Special Education

Psychological Services

School psychologists are qualified to provide a broad range of skills to address student needs and to improve school support systems.

Our school psychologists' skills enable them to offer comprehensive psychological evaluations, as well as consult with school personnel in relation to students' learning, behavior, and environments. They provide individual, group, and organizational interventions, including counseling. School psychologists work with children individually and in groups. Additionally, they provide trainings to teachers regarding various learning and mental health topics. Their training allows them to look at the efficacy and effectiveness of academic programs, classroom agendas, and treatment interventions, and their expertise in research and planning provides a strong base in the development of interventions.

Administration

Richard Dirmeyer, Supervisor
(757) 283-7850 x.10528

Erika Boerger Daniel, Coordinator
(757) 283-7850 x.10414

School Psychologist Directory

Preschool/PEEP

Denbigh Early Childhood	Katie Dolak, (757) 591-4963 x.30592
Gatewood PEEP	Katie Dolak and Amanda Gallimore
Marshall Early Childhood	Nancy Hunyady, (757) 591-4917 x.54590
Watkins Early Childhood	Amanda Gallimore, (757) 591-4963 x.30590

All PEEP school psychologists are based out of Gatewood PEEP Center.

Elementary Schools

Achievable Dream Academy	Donna Benjamin, (757) 886-7744 x.33590
Carver	Angie Roberts , (757) 886-7744 x.33590
Charles	Rebecca Kohaut,(757) 888-3200 x.31590
Deer Park	Laura Gorenc, (757) 928-6838 x.42590
Discovery Stem Academy	Tamera Toney, (757) 928-6838 x.42590
Dutrow	Anne Hearth, (757) 886-2705 x.44590
General Stanford	Rebecca Kohaut, (757) 888-3200 x.31590
Greenwood	Michaela Schulze, (757) 886-7744 x.33590
Hidenwood	Hunter McEnroe, (757) 591-4700 x.58670
Hilton	Katie Dolak, (757) 591-4963 x.30592
Jenkins	Hunter McEnroe, (757) 283-7850 x.10414
Katherine Johnson	Erika Daniel, (757) 283-7817 x.41590
Kiln Creek	Laura Gorenc, (757) 886-7772 x.51590
Knollwood Meadows	Rebecca Kohaut, (757) 888-3200 x.31590
McIntosh	Anne Hearth, (757) 886-2705 x.44590
Newsome Park	Arielle Elder, (757) 283-7850 x.10414
Palmer	Hunter McEnroe, (757) 881-5000 x.48590
Richneck	Arielle Elder, (757) 886-7772 x.51590
Riverside	Cathy Turner, (757) 886-7600 x.49590
Sanford	Michaela Schulze, (757) 886-7600 x.49590
Saunders	Donna Benjamin, (757) 591-4917 x.54590
Sedgefield	Tamera Toney, (757) 591-4900 x.28590
Stoney Run	Kristina Atkins, (757) 886-7755 x.29610
Yates	Amanda Gallimore, (757) 591-4963 x.30590

Middle Schools

Achievable Dream Middle & High	Tamera Toney, (757) 591-4744 x.63290
Crittenden	Angie Roberts, (757) 591-4900 x.28590
Ella Fitzgerald	Anne Hearth, (757) 886-2705 x.44590
Gildersleeve	Michaela Schulze, (757) 283-7850 x.10414
Hines	Angie Roberts, (757) 591-4900 x.28590
Huntington	Angie Roberts, (757) 247-2567 x.17590
Passage	Arielle Elder, (757) 886-7600 x.49590
Washington	(757) 928-6860 x.26590

High Schools

Achievable Dream Middle & High	Tamera Toney, (757) 591-4744 x.63290
Denbigh	Tina Atkins, (757) 886-7755 x.29610
Heritage	Theresa Nickens, (757) 247-2567 x.17590
Menchville	Laura Gorenc , (757) 886-7772 x.51590
Warwick	Donna Benjamin, (757) 591-4700 x.58670
Woodside	(757) 283-7850 x.10414

What is a School Psychologist?

School psychologists provide a variety of services that promote student success and improve school support systems, including:

Consultation and Collaboration

Give healthy and effective alternatives to teachers, parents, and administrators to address difficulties in learning and/or behavior
Help others understand child development and how it affects learning and behavior
Strengthen working relationships between educators, parents, and community services
Work with teachers to support effective, individualized instruction
Participate in assessment and eligibility teams to determine a student's most appropriate educational placement

Assessments

Conduct psychological evaluations to assess abilities, learning strengths and weaknesses, and emotional/social functioning
Design and implement curriculum based assessments
Conduct functional behavioral assessments (FBAs) to drive the design of Behavior Intervention plans (BIP)

Interventions

Utilize a problem-solving framework to identify and address learning and behavior problems that interfere with school success
Provide counseling, social skills training and mentoring for students struggling with social, emotional and behavioral problems.
Help families and schools deal with crises such as death, illness, or community trauma
Assist with development and implementation of individualized academic and behavioral interventions (i.e. through the Child Study process)
Monitor and collect data to determine intervention effectiveness

Prevention

Design programs for children at risk of academic failure
Provide parents and teachers with the skills to cope with disruptive behavior
Implement school-wide prevention programs that help maintain positive school climates

Adapted from NASP article "What is a School Psychologist?"
http://www.nasponline.org/about_sp/whatis.aspx

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of training do School Psychologists receive?

School psychologists are highly trained in both clinical psychology and educational psychology. They must be certified and/or licensed by the state in which they work, following completion of a master's degree, post-master's training, and site-based internship. They also may be nationally certified by the National School Psychology Certification Board (NSPCB) or the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). The majority of school psychologists work in public schools, however, other settings of practice include private school systems, clinics and hospitals, private practice, and universities. School psychologists are trained to serve all age groups from infancy through college, although they primarily serve school-aged children.

How do I know if my child's school has a school psychologist?

A school psychologist is assigned to every school in Newport News, though most psychologists have 2-3 schools. To locate your child's school psychologist, please call their school or refer to our staff directory.

What does a psychoeducational evaluation for my child look like?

School psychologists assess students suspected of having a disability as part of the process in determining eligibility for special education services. A school psychologist administers a cognitive battery to obtain a level of intellectual functioning and academic potential. This battery also provides a better understanding of the student's processing strengths and weaknesses. Social-emotional assessments are used to obtain data about a student's emotional and behavioral functioning. A strong aspect of assessment is the collaborative process in which the school psychologist obtains the teachers' and parents' perspectives. This allows the school psychologist to develop a comprehensive picture of the student, his or her functioning, and how interventions can be developed. Through this process, a multidisciplinary team is developed to determine if a disability is interfering with a student's ability to learn.

Do school psychologists only work within special education?

No. School psychologists in Newport News serve students in general and special education through working with teachers and staff on creating positive behavioral models, offering professional development to parents and teachers, and providing counseling and crisis intervention. Interventions may be developed for students in the general or special education population who may be experiencing challenges in academic, behavioral, and/or social-emotional functioning.

I believe my preschool-age child is having difficulties. Is a school psychologist available to address their needs?

In Newport News, several school psychologists serve at the Program for Educating Exceptional Preschoolers (PEEP) sites. These psychologists are highly trained in child development and can conduct early intervention evaluations and provide consultation to parents. If you have concerns about your preschool child's development, social interaction, emotional adjustment, and/or behavior, please refer to our Staff Directory to contact a PEEP psychologist. If you have any further questions, you can also refer to the NNPS Child Find policy.