School Psychology Awareness Week
School Psychology Week is November 11-15, 2012!
Each November the Texas Association of School Psychologists (TASP) promotes “School Psychology Awareness Week” and the importance of the profession and its service to Texas’ youth.
This week is the perfect opportunity to educate others about our role within the schools, with parents, and within the community. To get started with your celebration and recognition of the profession, we’ve put together a roster of activities that can be implemented locally. Many of these ideas are quick, easy and inexpensive. Some involve more time and a larger effort. All the listed strategies help bring home the message about the valuable service school psychologists provide every day.
Quick and Easy
• Decorate a bulletin board with information about TASP and school psychology
• Arrange to speak briefly at a faculty meeting and announce School Psychology Awareness Week
• Speak at a PTA meeting about the positive work school psychologists do to promote students’ academic and personal success
• Use the downloadable and adaptable resources under School Psychology Awareness to get started at http://www.nasponline.org/communications/index.aspx.
• Give an inexpensive thank-you gift to staff, administrators and teachers who help you throughout the year
Not So Quick and Easy
• Arrange to speak before your school board about the role of the school psychologist
• Write an article for your school’s newsletter or web site
• Write an article or guest editorial for your local newspaper
• Speak to an undergraduate psychology class or high school class about school psychology as a career. In addition NASP has a new PowerPoint presentation available for download in both the school psych awareness resources and NASP Career Center online at http://www.nasponline.org/careers/index.aspx.
• Present at career fairs in your district
• Ask campuses to post on their marquees
Even Less Quick and Easy
• Teach an in-service on ways school psychologists can work with teachers and administrators
• Speak to a religious, service or business group about your district’s school psychology program
• Mentor a school psychology intern, new teacher, or parent
• Offer a behavior management in-service for teacher assistants, bus drivers, cafeteria workers and other support staff
• Offer an after school session for students on stress reduction, handling peer pressure or making friends
• Select a specific topic to highlight. Identify an issue of importance in your district (e.g., reading, RtI, bullying, cultural competence) and do an activity or activities in that issue. You will not only raise awareness of your expertise in this area but can provide people with useful information as well
• Form a group for parents of children with special needs
• Get together informally with a group of teachers. Host a brown bag lunch on a topic of mental health or school related issue. Agree to facilitate discussions and find resources to look at best practice in the area of concern. Offer to make it a monthly or bimonthly opportunity but start the sessions near School Psychology Awareness Week. Be sure to share any outcomes from the meetings with administrators.
• Create and organize a fundraiser (e.g. bake sale, 5K walk, party) and raise money for school-based mental health services or school psychology student organizations. Use the fundraiser as an opportunity to inform people about school psychology and the importance of school-based mental health services.
• Media coverage: Prepare "A Day in the Life of a School Psychologist" profiling someone, ask for media coverage of award winners or outstanding service providers.
• Encourage people to do the following awards: http://www.nasponline.org/communications/spaw/2011/student-power.aspx
• Encourage people to complete and give the following awards: http://www.nasponline.org/communications/spaw/2011/possibilities-in-acti...
For more valuable resources to help your students, staff, and community shine, visit
http://www.nasponline.org/communications/spawareness/index.aspx
Future School Psychology Awareness Dates: November 12-16, 2012 November 11-15, 2013 November 10-14, 2014