Aloha Notes: My career as a School Psychologist in Hawaii

Most teachers would describe a student who has ADHD as hyperactive and restless, always fidgeting, interrupting others, running around the classroom, and always getting into trouble. These are typical characteristics-- of boys with ADHD. ADHD in GIRLS.  Half of girls who have been diagnosed with ADHD are the "predominantly inattentive" type, which is described as forgetful, easily distracted, they appear to be in their own world, and often do not follow directions and make careless mistakes. Girls who have symptoms of hyperactivity are less likely to run around the classroom and more likely to be constantly chatting . Compared to boys who have ADHD, girls are often less defiant Girls are less likely to receive the help that they need . What can parents do? Team up with your child's school teacher and school level supports:   Develop a communication plan with your child's classroom teacher in order to have a consistent reinforcement plan at ho...

What do Honolulu School District school psychologists do over summer when classrooms are mostly empty and  students are enjoying their time at the beach?   May 2013 The last week of school at any school is always chaotic and for Kaiser High School, it was no different--seniors were getting ready to graduate, teachers were busy preparing and grading exams, and counselors and administrators were frantically wrapping up the school year. In the middle of the end of the year madness, the counselors and I got word that we all had to pack and move our offices....  (((Ah! Really?!)))  You really don't realize how much stuff you have in an office until you have to pack it all up and move. It really wasn't so bad though considering i was moving one building over. By mid June, I had packed my office and unpacked my files into their new home. Being a 12-month employee, I don't get summers off like my fellow school psychologists in California (iusd). Summers a...

Section 504 Accommodation Plans: Every month, the diagnostic team (Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Speech and Language Pathologists, School Psychologists, Clinical Psychologists, Social Workers, and Communication aides) meets in their complex groups. Last week was the first time I met the Kalani Complex Diagnostic Team and I feel fortunate to be working with such a solid team. During our complex team meetings, everyone shares updates, questions, and concerns for the district/school/complex. During our meeting, someone noted, “My school doesn’t do 504 plans. The administrator won’t allow it. What should I do?” In discussing this with the team, there were similar concerns shared. Someone mentioned that this is a problem nationwide, as she had a similar problem with a school on the mainland. Within every district, there seems to be a handful of schools who “do not offer” 504 Accommodation Plans (AP) and had a higher percentage of students with an IEP (Individu...

Parent Support - Classes Last chance this school year to attend these award-winning and nationally recognized parent classes. What parent couldn't use more tools in their toolkit? Parents who have attended the Parent Project classes have told us: "Whether you're having any challenges with your child or not, every parent should get this information! We loved the updates on issues facing our children today and what to do about it." "We learned great 'tweaks' to our interactions with our teen that smoothed out our home climate. Fewer arguments and rolled eyes at our house!" "It provided concrete help when our child began to get more argumentative and we began this downward spiral of confrontation. Things are much more peaceful at home now." The Parent Project® First Class: Wednesday, January 18, 2012 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Niu Valley Middle School Library Are you a frustrated parent trying to get your child 10 years to 18 years of ag...

Students From Closed School Attend New Campuses HONOLULU -- About 170,000 of Hawaii's students head back to class Monday fort the start of the new school year. Hawaii public schools not on a year-round track return for the beginning of the year. For students who attended Queen Liliuokalani Elementary School, it is a start at new schools. The Department of Education closed the campus after the last school year because of a drop in enrollment. Those students now attend other nearby elementary schools. It's a transition for teachers and staff as well. A handful of former QLS employees are also starting a new school year at Liholiho Elementary, including kindergarten teacher Katie Muller. "It's been a really warm feeling from staff, the principal, everyone has been really warm and welcoming to us," said Muller. "Always, the first day is always full of excitement, meeting new classmates, meeting new teachers," said Liholiho principal Christina Small. Go...

Hi there!! So, February has been one interesting month so far. Between the food fight at Kaiser High School (which by the way, was reported on the local and national news! see below) and the helicopter landing at Koko Head , my complex has kept me on my toes.------------------------- Planned food fight sends spaghetti flying at Kaiser High - Hawaii News Now 2/8/11: At Kaiser, a planned food fight left the cafeteria a mess and administrators on a mission to find out who was behind the chaos. The high school students may not even realize or appreciate that they have one of the only air conditioned cafeterias in the state.  The 1,100 students had to eat lunch outside for the rest of the week. Principal John Sosa sent the following letter home to parents informing them of the incident and pledging to track down who was involved: February 8, 2011 Kaiser High School Students, Parents, Staff  ------------------------- This letter is to inform everyone that there was ...

I had no idea what a complex school psychologist meant or how it would be different than my training in California...but it's really not as "complex" as you may think.   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District:  The statewide school system is divided into seven administrative districts, including Oahu’s Honolulu, Central, Leeward and Windward districts; the Big Island’s Hawaii district; Maui District has Maui, Molokai and Lanai; and the Kauai district. Within each district, smaller areas are divided into 'complex' areas, based on the high schools and all the feeder schools .  Honolulu School District:  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Complex:  The complex I work in is called Kaiser Complex and is in the East side of Oahu. There are four elemen...

Beginning my career as a School Psychologist. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I will never forget the feeling I had walking off that plane last year. It was a Thursday in late July, 2009 and I was terrified, excited, and well...lost (in more ways than one ).  I didn't know one person in Hawaii, only friends of friends.  I got off the plane with two large suitcases. That's it. No one was there to pick me up or greet me...   I didn't know where I was going to live and was relying entirely on a craigslist.org housing ad for shelter... Honolulu School District introduced me to the "Spirit of Aloha" when they sent Lynette, Honolulu's head School Psychologist. She met me at the airport, helped me with my car rental (my first time EVER renting a car), and then I followed her to the address I had found online (craigslist) to a room I was potentially going to move into.   I was astounded..where else you...