School psychologists serve the Minnetonka Schools community every day with dedication and compassion. From November 8-12, Minnetonka joins districts across the country in celebrating National School Psychology Awareness Week, a time to recognize the important work school psychologists do to support students and families. 

At Minnetonka, school psychologists play an integral role in helping students succeed academically, socially, behaviorally and emotionally by working to create safe, healthy and supportive learning environments.

To celebrate the work our school psychologists do, we asked two of Minnetonka’s school psychologists, Natalie Hanson (Districtwide/Deephaven) and Sarah Dittberner (Scenic Heights/MME) to share more about their roles in Minnetonka.

Tell us about your path to becoming a school psychologist. How did you decide to go into the field? What’s your favorite part of the job?

NH: Both of my parents were teachers, which made me want to go into the field of Education.  I saw how hard they worked and I wanted to do something that would help not just students but teachers as well.  That is when I found School Psychology.  I love how my job is different everyday and challenges me everyday.  I also love that I get to support a variety of people – students, teachers, parents, and other staff members.

SD: I took my first psychology class in high school (from my mom!) and loved it, and I knew I wanted to be part of the educational system in some way. I ended up shadowing some school psychologists in my area and had a good friend who went into the field ahead of me, so she shared her experiences with me. I had a lot of good role models early on to guide me. My favorite part of the job is the people I work with! I am so fortunate to work with such passionate, kind, smart, and hardworking educators.

What’s your “typical” day look like? And what’s something that our community might not know about school psychologists?

NH: I don’t think any school psychologist has a “typical” day.  I would say I spend a lot of my time talking with parents about strategies they can try at home to support their child, problem-solving with teachers on ways to support students, being in the classrooms observing and supporting children, and conducting special education evaluations, which may include analyzing data, interviewing  teachers and parents, and administering various assessments. I think something our community might not know about School Psychologists is the support we give to our early childhood students and families.  School psychologists are not only involved in special education evaluations for preschoolers, but we also support preschool teachers and families by promoting social-emotional development and providing resources for families to access.

SD: The beauty of this job is there is no true “typical” day! Every day brings a lot of variety between meetings with parents, MTSS support, testing, observing students, consulting with teachers, psychologists, facilitators, counselors, interventionists, paras and  administrators about students and systems, writing reports, looking at student data, and the list goes on. No two school psychologist positions are identical – within our district or between districts. It’s a very versatile role. We can be evaluators, direct service providers to students, consultants, data analysts, PD providers, and so much more – depending on the needs of the district or individual school, the passion areas of individuals and the organization of the department. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes to ensure all kids have access to the best education and each individual student has what they need to succeed in school!

From your perspective, what role do school psychologists play in supporting the District and contributing to a positive school community?

NH: School psychologists help strengthen and promote positive behavior, mental health, and academic achievement of students and help parents understand their child’s needs and how to access additional resources.  

SD: School psychologists collaborate with and support everyone involved in a child’s education – their families, their teachers, and professionals outside of school. Everything in education is based around teamwork, shared values, and common goals, and school psychologists play a key role in those teams to create safe, healthy, supportive, and thriving communities.

Let's celebrate the expertise school psychologists bring to Minnetonka Schools. They play a critical role in supporting student wellbeing and creating learning environments where every student can pursue their highest levels of academic and personal achievement. Thank you, school psychologists!

To learn more about Minnetonka Schools' resources to support student well-being, visit the Well-Being Guide at minnetonkaschools.org/wellbeing.