Back To School Talk #1: How to Interface with Schools to Support Kids with Social-Emotional Issues

It's Back to School time again! There are often questions that come up about how the school-home relationship can be handled well to support students with social-emotional issues. An effective working relationship with the school is particularly important for kids with complicated backgrounds, trauma and attachment issues, and/or special needs. Dr. Timothy Woo, a well-known Hong Kong school counsellor, will be joining us to address issues including:

• How to identify social-emotional issues that may be happening in children, such as school-related stress/anxiety, depression, bullying, etc.
• Why students coming from adoption and fostering might be more susceptible to social-emotional challenges and what kind of support should be available
• Why and how parents should inform schools about their child's issues, and navigate the learning support system
• How mental health professionals, school personnel (academic and learning support), and parents can communicate and work together to support a student

Dr. Timothy Woo is the Upper School Wellbeing Guidance Counsellor at the Canadian International School of Hong Kong and a Counsellor at Southside Family Health Centre. Timothy received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in social work from York University, and his doctoral degree from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He has over 15 years of experience in working with young people in organisations such as YMCA, Grandview Children's Centre (an outpatient rehabilitation hospital for children with special needs), World Vision Canada, ISF Academy, and KELY Support Group. He works with students and collaborates with other counsellors and teachers to foster an environment where the students’ best interests are always the focus. With a focus on family resilience and adolescent depression, Timothy is passionate about contributing to the field of adolescent mental health such that youth understand their inherent value and are able to see the potential impact that they have in the community and world around them. 

This event is open to all parents and caregivers, waiting and prospective parents, adult adoptees, professionals and students.

• Please arrive to check-in at 18.50; meeting is from 19:00 to 21:00 pm
• Seating is limited, registration and payment are required in advance.
• 95HKD for AFHK members
• 145HKD for non-members or lapsed members (or click here to join/renew your membership and attend this event for FREE).

Participants can also choose to obtain a Certificate of Attendance for participation in this event. We hope this certificate may support an adoption application by demonstrating an ongoing commitment to learning about the needs of parenting a child through adoption. 

Map & directions to Island Christian Academy