When Lower School Librarian Carlee Smith was organizing the latest Parent Speaker Series talk, she did so with the goal of equipping parents with ideas and tools they can use in challenging situations. The talk took place on April 30 in the Lower School library. 

“Our community is wonderfully close-knit, and I love that parents, teachers, and staff work together to make it even stronger,” said Mrs. Smith. “Our Parent Speaker Series offering, Once Upon a Tough Topic, was an opportunity for Lower School parents to think about the library as a family resource and learn about the terrific picture books we have at Steward on difficult topics such as grief, divorce, depression, and illness. These books can be a tremendous help for parents when talking to their young Spartans.” 

On hand at the talk were members of The Center for Engagement team, who assisted by answering parents’ questions as they pertained to Center work of wellness, mental health, and service-learning: Catherine Graves ’98 (health and wellness coordinator), Jentae Scott-Mayo (school counselor), and Alexa Bolt (coordinator of service learning and engagement). 

The Parent Speaker Series aligns with two of Steward’s strategic plan priorities: parent engagement and wellness. “This was a passion project for me,” said Mrs. Smith, who spent the better part of a year planning the event. “I want parents to feel comfortable using the Lower School library as a resource when talking to their children.”

Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Graves plan to continue this work next school year. They look forward to increased parent engagement in the Lower School library and supporting a variety of topics through a bibliotherapy lens.