CIS at Lantrip Elementary: Kindness Goes a Long Way

Katherine L. Barrera, B.S.
CIS Student Support Specialist

Challenges at home such as a father moving out, a mother passing away, or a family escaping from a flooded home can create significant stress and threaten a child’s sense of security and control over their lives.

Problems like these don’t disappear when the child walks into school and can manifest as sadness, anger, disruptive behavior and poor academic performance. Schools like Houston ISD’s Lantrip Elementary rely on Communities In Schools’ Kate Barrera to care for and help students cope with these common experiences and succeed in spite of them.

Barrera, better known as “The Kindness Fairy Princess” on campus, takes HISD’s charge to provide safe, vibrant, joyful schools to heart.  Whether witnessing domestic abuse or experiencing homelessness, children seek out Barrera to talk one-on-one, participate in small support groups that help them identify and work through their emotions and get connected to services and resources that can help.

With fairy wings and all, “The Kindness Fairy Princess” does whatever it takes to ensure Lantrip students are better able to focus on their studies and thrive in and out of school, even in times of distress.