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Director of Student Support Services Role Expands to Include Community Engagement
The New Paltz Central School District has announced that the role of Director of Student Support Services, held by Fredricka Butler, has been expanded to include community engagement responsibilities. Butler, who has been with the District for three years, is pleased to be in her broadened position, which included relocating her office from the District Offices to the Student Support Center in the High School building. Her new responsibilities include school district and community outreach and partnerships, such as developing and implementing initiatives that encourage community awareness and shared understanding of the District’s mission and guiding principles, developing and implementing initiatives that support healthy communication/interaction among District stakeholders, and conducting relevant parent workshops and information sessions.
Butler said that over the past three years, she has collaborated with community stakeholders, including the State University of New York at New Paltz school counseling graduate program, to share restorative justice circles and to start work on a formal student internship partnership. She also worked closely with Village and Town stakeholders during the pandemic to share and receive information to support the dissemination of guidelines to discourage the spread of the COVID-19 virus. “Among my plans to invite community engagement are conducting information sessions regarding the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) and our Restorative Justice implementation plan and how it relates to our District Code of Conduct, as well as inviting parents to take part in updating our Student Support Services School Counseling plan,” she said. Butler also hopes to create a Student Support Services informational webpage.