School Psychologists

School Psychologists

CHS:          Julie Nacerino – 845 225-8441, ext. 445, jnacerino@carmelschools.org 

CHS:          Jessica Day- 845-225-8441     jday@carmelschools.org 

GFMS:       Justine Cullen –  845 228-2300, ext. 538, jcullen@carmelschools.org 

GFMS:       Michelle Pineyro - 845 228-2300, ext. 535, mpineyro@carmelschools.org

KPS:          Ritchlyn Garvey – 845 225-5025, ext. 351, rgarvey@carmelschools.org

KES:          Daniel Kenny, KES – 845 225-5029, ext. 309, dkenny@carmelschools.org 

MPES:      Karen Wrobel – 845 878-3211, ext. 279, kwrobel@carmelschools.org 

 

The Role of the School Psychologist

A high school junior is considering dropping out of school.
A teacher is concerned about a student who has difficulty following directions.
A first grader is struggling to learn to read.
A principal is looking for ways to increase positive student behaviors.
A middle-schooler is refusing to come to school and is failing his classes.
Upset parents are worried about the impact of their divorce on their children.

Different problems…the same solution – call your School Psychologist!

In these tight financial times, we are fortunate that the extensive training and wide range of expertise of School Psychologists equips us to address myriad issues that are faced by students, families, and teachers in our schools. School Psychologists are prevention/intervention experts, who identify barriers that block the learning of our students and develop plans to address the student’s needs. School Psychologists provide direct support to students and families through counseling, helping the child to improve social skills, decrease anxiety, improve behavior. As experts in assessment, School Psychologists administer comprehensive intellectual and educational tests which identify a student’s strengths and needs in regard to their learning style and educational achievement. School Psychologists are critical, mandated members of the Committee on Special Education (CSE), and often lead the committee in their discussion and plan development for children.

A key role for the School Psychologist is in the prevention of learning, social-emotional, and behavioral issues. The Instructional Support Team (IST) is lead by the School Psychologist in each building, and this team collaborates with teachers on identifying and addressing issues early – before small problems become bigger ones! In this way, we work collaboratively with teachers, students, and families to prevent referrals to special education, reduce disciplinary interventions, prevent drop-outs, and increase student learning. Behavioral intervention is another area of expertise – problems are identified, root causes found, and positive coping skills are taught. The assessment and statistical training that School Psychologist possess also lends itself well to evaluating the effectiveness of programs for our students, and being able to interpret data related to student performance.

The School Psychologists of the Carmel Central School District are a seasoned group of professionals, each having at least a decade of experience in their field. Our additional professional certifications include School Neuropsychology, as well as Child and Family Therapy and Marriage/Family Therapy. We bring our knowledge and our previous professional experiences in therapeutic day schools and residential treatment centers to benefit the children of our district.

Please call us if we can be of help in any way. The School Psychologists of the Carmel Central School District are ready and willing to help, and are proud to serve the children and families in our district!