2019 School Champion of the Year
Congratulations to Jeanne McCormack and Quince Orchard (QO) High School for winning the 2019 Children's Mental Health Matters! School Champion of the Year Award for Montgomery County, Maryland! The QO Mental Health Awareness Club, in conjunction with SGA and QOTV, put on several great activities during Children’s Mental Health Matters week in May!
Students created a video about mental health and made a bulletin board called Be Kind to Your Mind. They created a team at the SpeakUp 5K in support of the Cameron K. Gallagher Foundation to raise awareness of teen depression and suicide. They then ran and volunteered at the event. Ms. McCormack presented to students on mindfulness and to parents on mental illness, how to recognize it, and how to respond. They also partnered with the organization People Animals Love (PAL) and had therapy dogs come to the school to meet with students. To recognize staff needs to be mentally healthy a Self-Care Bingo game was played to encourage positive mental coping skills. Lastly, daily tweets and announcements were provided with the Mental Health Tip of the Day.
Students and staff put in great efforts to spotlight the importance of mental health in MCPS students. Ms. McCormack and QO are excited for next year to see how the club continues to grow and develop new ideas to decrease the stigma around mental health, and to encourage students to "be kind to their minds."
Students created a video about mental health and made a bulletin board called Be Kind to Your Mind. They created a team at the SpeakUp 5K in support of the Cameron K. Gallagher Foundation to raise awareness of teen depression and suicide. They then ran and volunteered at the event. Ms. McCormack presented to students on mindfulness and to parents on mental illness, how to recognize it, and how to respond. They also partnered with the organization People Animals Love (PAL) and had therapy dogs come to the school to meet with students. To recognize staff needs to be mentally healthy a Self-Care Bingo game was played to encourage positive mental coping skills. Lastly, daily tweets and announcements were provided with the Mental Health Tip of the Day.
Students and staff put in great efforts to spotlight the importance of mental health in MCPS students. Ms. McCormack and QO are excited for next year to see how the club continues to grow and develop new ideas to decrease the stigma around mental health, and to encourage students to "be kind to their minds."
MSPA Maryland School Psychologist of the Year
|
Congratulations to Jeanne McCormack on receiving the MSPA Maryland School Psychologist of the Year award! Jeanne's commitment to the students and families she serves, her leadership amongst colleagues, and her dedication to the field encompass the highest qualities of a school psychologist. MCPS is proud to have Jeanne as one of our own!
|
|
School psychologist Amanda Hearn recently featured in The Pitch - a student news site published by Walter Johnson High School students. Read more here!
|
|
Children's Mental Health Matters! Campaign
May 5th-11th, 2019
May 5th-11th, 2019
You can sign up to me a community or school champion by visiting the Children's Mental Health Matters! Campaign website.
MSPA Lobby Night - January 28, 2019
MSPA Lobby Night will be held January 28th from 6:00-8:00 PM. For more information, please see our Events Page or
click here!
click here!
January 9, 2019 Board of Education Testimony
|
|
MCSPA Co-Presidents, Amy Cannava and Kevin Riley, presented testimony to Montgomery County's Board of Education (BOE) requesting an increase of MCPS school psychologists to better address students' social-emotional and mental health needs. For more information from their testimony, see the article published by Bethesda Magazine. #BecauseUMatter
2018-2019 School Psychologist of the Year: Jeanne McCormack
It is an honor to recognize one of our outstanding colleagues, Jeanne McCormack, for MCSPA School Psychologist of the Year. Mrs. McCormack has been practicing school psychology for the last six years with MCPS. The glowing recommendations provided by her colleagues demonstrate that she exemplifies the professional qualities of our occupation. As one colleague shared, “her teams routinely praise her wealth of knowledge and her dedication to the profession… [S]he often goes above and beyond the routine duties of her position to support the academic, social, physical, and emotional well-being of her students.” The Administrative Team and Counseling Department at Quince Orchard High School, “admire her knowledge, wisdom, decisiveness, and passion and enthusiasm she has for her work.”
In addition to supporting students, staff, and families at Quince Orchard High School and Fields Road Elementary Mrs. McCormack is a leader and pioneer in advocating for the School Psychologist profession within MCPS. During her two year tenure as co-president of Montgomery County School Psychologists’ Association (MCSPA). In 2017, she conceptualized the First Annual Mental Health Fair, which helped raise awareness regarding the innumerable ways in which MCPS School Psychologists promote the academic, social, physical, and emotional well-being of its students.
Mrs. McCormack is truly an exemplary colleague and a valuable asset to Montgomery County Public Schools.
In addition to supporting students, staff, and families at Quince Orchard High School and Fields Road Elementary Mrs. McCormack is a leader and pioneer in advocating for the School Psychologist profession within MCPS. During her two year tenure as co-president of Montgomery County School Psychologists’ Association (MCSPA). In 2017, she conceptualized the First Annual Mental Health Fair, which helped raise awareness regarding the innumerable ways in which MCPS School Psychologists promote the academic, social, physical, and emotional well-being of its students.
Mrs. McCormack is truly an exemplary colleague and a valuable asset to Montgomery County Public Schools.
Fall 2018 Member Spotlight
We honor and congratulate Penny Drew for celebrating her 35 years of service in MCPS! To view Penny's spotlight, click here.
In Memoriam
We recently lost one of our most treasured school psychologists. Penny Peterson was absolutely beautiful inside and out. She was a sometime model, actress, and dancer; a loving mother, grandmother, and wife; the life of the party; and a fierce advocate for children. Here is the tribute that fellow psychologist Matthew Kamins gave at her memorial service.
Call to Action
In February, the Montgomery County School Psychologist Association joined hundreds of national organizations, local organizations, and individuals who endorsed Call for Action to Prevent Gun Violence in the United States of America, which provides clear guidelines and recommendations for preventing violence in our schools.
Our Purpose:
- To promote and maintain the highest standards of professional practice for the provision of psychological services as set forth by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).
- To encourage and facilitate discussion by psychologists on matters of professional interest and help secure conditions which promote the greatest effectiveness in the practice of school psychology.
- To advocate for the interests of children through school psychology as a science and profession.
- To provide input to Montgomery County Public Schools Board of Education, Leadership and Administration to assist children in meeting or exceeding performance and achievement standards.
- To establish a liaison and encourage effective collaboration with other professions and professional agencies concerned with education and well-being of children.