| KANSAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS
Empowering Children, Educators, and Families |
Kansas Association of School Psychologists
Fall 2022 Edition
Jill Marzolf, Editor Brittany Reed, Associate Editor
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Hello Fellow Psychs, Can you believe how quickly October flew by?! It was such an honor to see those of you who were able to make it to our Fall convention! It was two days full of learning and collaborating. I know how difficult it is taking time off to attend in-person professional development, but it is so valuable. National School Psychology Week is right around the corner! I look forward to utilizing some of the resources that NASP provided to make the most out of that week. Tag #KASPEmpowers to share what you are doing! Looking forward we have our School Mental Health Awareness Day on January 26th and I hope to see many of you there. We will have materials for you ahead of time with some talking points when talking to our elected officials. We partnered with the counselors, social workers, and school nurses to make this event happen. I am excited to welcome our new board members that will begin their terms in January! If you have any interest in serving on the board don’t hesitate to reach out to us. As always, honored to be your president, Lina Kitson Ph.D., NCSP |
Board Minute Summary by Angie Howard, Secretary Below is a summary of some of the agenda from our most recent board meeting: Thank you, Tyler Kitson, for taking notes for our board meeting this fall! |
The first in-person conference in 2-3 years was held on October 13th and 14th. This year's theme was Advocacy in Action. KASP is following our national organization’s lead in continuing to expand the role of school psychologists to focus more on providing a continuum of mental health services in schools. On Thursday morning, keynote speaker, Celeste Malone, presented Reimagining School Psychologists as Healers. For the morning breakout sessions, Jessica Follette presented on Advocating for Equity in Gifted Education, Mandy Cundy presented Dyslexia: What exactly is it and what exactly am I supposed to be testing?, and Jennifer Kitson presented Who is Responsible for Advocacy Actions to Support Student Mental Health and Who Benefits? Everyone! After lunch, Mark Ward presented A Year in Review. For the afternoon breakout sessions, Tyler Kitson presented Strategic Planning at the District Level: Improving School Psychological Services, Jessica Follette and Lindsay Black presented Characteristics of Gifted Learners, and Jonathan Smeeton presented Grassroots Advocacy and Policy Making: Working Toward the World We Want. Wrapping up Thursday's events was the KASP convention social in the evening. On Friday, Andria Amador was the keynote speaker for both the morning and afternoon sessions. She spoke on Advocating for Mental Health Supports. Awards were presented to:
Thank you to attendees and all those that made the conference a success! Brittany Reed |
Mark your calendars!! The annual School Mental Health Advocacy Day is scheduled to take place on Thursday, January 26. We are working on getting handouts, talking points, and key messages prepared so we can teach out legislators how school psychologists are vital members of school based mental health teams!! This is always a fun event with networking opportunities and the chance to share your passion with decision-makers! KASP recently wrapped up the Annual Fall Convention in Junction City, Kansas. The theme was Advocacy. It was great to see friends and colleagues in person for the first time in three years. If you attended the convention, think about ways you can start advocating for the profession within your building and community. Since the new school year is underway, maybe you have had time to reflect on your practice as it pertains to the NASP Practice Model. The NASP self-assessment tool can provide valuable feedback not only to improve your practice but also areas where you can start advocating for change!! The self-assessment tool can be found here. Just yesterday, the Governor announced that she was working on a plan to fully fund special education. This type of increased funding not only fulfills the legal requirement of the state but also benefits all students in Kansas. Maybe more importantly, it opened up the opportunity to talk about special education and, since our positions are funded by special education, our roles in Kansas’ public schools. National School Psychology Week is November 7-11, 2022. What a great time to highlight the role of the school psychologist in your building. Wednesday, November 9 will be highlighted as advocacy action day. Be on the lookout for more information about how you can be involved in this activity right from your office. Lastly, remember to vote. This is an act of advocacy that anyone can do! Jon Smeeton |
Student Section
Thank you, Shelby Reichard, for being the 2022 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.