-being, please contact me. Although we are not in person, I am available to assist all familes at MKM ELC and connect you to the appropriate reources. Email is the quickest way to contact me - psmith@antioch34.com.

Please check out my Social Emotional Learning Resources tab for activities and links to activities and videos that you can use at home. 

I look forward to seeing you all in person one day!

Pat Smith 🙂