Thank you, School Psychologists!

In honor of National School Psychology Week, we’re celebrating the dedicated school psychologists at RPS who work to support our students, families and staff. School psychologists play a critical role in creating safe, supportive learning environments and fostering growth and resilience among students. We asked our school psychologists to tell us what they do each day. Here’s what drives their commitment and makes them such an invaluable part of our district:

Jessica Wolfgram

Jessica loves witnessing the transformation of ninth graders into high school graduates. “There have been a handful of students over the years for whom I have been a critical part of the team helping them complete their high school education,” she shared. “I feel so grateful for those opportunities.” Over her 11 years in Richfield, Jessica has supported Richfield High School, Transition Plus, early childhood and RCEP programs. Jessica enjoys the small community feel and sense of staff pride at RPS, and gives a big shout out to her colleagues for their warm welcome after her recent leave.

Joann Chiappetta Baumgardner 

Joann treasures the relationships she builds with students. With 31 years as a school psychologist (27 of them in Richfield), Joann has worked at five different Richfield schools. Currently, she is located at Richfield Dual Language School. She appreciates the chance to collaborate with students, staff and families every day. From Joann: “Shout out to all my coworkers who work very hard each and every day to meet the many different needs of all our students!”

Kaye Sweeney 

Kaye finds joy in working with kids, families and colleagues to build skills and improve student outcomes. Splitting her time between Richfield STEM Elementary and the District Office, Kaye emphasizes how crucial her colleagues are to her work. “My colleagues are the best,” said Kaye. “Regardless of the challenges, we find something good or something to laugh about. Collectively, we make a positive difference in the lives of our students.”

Melissa Williams 

Melissa values Richfield’s diversity and the close-knit community. In her 21 years with the district, Melissa has found great joy in supporting students, families and fellow staff members. She feels grateful to be part of such an exceptional team of school psychologists who share her dedication to making a difference.

Sarah Hawn 

This is Sarah’s first year with RPS and she is working at Centennial and Sheridan Hills. Sarah loves building relationships with kids and teachers, and problem-solving ways to best meet student needs. “So far I am loving the teams I have been working with,” she shared. “Everyone has been very collaborative in wanting to make sure student needs are met. I have learned a lot in the short time I have been here about our diverse and bright student body.” 

A Typical Day

For our school psychologists, no two days are exactly the same. While much of their time is spent on essential assessments and detailed reports, their happiest moments come from collaborating to help students succeed and stay engaged with school. Kaye shared, “After 28 years, I still love what I do! No two days are alike.” Melissa shared that a typical week includes student assessments and associated reports, student support, collaboration with colleagues and various meetings with families and staff. Sarah mentions that school psychologists are involved in a lot of processes behind the scenes: “We conduct evaluations for special education, meet with teachers and parents, participate on a variety of teams, assist in developing and implementing behavior plans, analyze data to make decisions, and provide direct student support,” she shared. 

Thank you to all of our school psychologists for your compassion, resilience and unwavering commitment to the RPS community! This week, and every week, we celebrate the powerful impact you have on our students and schools.