Illinois School Psychology Week (IL SPW)

Happy Illinois School Psychology Week (IL SPW): Day 1 - Three Good Things

Welcome to the second week celebrating school psychologists in Illinois.  On Wednesday, October 15, 2025, state senate resolution #0276 (SR267) and house resolution #303 (HR303) were both passed declaring November 10-14 as School Psychology Week in Illinois which coincides with ISPA's Fall Conference.  
 

As we begin this week, we invite you to pause and engage in a simple evidence-based practice that supports appreciation, optimism and emotional well-being. 

Try the Three Good Things Practice*

1. Each day, take a moment to write down three positive things that happened and reflect on your own role in making them possible.
2. This simple daily exercise helps build awareness and gratitude for the meaningful moments in your work and life (big or small).
3. Recent research shows that this practice fosters greater appreciation, optimism, and emotional well-being. Earlier studies have also found measurable benefits, including increased happiness and reduced symptoms of depression over time.
4. Try it today!
   Write down three good things about being a school psychologist or about helping students thrive.
5. Reference: Hendricks, J., & Rare, L. (2024). Gratitude in the time of the coronavirus: A thematic analysis of the “Three Good Things” in young adults. International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, 9, 1–19.
   https://doi.org/10.1007/s41042-023-00138-x

* The link above will take you to a form should you decide to share with ISPA your three good things as you reflect today or during the week. 

Thank you for the impact you make in every school you serve.  Wishing you a week filled with recognition, gratitude and moments of joy.

 Illinois School Psychology Week (IL SPW): Day 2

As School Psychology Week in Illinois continues, we want to recognize and honor the Illinois school psychologists who have served in the military. Your commitment to service—both nationally and within our school communities—reflects the very best of our profession. We also want to acknowledge the important work school psychologists across Illinois do on behalf of students from military families.

To our colleagues who are veterans: your experiences in the service bring invaluable strengths to our schools, including leadership, teamwork, crisis readiness, and a deep commitment to service. To support your well-being and help foster meaningful professional connections, we’ve brainstormed a few ideas to help you care for yourself and connect with others in your school communities:

• Connect with other veteran educators and/or mental health professionals. Peer connection reduces feelings of isolation and supports ongoing wellness.
  
  

• Build self-care routines grounded in military wellness principles. Use brief daily check-ins with yourself or others (e.g., “Three Good Things” from Day 1 of IL SPW), maintain physical activity, stay alert to signs of compassion fatigue, and adopt proactive routines that help mitigate stress responses tied to prior service.
  
  

• Engage in professional development that honors your dual identity. Consider attending training hosted by the Military Child Education Coalition or exploring NCTSN military modules.

Today, we also highlight the many students across Illinois who are part of military families. Research consistently shows that military-connected children experience unique stressors during parental deployment cycles, including increased anxiety, academic disruptions, sleep challenges, and difficulties with emotional regulation. Schools can be a stabilizing force—and we can play a central role in that support.

Here are three evidence-informed actions you can take to support military-connected students and their caregivers (Rossen & Pisano, 2020):

1. Support during predeployment and deployment. Students may experience significant stress during these times. Predictable routines at school help provide stability and reduce anxiety. Collaborate with teachers to identify early changes in attention, mood, or academic performance; screen for stress-related symptoms before assuming disability or ADHD; and help students feel safe and connected at school to reduce depressive symptoms and improve well-being during deployment cycles.
   
   

2. Strengthen family-school connections and identify military families early. While respecting family privacy, it’s important to identify and support military-connected students. Meet with parents/caregivers to plan supports across deployment stages, establish preferred communication channels, and provide psychoeducation about developmental responses during deployment. Share resources such as the Military Child Education Coalition with families.
   
   

3. Foster inclusion and emotional expression. Military-connected students benefit from feeling understood and included. Encourage journaling, drawing, or letter-writing to the deployed parent/caregiver; collaborate with teachers to integrate calming strategies (e.g., breathing, grounding); and facilitate peer support or small groups for military-connected youth.

ISPA would love to hear from you. Please feel free to share your experiences as a veteran now serving as a school psychologist and/or your successes in supporting military-connected families by emailing us at [email protected].

On behalf of ISPA, thank you to every school psychologist who has served and/or supports our students. Your contributions to the students and families of Illinois are deeply appreciated.

Reference: Rossen, Eric, and Mark C. Pisano. “Students from Military Families.” In Eric Rossen (Ed.), Supporting and Educating Traumatized Students: A Guide for School-Based Professionals, 2nd ed. (New York, 2020; online ed., Oxford Academic, 1 Feb. 2020), https://doi.org/10.1093/med-psych/9780190052737.003.0013