BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Bradford Elementary School Guidance Counselor Monica Kadlec received a Next Hope, Recovery and Wellness Award from Meridian Behavioral Healthcare in recognition of her collaborative efforts with Meridian and the compassion, empathy and concern she has for students.
Kadlec said she was told of the award when Valeria Gorden of Meridian called her one day. Seeing who was calling, Kadlec said she answered and asked, “What’s wrong?”
There were no issues to report with any students or anything like that. Upon hearing why Gorden was calling, Kadlec said, “I was shocked, but I was very excited.”
Kadlec was one of two recipients of this year’s awards, which were presented at Meridian’s annual meeting on Dec. 5. The second award was presented to Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy Dan Maynard.
Prior to attending the event, Kadlec didn’t realize that Meridian chooses award recipients from an 11-county area.
“It was kind of overwhelming,” she said, “but it was nice.”
Kadlec said Bradford Elementary School and Meridian work together a lot to help students “who have rough home lives.” She might hear about a student who’s had a parent arrested. Or about another who has a parent in the hospital after overdosing on drugs.
Of course, Kadlec also hears about the students who are in families going through divorces or perhaps in families where abuse is taking place.
“They see things (today) we never saw as children,” Kadlec said. “I can’t imagine dealing with that as an adult much less as an 8-year-old.”
Kadlec said students might not be going through truly traumatic experiences, “but they’re crying because they didn’t get to sleep last night because Mom and Dad were fighting, or Mom didn’t come home until 5 a.m.”
“They’re crying in class,” Kadlec said. “I get down there and talk to them. They’re like, ‘I just didn’t sleep.’ It’s messing up their whole day.
“We’ll talk a little while. We might play Candyland or Uno or color while we’re talking. Then, they don’t even realize we’re talking. Usually, that helps, and they’ll have a better day.”
Meridian has a counselor who visits the Bradford Elementary campus twice a week. Some of the students that counselor talks to are those who are referred to her by Kadlec. As an example, Kadlec said she talked recently to a parent who’s having trouble making her child go to school. (The child, though in elementary school, is as big in stature as the mother.)
“After talking to her, it sounded like the kid had some depression stuff going on,” Kadlec said, adding, “I told the mom, ‘Your pediatrician is probably going to be the most helpful, but you also need to talk to some counselors.’”
It’s not always easy, as you’d imagine, to learn of what some children are going through and how they’re struggling with those things, but the reward is seeing the transformation that takes place when she and a Meridian counselor talk to them.
“When you see them cheer up and turn their day around, it helps me a lot,” Kadlec said. “It makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something.”
This is Kadlec’s 17th year as a guidance counselor. Prior to Bradford/Southside Elementary, she worked in that role at Bradford Middle School and Keystone Elementary School. She began her career in education as a teacher at Southside.
“I like working with the kids and talking to the kids and spending time with them,” Kadlec said of her role as guidance counselor. “The paperwork’s a drag, but that’s part of it.”
She especially enjoys talking to ESE children, likening herself as a “champion for the underdogs.” Approximately 30 percent of the student population at Bradford Elementary is ESE.
“A lot of times, their parents don’t understand all the legal stuff that goes into the ESE world,” Kadlec said. “I always fight for them, making sure they’re getting their services and their accommodations and everything they’re supposed to get.
“I don’t mind going to the (individualized education program) meetings because I want to make sure that they’re getting everything they’re supposed to get.”
For Kadlec, interacting with children is a lot easier than standing up in the spotlight to receive an award. It helped that she had people she knew with her at the Meridian meeting, including her mother and son as well as Gorden and Bob and Carol Milner. Bob Milner is vice-chairman of Meridian’s board of directors.
“I’ve known them my whole life, so I was glad to have them there, too,” Kadlec said of the Milners. “I felt very supported.”
Bradford Elementary administrators Cassie Melvin (principal) and Laurén Morgan (assistant principal) were also in attendance.
“I was so glad they were there,” Kadlec said. “They know I get nervous in front of a crowd. I kept looking at Ms. Morgan, and she was like, ‘You’re fine. You’re fine.’”
The award she accepted may have her name on it, but Kadlec said she is just one part of a team at Bradford Elementary School working for the betterment of its students.
“I felt like everybody should’ve been up there getting (the award),” Kadlec said. “It takes a village to raise the kids.”
