Hello!

My name is Iris Candelaria and I am the social worker at Bobcean and Barnes Elementary. I'm excited to be a member of the Flat Rock Community Schools team and look forward to getting to know both you and your student!

I earned my bachelor of arts degree in English and Sociology at the University of Michigan. During my undergrad years at U of M, I had the opportunity to work as a teen crisis-line counselor at Ozone House in Ann Arbor, as well as a volunteer at the Prison Creative Arts Project. There, I facilitated theater classes for incarcerated youth at Maxey Boys Training School, and inmates at Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility.

After graduating with my bachelor's degree, I taught English for two years at Detroit Public Schools. Being a teacher was amazing! My Students excelled academically despite their economic and social struggles, and that was due in large part to the intervention strategies I utilized, as well as the connections I built with them. It was during my time as a teacher that I discovered my passion for helping students develop not just academically, but socially and emotionally as well.

That's when I decided to return to U of M to complete my masters in social work. While taking classes, I completed a two-year social work internship at Allen Park Public Schools, splitting my time between Lindemann Elementary, The Community High School, and on occasion the Middle School. As a result, I’ve been able to work with students ranging from grades pre-k through 12th in a social work capacity. I graduated in April of 2018, and was immediately hired by Flat Rock Community Schools. I'm so excited to be here!

My goal is to provide the best environment for your student academically, socially, and emotionally. I am here to help students and their families access community resources for various concerns, provide social-emotional support for kids, and consult with teachers to incorporate classroom interventions and systems to help students succeed. I will also be running social-skills groups for students, and teaching Second Step lessons within the classroom setting.

Please feel free to contact me at icandelaria@flatrockschools.org or at (734) 535-6924 with any questions or concerns you may have.

Take care,

Iris Candelaria, LLMSW