Wednesday, October 25, 2017


Meet the 2017-2018 Art Therapy Interns
 
Our school community has already begun to benefit from the energy and professional efforts of this year's interns from SIUE's Art Therapy Counseling Graduate Program.  
 
The Alton School District art therapists wishes to formally welcome 
Ms. Kiersten Smith and Ms. Katie Turek to our team . 
 
We have asked them to share a little bit about themselves for your information.
 
   
Ms. Kiersten Smith  
(West Elementary and Alton Middle School)

My name is Kiersten Smith. I earned my Bachelor’s of Art with a concentration in Ceramics and a minor in Psychology from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. I am currently in the second year of SIUE’s three year Master Program for Art Therapy and Counseling.
 
I was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. My interest in art began at an early age and has become a passion that is continually evolving. Coming of age through the sport of gymnastics has wired my brain for building skills based upon a foundation of core techniques that are similar to learning how to throw clay on the potter’s wheel. Working with clay gives me the same kind of energy I had as a child when all I wanted to do was flip, cartwheel and jump. This informs my approach to working with children and art, which provides an avenue of self-expression that integrates the mind, body, and spirit. I believe there is always more than one solution and sometimes gaining a new perspective will offer more choices. It is my hope to establish a working alliance with each student on my caseload and foster an environment where the individual learner can be successful.




Ms. Katie Turek (Alton High School)

 
My name is Katie Turek and I'm from St. Louis Missouri. I am very excited to be at Alton High School as an art therapy intern for the 2017-2018 school year. I have always gravitated towards the arts as a child and took as many art classes as possible throughout my schooling. In high school I had the privilege of being mentored by our school's art teacher. The encouragement and passion she showed her students inspired me to become an art teacher so I could have a positive impact on young lives like she did with so many. In 2012 I graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale with a Bachelors in Fine Art with a concentration in K-12 Art Education and a minor in Art History. I taught middle school art for two years in the Riverview Gardens School District in North Saint Louis County. After working with my students and seeing the need for more mental health services, I realized my true calling was in art therapy. 
 
As a graduate student, I've had the opportunity to intern at a local Head Start Program, St. Louis Children's Hospital, a senior residential community housing independent living, assisted living, and long term nursing home residence, and now at Alton High School. I will be graduating from SIUE's Art Therapy Counseling Program in May 2018 and hope to return to a school setting as an art therapist and licensed professional counselor.

Friday, September 29, 2017

Thank You Kathy Simones!
Mr. Schwartz, Mrs. Simones, Ms. D'Amore-Krug
On this day...
Friday, September 29th
We Celebrate
22 years
of quality and dedicated
Art Therapy Service
 facilitated by
Mrs. Katherine Simones, ATR-BC, LCPC
 and provided to 
the Alton School District Community
the Motivational Achievement Center,
the staff
 the families,
and most importantly
the students.

The Art Therapy Team wishes Mrs. Simones
all the best in her retirement years
and we look forward to hearing
about her future endeavors!

Thank you Mrs. Simones for daring to dare
and...
 daring us to dare!



Tuesday, September 19, 2017

 A BIG REDBIRD THANK YOU!
From the Alton School District's Art Therapy Team 

To the Alton Community

for the generous donation of art supplies organized by  

Eric Stauffer and Tom Allred

and all of those instrumental in collecting these donations.

These materials will be instrumental in keeping our art therapy space rooms inviting and encourage creative expression for the kids we serve!


























Monday, August 21, 2017

Welcome to a New School Year!
2017-2018
Has Arrived!
 If you have not already done so.  Please consider submitting your email to follow this page and do the same for each art therapist's page that you would like to follow this year.
We look forward to assisting the students of
Alton School District 
as they strive to learn, grow, create,
and express themselves in safe and effective ways!
The Alton School District's Art Therapy Team

Katherine Simones, ATR-BC, LCPC
Art Therapist- Registered, Board Certified
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor
Art Therapist for the Motivational Achievement Center (MAC)

Fabia D’Amore-Krug, ATR-BC, LCPArt Therapist Registered, Board Certified
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in the state of Missouri
Art Therapist for Grades 6
th– 12th


 Bill Schwartz, ATR-BC, LCPC
Art Therapist- Registered, Board CertifiedLicensed Clinical Professional CounselorArt Therapist for Grades K-6th
SIU-E Art Therapy Counseling
Master's Degree Program Interns

Katie Turek
Art Therapist Intern for Alton High School

Kiersten Smith
Art Therapist Intern for West Elementary and Alton Middle School

Tuesday, May 23, 2017


Thank You and Happy Summer!

As we close up the Art Therapy Rooms
for the Summer,

We want to thank all the staff, parents, guardians, families for all of the communication and support.

We'd like to thank our Art Therapy Intern Miss Damaris Reed 
and 
Congratulate her on attaining her Master's Degree in Art Therapy Counseling from SIU-E!


...And most importantly we would like to thank our students for another successful year of creative art making and personal growth.


Tuesday, April 11, 2017

ARTSY 2017



You are cordially invited to attend the:

20th Annual ARTSY Exhibit
Art Opening
Saturday    April 22, 2017   1:00-3:00

Enjoy the art, refreshments, live performances.

Jacoby Arts Center
627 East Broadway
Alton, IL 62002
(618) 462-5222

We hope to see you at the Opening Celebration!
If you are not able to join, drop by the gallery any time between April 22nd to Thursday, April 27th.

General Gallery Hours (per website)
Wednesday-Saturday, 12:00-4:00pm

Closed Sunday through Tuesday



Sunday, March 12, 2017

Creative Arts Therapies Week: March 12-18, 2017



The National Coalition of Creative Arts Therapies Association (NCCATA) established the Creative Arts Therapy Week to be in the third week in March in the United States and Canada. 
We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the value of all the creative arts therapy like art, dance, music, drama, and poetry as primary therapeutic treatments in a variety of  rehabilitative, medical, community, and educational settings. 





Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Workshop Opportunity for Professionals

Professionals (Teachers, mental health professionals, child life specialists, etc.) who would like to increase their knowledge and skills in regard to recognizing and responding to children who have experienced trauma are invited to participate to an event lead by Alton School District art therapist Kathy Simones. 

Sunday, February 12, 2017 

1:00 pm to 4 pm 

Kathy Simones, ATR-BC, LCPC 


will present: 

"Responding to Children with Childhood Trauma"


the St. Louis Children's Hospital

1 Childrens Pl, 
St. Louis, MO 63110

This event is sponsored by the Missouri Art Therapy Association (MATA). CEC available 

Please read the following brochure for additional details. Feel free to contact Megan Barron at mbarron00@gmail.com if you have further questions!