| KANSAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS
Empowering Children, Educators, and Families |
Kansas Association of School Psychologists
Spring 2022 Edition
Jill Marzolf, Editor Brittany Reed, Associate Editor
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Dear KASP members, It is hard to believe that we are at the end of the school year! Personally, this school year has been more challenging than the last two. With consistent changes, student social emotional difficulties, worries, and missed instruction due to COVID we were dealt with a lot. I applaud every single one of your for making it through! I hope you will take this summer to reflect, relax, and enjoy some well-deserved time off. I wanted to outline some things that are coming up next for KASP. Region directors will be inviting Dr. Ben Springer for a joint Zoom conference on September 14th for 3 hours of professional development on managing aggressive behaviors in the school setting. Furthermore, our Annual Fall Convention is going to be in Junction City on October 13th and 14th. We have two incredible speakers and I am excited to learn from them. Call for proposals will be coming soon and this year we will also be looking for poster presentations. We are excited for you to share your knowledge with us! We have also updated our Minority Graduate Student Scholarship criteria to be more inclusive, increased the award amount ($1,000 per recipient), and have renamed it to KASP Diversity Graduate Student Scholarship. The application can be found here and is due September 1st! Additionally, KASP is encouraging districts in Kansas to apply for the NASP Excellence in School Psychological Services (ESPS) Recognition Program. KASP has created a grant to aid with the application cost and can be found here! Happy summer! Your president, Lina Kitson Ph.D., NCSP |
Board Minute Summary by Angie Howard, Secretary The KASP Executive Board convened via Zoom on April 6, 2022. The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. and began with review and approval of minutes from the previous meeting. Members of the board then turned their focus toward a review of action items established at the January Board Retreat, including updates to the KASP Minority Scholarship Application, legislation regarding change to the categories of Emotional Disturbance and Hearing Impairment/Deafness, identifying state conferences for board members to present at regarding the NASP practice model, and development of welcome letters and member benefits. The board then finalized remining details for the Spring 2022 Convention and began discussing plans for the Fall 2022 KASP Convention. The Executive Manager and Treasurers provided updates regarding financials related to convention, the KASP CD, and general board functioning and discussed criteria for student membership. An update was provided by the KASP Communications Director including ideas for continuing to bolster social media presence and engagement. The KASP GPR representative discussed the upcoming NASP Public Policy Institute and the board discussed attendance of board members at this professional development opportunity. The GPR representative and members of the Board discussed KASP developing a legislative platform in alignment with established strategic goals and stressed the need for membership participation to help increase likelihood of success with this charge. The NASP Delegate reported on a professional development model that would likely be beneficial to those across the state and the board considered implementation of this in alignment with established strategic goals. The Editor and Associate editor put out a call for information to be shared in upcoming newsletters. Board members engaged in strategic planning in small groups to continue progress toward established goals and refine action plans Finally, the Board President led a discussion with the whole group related to the strategic plan and steps to propel the work forward. The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m. |
Report from the Treasurer |
In January 2022, the KASP board approved the president's budget for 2022. The full report can be found in the Winter 2022 newsletter. If you have questions or comments about the budget, feel free to contact me: juliezschoolpsych@gmail.com Julie Zollinger, KASP Treasurer |
Fall 2022 Convention Save the Date! Our Annual Fall Convention is going to be in Junction City on October 13th and 14th. Advocacy in Action
The keynote presenter will be Dr. Celeste Malone (NASP President Elect) A workshop will be done by Dr. Andria Amador (Senior Director of Behavioral Health Services at Boston Public Schools) Interested in applying for a poster or breakout session? Find the application for here and send your completed application to Lina Kitson. The deadline for application is August 1, 2022. Combined Regional Meetings Save the Date! Ben Springer will present virtually on Wednesday, September 14th at 9:00AM-11:00AM. This will be for all regions and will not be recorded. Regional meetings will be held after via breakout session. More information about registration coming soon! |
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Message from Jonathan Smeeton, Government & Public Relations
As the 2022 Kansas Legislative session wraps up, I am reminded that advocacy is not just a one-time or one-session opportunity! Although I enjoy speaking with state lawmakers about the profession of school psychology and policies that promote the psychological and educational well being of Kansas students, it is of equal importance to have these same conversations at the local level.
