Aloha Notes: My career as a School Psychologist in Hawaii

HOW CAN PARENTS PREVENT BULLYING?  Some of the following information was gathered from  Growing Pono SchoolsProject 1. Know What Laws Are in Place to Protect Your Child   Act 214, passed by the 2011 Legislature, requires the Board of Education to keep track of how the Department of Education enforces its rules against bullying, cyberbullying and harassment. It does so by requiring at least annual reporting of what schools are doing to make their schools safe.   Chapter 19 is the set of rules that define bullying and other student misconduct and spells out what disciplinary measures will be taken, and how parents will be informed of student misconduct.  What if teachers or any school staff post a comment on their Facebook page about a student? They may have not said their name exactly but it is obvious that they are referring to my child...is this ok?    No!   They are protected by POLICY 4211, Hawaii State Law.  T...

What is the difference between a Section 504 plan and an IEP: Section 504 Plan: ( Chapter 61) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1974  is a FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS LAW   that protects students with disabilities from discrimination. In Hawaii, Chapter 61 (previously Chapter 53) is the Hawaii Administrative Rule that ensures the applicability of § 504 in the public schools and assures a  Free Appropriate Public Education  (FAPE) to eligible students with disabilities. To qualify for a 504 Plan, a student must have a disability that is affecting a major life function. Unlike an IEP, a "major life function" does not have to be educational impact. A student can be doing well academically, but need social skills assistance or organizational skills due to   ADHD. With either plan, a direct connection must be made from the disability to the impairment in school.  A 504 Plan is usually a good option when the student is able to function well in a regular...

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...

School is out! Glorious!! For most families this means going on vacation, relaxing at the beach or the pool, and organizing play dates with the neighborhood kids....and mainly just entertaining your kids and making sure that they don't get into trouble. For families who have a child with Autism or Asperger's Syndrome, summer can be just as exciting---as long as families are prepared with a transition plan.  During the school year, students are provided with a predictable schedule, and their unique needs and behavior difficulties are supported with behavior plans, accommodations, and interventions through an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 Plan.  How can parents prepare for summer?  1)  ESY (Extended School Year):  Parents may consider ESY for their child if they have documented regression of academic or behavior skills when they are away from the school setting for long periods of time.  2) Social Stories!  Parents ...

BULLYING . Online "cyber"   bullying is a real problem that impacts Honolulu and Hawaii students on a daily basis...  There are many tools that can assist families, teachers, and communities in educating children and teens in keeping their online identity safe.  Common Sense Media  is a great resources for educators, parents, and students to practice safe social media browsing and to keep help families talk to their kids about their online identity.  Common Sense Media Some Facts • 25 percent of teens say they have created social network pages under another person’s identity • 60 percent of youth ages 11 to 18 lie about their age online • 34 percent of teens say that sometimes they feel they are a different person online than in real life What’s the Issue? The online world provides a space to be whoever you want to be. Teens may occasionally try out different personas in the real world, but the Internet can be a virtual testing ground for experi...

Getting hired in Hawaii. Finding the "Job Opportunities" section on the Hawaii State DOE website can be confusing. Here is one way to see if Hawaii is hiring any school psychologists. I'd also recommend that you set up a google alert so that you will get notified when a new position is listed. The hiring process takes forrrr-evvvvv-errrr....so apply early. Just do it. Get your name on "the list"--even if you aren't officially done. :) 1) http://doe.k12.hi.us/personnel/index.htm Go to the above website. 2) If you are looking for a school psychologist position, click on the Classified/Support Services. 3) Then Select View Employment Opportunities 4) In the search field add; "psychologist" Hopefully you'll see a number of positions available. Currently, there are masters level school psychologist positions available for the Big Island and Molokai. Check it out! Good Luck.