November 9, 2026

Celebrating school psychologists and their many hats during National School Psychology Week

A young smiling woman wearing a black shirt that says "school psychologist" poses in front of a sign that says "Be Yourself."

HENRICO, Va., Nov. 9., 2026 — For many school psychologists, the day starts with a lap or two around their school. They drop into classrooms, greet students in the hall and respond to teacher concerns.

“At least once a day, I bump into a child who’s lost their emotional equilibrium and needs a moment,” said Mike Capehart, a Henrico Schools psychologist who serves Arthur Ashe and Crestview elementaries. “I’ll spend a moment with them to help them cope.”

Capehart is one of more than 30 school psychologists at HCPS. The division, along with schools and education organizations across the country, is celebrating them during National School Psychology Week Nov. 9-13.

A smiling man stands outside the entrance of a school building.

But the work of a school psychologist extends far beyond the face-to-face time they spend with a student.

“We wear different hats,” Capehart said. “We do counseling, data analysis, behavior interventions.”

A big part of the work involves assessments, including cognitive assessments to help identify potential learning disabilities.

Treazure Wooley, a school psychologist who serves Harvie and Ratcliffe elementaries, said the goal is about helping students be successful.

“We help students find what could be creating a barrier to learning,” Wooley said.

A woman poses in front of a school building.

School psychologists often serve on various teams, including intervention teams.

“That’s how we find kids with learning disabilities, we can pick out which kids are not progressing,” Capehart said.

School psychologists also serve on teams evaluating general mental health, threat and risk assessment or eligibility for exceptional education services.

But both Capehart and Wooley say one of the most rewarding parts of the job is connecting with students and watching them succeed.

“My favorite aspect of the job is being able to bear witness to a child’s legitimate growth,” Capehart said. He recalled working with a student who had no verbal language in preschool, which led to behavior concerns rooted in the frustration of not being able to communicate.

“We got him matched with speech and language services, and came up with a behavior plan,” he said. Now, a couple of years later, Capehart doesn’t hear the child’s cries in the hallway anymore.

“Now, he’s communicating and using full sentences.”

Wooley said she recently worked with a student on executive functioning skills, meeting with him weekly for six weeks to find solutions that would help him better organize his backpack and desk.

In addition to helping students, the work of school psychologists also helps teachers by improving the environment in which they teach and eases some of the anxiety of families, as they begin to see their children succeed.

Wooley, who attended Harvie while growing up, said she is excited to serve the school and community that poured into her when she was young.

She said division psychologists serve where there is a need, but she enjoys getting to work with elementary students.

“There’s something special about being there from the start, having an impact on someone so young,” she said.

More Henrico school psychologists name their favorite part of the job

A portrait of a woman with curly brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a pink sweater.

Lisa Frederes (Kaechele and Pocahontas): "Being a school psychologist allows me to be a connector. I have the opportunity to collaborate with children, families, educational staff, and the community to support the healthy and meaningful learning and development for life ready citizens."

A portrait of a woman with shoulder-length brown hair, smiling and wearing a black blazer.

Jessica Nelms (Freeman High and Rolfe Middle): “I love being a school psychologist because it allows me to work directly with students while also being part of multi-tiered and multi-system teams to help ensure every child has access to the support they need to be successful.”

A woman with blonde, curly hair smiles gently at the camera.

Blythe Lang (Glen Allen Elementary and Wilder Middle): “I have always loved children and was so happy to find a job that allows me to observe, interact with, and help children of all ages!”