KASP is currently awaiting word on an opportunity to present the NASP Practice Model to school board members and education leaders across the state at the Kansas Association of School Boards annual convention in November. I am currently working with my building-level teams to promote the implementation of programs to further meet the needs of students and to ensure safe learning spaces as the next school year begins.
If you are interested in building your advocacy skills, the NASP Public Policy Institute: 2022 Advocacy Academy is open for registration. For more information or to register go to: https://www.nasponline.org/research-and-policy/public-policy-institute-(ppi)-2022-advocacy-academy the theme this year is “creating equitable access to school mental health services.”
On a final note, KASP will be working over the summer on a legislative platform. The goal is to have this document ready for the next legislative session. We are always looking for members with an interest in advocacy and policy to join us. If you are interested in assisting with the development of the legislative platform or have any questions, reach out to your board members.
NASP Practice Model
KASP would like to encourage members and practitioners throughout the state of Kansas to reflect on their practice and how their current roles align with the practice model. There is a tool available on the NASP website that allows school psychologists to reflect on their own practice when compared to the 10 domains of the Practice Model. This is a free tool. You will need to set up a NASP account but do NOT need to be a NASP member to use this tool. This tool provides feedback about potential areas of growth for school psychologists. If you are an NCSP, using this tool to develop a Professional Growth Plan provides NASP-approved CPDs.
The survey and directions for claiming CPDs can be found here:
https://apps.nasponline.org/standards-and-certification/survey/survey_launch.aspx
Use the feedback to expand your practice and provide services for students and families!
Student Section
We made it! It has been a crazy year. For students and current school psychologists, it has been a year full of challenges and adjustments. The pandemic altered many of our plans and has left the schools forever changed. As we take time to reflect on the changes and hurdles of the past school year, we should all be proud of making it to this moment. For the students graduating, congratulations! You have made it through your studies in an unprecedented time and should be very proud of your accomplishments. Interns as well have had challenges but have prevailed. This should additionally be celebrated and commended. In a time where it is easy to look back on the year and see flaws, it is important to remember all of the successes you have had.
Now, it is time to reset and enjoy time for self-reflection. Summer is a time to rest, enjoy a vacation or trip, spend time with family and loved ones, explore new things, and then take time to prepare for what is next. When thinking about the fall, students should begin planning for their next chapter. This includes having course schedules complete and check-ins with advisors and supervisors. For students beginning a practicum, it will be vital to reach out to your upcoming supervisor and make that connection. Establishing rapport with your supervisor will lead to a successful experience and a great learning atmosphere. For interns starting their first year, it will be important to reach out to your supervisor as well and meet the school administration you will be working with. Being an active part of the school team and knowing your school’s climate is essential to best assisting your students and faculty.
Lastly, it is vital to take time to find valuable resources and websites. The KASP website and KSDE include resources on crisis prevention, behaviors, eligibility indicators, and special education law. NASP additionally has articles and podcasts that could be useful for new and upcoming school psychologists. Intervention Hero is another online resource that has information on research-based interventions. Professional development opportunities are crucial to students and interns. KASP offers seminars and professional development in the fall and spring. This spring we had a wonderful speaker who discussed uninterested and unmotivated students. He challenged the traditional perspective of behavior resource rooms and how to work best with those students. In the fall, we will have more options with our in-person convention! This is a highly recommended learning experience where you can meet current individuals in the field and hear from current and valuable speakers. On October 13th and 14th, we will have our in-person convention. Mark your calendars KASP members! You will not want to miss it.
Once again, congratulations to you all on prevailing through the year. Take the time this summer to recharge and to reconnect with your loved ones. Make sure to take time for yourself and prioritize your health and well-being. I look forward to seeing you all in-person at the fall convention.
Sincerely,
Shelby Reichard, M.S., Ed.S
Student Representative
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.