KANSAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS
Empowering Children, Educators, and Families |
Kansas Association of School Psychologists
Spring 2020 Edition
Lina Kitson, Editor Teresa Walters, Associate Editor
| President's Message Hello Fellow Psych Friends! This year has taken us on a different path than I am sure was beyond any of our imaginations. I can say that I have become more proficient in virtual meetings and responding to emails chains than I have ever had before! I am sure you all feel that pain, too! This crisis has made us all become more flexible and really utilize those problem-solving skills. I know that in times like this, it can be easy to focus on the negative difficulties we are being bombarded with. But, just as we teach our students, it is more important than ever that we have a Growth Mindset and try to stretch outside of our comfort zone. It is also important for us to find “silver-linings”. My personal ones have been an outside office sometimes, more cuddles with my two boys, and some needed home projects! What are some of your silver linings? One thing that I want to emphasize is that our association is always working through how we can advocate for our members. This pandemic has challenged us to ensure we are providing you with up to date resources. Check out our website and this newsletter for more information on how we can support ourselves and our team through the COVID-19 pandemic. We are also going to be embarking on a specific training as a board from NASP to learn how to put through legislation to continue our advocacy efforts in a variety of ways. Please know that advocacy is a big component that your board has been a part of. If you haven’t heard, legislation was on the docket to change the ED label. KASP has been working diligently to build relationships with state legislatures and they turned to us to ask our opinion. KASP formed a position statement and sent someone to speak upon school psychologists behalf. I want to emphasize that your board has been on several different task forces with the state to ensure school psych representation! If you have questions or concerns please let us know what we can do for you! Psyched to be your President, Jessica Mefford |
Board Minute Summary by Angie Howard, Secretary On March 19, 2020, the KASP Board held a special meeting to discuss COVID-19 and the related impact on Kansas school psychologists. The board discussed how to best provide support to members and to distribute relevant information to members who are navigating challenges associated with COVID-19 and related school closures. The board also discussed the upcoming Spring KASP conference and made a determination to modify the conference to a virtual format. Updates were given related to spring and summer board meetings as well as Fall 2020 Conference planning. |
Timely Events |
Spring Conference Update:
Due to the ongoing pandemic, KASP has decided to cancel the in-person Spring convention. However, an online option will be offered. More information to come. Stay tuned!
Timely Topics |
COVID-19 Information
Below you will find some resources from the state and national level. However, every district will implement a variation of the plan as all districts have different needs. Please use these as general guidelines and look out for information from your district.
Communication Tools Below are some tools that can used for communication with your school teams, students, and family members:
Productivity Tools At a time of uncertainty and instability it may be difficult to be productive. Below are some tools and suggestions to increase productivity:
Apps to Support Mental Health
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Graduate Student Corner Student Representative Update |
Hello everyone! My name is Molly Spencer, and I am the Student Representative for the Kansas Association of School Psychologists. I, like many other college students around the world, have experienced personal struggle in how to manage all of the changes that have taken place in the past month. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in people of all ages, professions, and geographic locations needing to adjust and disrupt many aspects of both personal and professional life. This disruption is undoubtedly handled differently by each individual, and some are more impacted than others. College students, especially graduate students, are uniquely vulnerable to everyday stressors and are required to uphold high academic standards, even during this time of inconsistency and unrest. While we may be privileged to be completing our education from our homes currently, most (if not all) of us have had to give up our in-class learning experiences, observation hours, in-person meetings, valuable practicum and internship experiences, and even our opportunity to walk at graduation. As the changing of our educational plans and professional advancement has occurred, it is imperative to focus on what we can control and how we can work to get the most out of our education, while still taking care of ourselves. While there are many suggestions, steps, plans, and opinions circulating on how to best manage this time, it is important to find what works best for you, your professional goals, and your own personal responsibilities. Below are five tips, specifically geared toward school psychology graduate students, that can hopefully provide some information that you can use to balance life.
Molly Spencer
Kansas Association of School Psychologists (KASP) is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists to offer continuing education for school psychologists. KASP maintains responsibility for the program.
KASP is a NASP approved provider of CPDs. KASP is approved provider #1030
No person will be denied access to or full participation in any KASP program, event or activity on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, disability, or age.