Psychology

Introduction

I would like to introduce myself as the School Psychologist at Alexander Hamilton Junior/Senior High School. I am a New York State Certified School Psychologist and received my Masters degree at Iona College in New Rochelle, New York.

School psychologists help children and youths succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. It is important that I collaborate not only with educators, and other professionals but parents as well, to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments for all students. This strengthens connections between home and school.

In my work with children and through our use of the internet I have come across useful professional web sites that contain a great deal of information that I felt could be helpful to my colleagues, staff, and parents in our school system. It is the purpose of this web page to share this information and web links with you. I hope that the information you find in these web sites and links will be helpful to you in your work with our children. The links that I have provided in this web page will take you to web pages and other links within these pages that are very informative and useful.

My office is located in the Instructional Services office and I eagerly work collaboratively with parents and the staff at Alexander Hamilton Junior/Senor High School to support your children. If you have any questions, concerns or would like to speak with me please feel free to contact me. Thank you for your time. I look forward to working with you.
Phone: (914) 592-8837
E-mail: pmartucci@elmsd.org

Sincerely,

Patricia Martucci, M.A.
NYS Certified School Psychologist

What Is a School Psychologist?

Who Are School Psychologists?

School psychologists help children and youth succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. They collaborate with educators, parents, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments for all students that strengthen connections between home and school.

School psychologists are highly trained in both psychology and education. They must complete a minimum of a post-Master's degree program that includes a year-long internship and emphasizes preparation in mental health, child development, school organization, learning styles and processes, behavior, motivation, and effective teaching.

School psychologists must be certified and/or licensed by the state in which they work.

What School Psychologists Do?

School psychologists work to find the best solution for each student and situation and use different strategies to address student needs and to improve school and district-wide support systems.

School psychologists work with students individually and in groups. They also develop programs to train teachers and parents regarding effective teaching and learning strategies, effective techniques to manage behavior at home and in the classroom, working with students with disabilities or with special talents, abuse of drugs and other substances, and preventing and managing crises.

In addition, most school psychologists provide the following services:

Consultation Evaluation Intervention Prevention Research and Planning

Growing Up Is Not Easy

All children and adolescents face problems from time to time. They may:

School psychologists help children, parents, teachers, and members of the community understand and resolve these concerns. The following situations demonstrate how school psychologists may typically approach problems.

Family Problems

The teacher noticed that Carla, an able student, had stopped participating in class discussions and had difficulty paying attention. The school psychologist was asked to explore why Carla's behavior had changed so much. After discovering that Carla's parents were divorcing, the school psychologist provided counseling for Carla and gave her parents suggestions for this difficult time. Carla's behavior and self-esteem improved, and she felt more secure about her relationship with her parents.

School psychologists can be trusted to help with delicate personal and family situations that interfere with schooling.

Reading Problems

Tommy's parents were concerned about his difficulty in reading. They feared that he would fall behind and lose confidence in himself. In school the teacher noticed that Tommy understood what was presented in verbal form, but that he needed the help of his classmates to do written work. After observing Tommy and gathering information about his reading and writing skills, the school psychologist collaborated with his parents and teachers to develop a plan to improve his reading and writing. The plan worked, and both Tommy's reading and his self-esteem improved.

School psychologists can help prevent future problems when they intervene with learning problems early on.

A Potential Dropout

David was a high school student who often skipped class. He had very poor behavior and had been suspended from school on various occasions for fighting. After establishing a relationship with David, the school psychologist taught him simple techniques to relax and to control his aggressive behavior. David's mother and his teacher worked together on a plan designed by the school psychologist to establish limits and to improve communication.

School psychologists recognize that changes in the school environment and at home can improve the quality of life for children and their families.

Resource

The National Association of School Psychologists:
Suite 402, 4340 East West Highway,
Bethesda, MD 20814;
Phone: (301) 657-0270;
Website: nasponline.org

NASP represents and supports school psychology through leadership to enhance the mental health and educational competence of all children.

This handout was developed by Arlene Silva, University of Maryland school psychology graduate student intern at the NASP office (summer 2003), with contributions from NASP staff and leadership.

LINKS

Resources for Families Resources for Teachers School Psychology Associations Local Counseling Agencies