By Melanie Kay-Wyatt, Ed.D.
The month of November has long been associated with a time to reflect and give thanks. It also happens to be National Gratitude Month. In the middle of this month, Alexandria City Public Schools also celebrate National School Psychology Week. So, what do these recognitions have in common?
While we realize that “a little gratitude goes a long way,” have you ever really thought about the positive impact of gratitude in our schools, home and community at large? According to the National Institutes of Health, studies suggest that taking the time to feel gratitude may improve your emotional wellbeing and help cope with stress. Gratitude can help people feel more positive emotions, address adversity and build strong relationships.
This year’s National School Psychology Week theme of “spark discovery,” recognizes the work school psychologists do to help their communities discover new ideas, effect change and expand horizons for children and youth. At ACPS, our team of psychologists use various strategies to positively impact the social and emotional wellbeing of our students, promote understanding and appreciation of diversity within the school community as well as to improve school and division-wide support systems.
Through the efforts of our school psychologists, our students also come to learn the importance of empathy and appreciation and the value of expressing one’s gratitude. This can positively influence students’ mental health and overall wellbeing while also fostering a supportive classroom environment where students feel valued.
We realize, however, that children and adolescents face problems from time to time. This may include a student falling behind in their school work, having difficulty organizing their time efficiently, questioning their abilities, lacking self-discipline or substance use. It is through the efforts of our school psychologists that ACPS students, parents, teachers and community members reconcile and resolve concerns.
Our school psychologists work to find the best solution for each student and situation. They employ different strategies to address student needs and to improve school and division-wide support systems. Through consultation with teachers, parents or guardians and administrators, our psychologists find effective solutions to learning and behavior problems. They also help families understand child development and how it affects a student’s behavior and ability to learn.
In our schools, our psychologists assess a student’s academic skills and aptitude for learning and include social-emotional development and mental health status. It is through this evaluation process that our psychologists determine student eligibility for special services.
Our school psychologists are tasked with prevention and intervention efforts to include designing programs for students at risk of failing at school. They work directly with students and their families to help resolve problems in adjustment and learning, as well as provide behavioral training to build social skills. Psychologists also assist families and schools in managing crises or community trauma.
Through their work, school psychologists promote tolerance, understanding and appreciation of diversity within the school community. Working with school staff and community agencies, our psychologists help to ensure services are provided to assist in improving the mental and physical well-being of our students, so they can become more focused and productive.
The collaboration of our psychologists, educators and families throughout ACPS strengthens connections between home and school as we strive to create healthy and supportive learning environments for all students. As our students feel more satisfied with who they are, their feelings of gratitude grow and have a positive impact on their lives, mentally, physically and academically.
The writer is superintendent of Alexandria City Public Schools.
