WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND?

Welcome to Langer's Psychology Webpage!
My name is Kaye Langer, and I am the school psychologist at Clover Garden School.  This is my third year at CGS.  My previous 20 years experience as a school psychologist was in Lexington, Kentucky, where I received my School Psychology graduate training at the University of Kentucky (GO CATS BASKETBALL!!!).  I have had experience working at all grade levels, which is great since CGS is a K-12 school.  I am also teaching a high school class in Psychology, which is a new experience for me!  The students, their families and the teachers and staff at CGS are wonderful partners, and I am thoroughly enjoying working with our CGS Learning Community.

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Many thanks to Alex Hardy for helping to design this webpage.  Without her skills, there would be no Langer's Psychology webpage!  There's a lot to be said for YOUNG BRAINS who are techno-savvy!!

What is a School Psychologist?
School Psychologists are trained specialists in human growth and development, education, mental health and learning and behavioral change.  This training enables us to collaborate with school staff, teachers and families to enhance student learning and development and adjustment.  We also serve with others as problem solvers in facilitating positive learning environments, attitudes and motivation in order to assist children to succeed academically, emotionally and behaviorally.

At CGS, the School Psychologist consults with teachers and families regarding the educational progress of our students.  Students who are having academic, emotional or behavioral difficulties may work with the school psychologist to help resolve the distressing situations and move towards a more positive school experience.  The School Psychologist also may provide short-term direct intervention to students who are in a crisis situation.  Additionally, School Psychologists assess students to determine if they may have a disability that requires specially designed instruction or specific educational or behavioral interventions. This assessment may include behavior observations, interviews with parents/caregivers and teachers, behavior questionnaires and more formal standardized intellectual and educational assessment. 

I believe that our responsibility as eduators is to see the "whole child" and to evaluate and to intervene in any situation from that perspective rather than viewing grades, behavior or emotional concerns in isolation.  I am always available to consult with teachers, parents or caregivers regarding the needs of our CGS students, so you can contact me through your student's teacher, the CGS office or my website (kaye.langer@clovergardenschool.com).

"WHAT'S GOING ON WITH MY KID?"
Each developmental stage has its own joys and challenges for students and their families.  Some children manage to move through the transition to the next stage with grace and barely a ripple in their behavior and attitude.  Others bulldoze their way through, creating chaos and frustration for their parents, caregivers and teachers!  Signs that your student is in distress and may need some assistance in dealing with their feelings and thoughts include aggression, agitation, irritability, sadness, hopelessness, helplessness, forgetfulness, limited (or no) interest in schoolwork, defiance of rules and authority, "zoning out", inattention or hyperactivity, and fixations or fascination with inappropriate or dangerous situations, people or influences.  Any unusual or dramatic shifts in behavior and emotions, including a drop in grades, need to be addressed.

If possible, when seeing your child exhibit any of these behaviors, try to talk with them rather than argue or get into a power struggle.  Saying, "You seem to be really upset.  Things at school getting overwhelming?  Anything I can do to help?",  or, "I notice that you don't seem to have the same friends these days.  It must feel pretty lonely without them." can be effective ways to approach a child who is upset.  Of course, any fixation with the internet, whether gaming or social websites, needs to be investigated.  Although some of our middle and high school students seem mature enough to handle such interactions on their own, they are a prime target for other students or adults who would take advantage of them or hurt them in some way.  Damaging texts, cyberbullying, cyberstalking, and inappropriate interactions with other young people or adults on the web are very damaging to your child and call for adult intervention.  We want our children to be strong, healthy, emotionally resilient and independent learners.  Anything that I can do to help make that happen is what I want to do!  So, please feel free to email me or contact me through the school office at any time!  That's why I'm here!
THANK YOU FOR TRUSTING US WITH THE EDUCATION AND CARE OF YOUR CHILDREN!
Sincerely,
k
Kaye Langer, M.S.
NC Certified School Psychologist