School Chaplain

My name is Denise Hodgson and I am the School Chaplain. My background is Social Work and I worked in this field for many years. I made the switch to Chaplaincy because I am passionate about offering pastoral care to children and families and love being able to support people during vulnerable times. I believe that we all need a helping hand or listening ear during different seasons of our lives and that with the right help, we are all able to travel well through life’s ups and downs.

My role in the School is:

To be a visible and inclusive presence in the school community.
To provide social, emotional, and spiritual (on request) support, to staff, students and their families.
To work as a member of the Student Services Team to support students and to promote learning.
To collaborate with classroom teachers, school support staff and school leadership to address student needs.
To attend meetings with Student Services to access referrals and to formulate action plans.
To attend meetings with staff and parents as requested by staff members.
To offer social, emotional, or practical support in small groups to students, as required.
To provide information about local resources in the community.
To support happy and safe recess and lunchtimes as directed by Deputies/ Principal.
To attend school events as needed.

I work at Ashdale Primary, on Wednesdays. I can be contacted through the front office, your child’s classroom teacher or our Student Services Deputy.