Donald Creighton once stated that, "History is the record of an encounter between character and circumstance." During my tenure as president of the Ohio School Psychologists Association (OSPA), I encountered a group of professionals who demonstrated a powerful commitment, dedication, and enduring compassion for the well-being of children and their families. Their character, defined by their actions, was honorable and admirable during a time of notable change and challenges in the history of education in Ohio and the United States. Therefore, it was an honor and privilege to have served such a quality organization as OSPA as defined by its membership.

As of the 1st of May, OSPA had 819 members. As I have stated before, the strength of an organization lies in its membership. Thank you for making OSPA strong!

Over the past year, OSPA has been working diligently on behalf of school psychologists. Through the efforts of Ann Brennan, OSPA's Director of Legislative Services & Professional Relations, OSPA's Legislative Action Committee, and the membership, important legislative impact is occurring. For example, OSPA is actively opposing HB 265, which concerns school civil liability. This bill would confer immunity from civil liability upon school districts, community schools, nonpublic schools and school employees for an alleged injury to a student caused by school discipline, provided that such discipline does not result in child endangerment. This bill is still being heard in committee. OSPA has also actively supported the Mental Health Parity bill that would require employers to include mental health services in their coverage. Discussion continues on this bill as well.

Due to OSPA's rich history, a Historical Committee was formed with the purpose of locating, collecting, and presenting OSPA memorabilia and artifacts. The committee with cooperation from our membership has been successful in locating items. However, those in possession of those items have not been willing to release them until a secure location can be identified. A museum, if you will, would be created at this yet unknown location that the membership and other interested parties could visit to enjoy OSPA's rich history. Thank you to Lew Sarr and the others who have worked diligently on this committee. If you have thoughts on a possible location, please let the OSPA office know.

Throughout the year, I had opportunities to visit a number of the regional school psychologists associations around the state. It was a pleasure meeting and sharing with the membership of these associations. Thank you all for your hospitality and your input. Many of the members of these regional associations shared that they would like OSPA to work with them in providing professional development opportunities in their region due to financial constraints on school districts and the consequential inability to send school psychologists to state conferences. As a result, a work group was formed within the Professional Development Committee to create a speakers' bureau and to design a plan to provide professional development opportunities in the various regions, which would be sponsored by OSPA and the regional association. The work group is being facilitated by Ann Brennan. Current efforts are focusing on the development of a speakers' bureau. If you have an area of expertise and would like to be included on the speakers' bureau list and/or would like to be part of the work group, please contact the OSPA office.

I cannot begin to thank enough the co-chairs of OSPA's Fall and Spring Conferences for arranging and executing successful conferences. The individuals referred to are Jay Bahnsen (spring), Janet Brunecz (fall), Krista Hickman (fall), and Susan Johnston (spring). Thank you all for all of your hard work! It is appreciated!

Due to not having a school psychology consultant at the Ohio Department of Education, a school psychology internship conference had not been planned. The OSPA Executive Board believed strongly that something should be offered for the interns. Valorie Wolcott-Mendelson and Kristine Quallich, in conjunction with the spring conference co-chairs, developed and executed an activity for the interns as part of the spring conference. Thank you to Valorie, Kristine, and all those who participated in making the activity happen for the interns. Also, thank you to Dr. Gary Royer and Robert Kubick for their presentations to the interns and to those who participated on the panel. A special thank you is extended to the university trainers for getting the information to the interns about the activity on such short notice. Most of all, a heartfelt thank you is extended to the interns for their support and understanding as demonstrated through their attendance and comments. My friends, we have an awesome group joining our ranks!

During her OSPA presidency, Juliette Madigan worked collaboratively with Dr. Caven McLoughlin and through that collaboration the OSPA Listserv and later the OSPA web site came into existence. Dr. McLoughlin brought aboard Erich Merkle who became the OSPA web page developer. Erich has done a magnificent job as the web page developer. The web site has been a phenomenal tool for the Association. Consequently, Erich has been invited to attend Executive Board meetings to provide information and insight to the Board regarding the use and development of the web site. I would like to personally thank Caven and Erich for all of their efforts!

Speaking of the web site look for The Ohio School Psychologist (TOSP) online beginning next year! Accessing TOSP online or receiving a printed copy through the U.S. Postal Service will be available to the membership.

I had the privilege of attending the Annual NASP Conference, which was held this year in Dallas, Texas. The conference was spectacular. Congratulations to all of those who contributed to making the NASP Conference a wonderful success! Something became very evident to me at the conference. Ohio's past and current contributions to school psychologists and their practices are acknowledged and respected by other school psychologists around the country. I was truly honored to be a member of and able to represent OSPA. Keep up the great work!

Congratulations to Dr. Kathryn (Katie) Shroder for her appointment to the State of Ohio Board of Psychology as a school psychology representative. Dr. Shroder fills the position vacated by Dr. Cathy Telzrow. Thank you Cathy for your years of service!

Congratulations to Chuck Archer for his appointment as the OSPAN Coordinator. Thank you for accepting the appointment and for doing a great job!

Congratulations and thank you are extended to Senators Robert Gardner, Eric Fingerhut, and C.J. Prentiss for receiving at the OSPA Spring Conference the OSPA Legislative Committee's Friends of Children Award and for all of their efforts on behalf of school psychologists, educators, and most of all the children!

Congratulations to Dr. James Evans for receiving the Clyde V. Bartlett Distinguished Service Award. Thank you Dr. Evans for all you have done for the field and on behalf of children.

Congratulations to Dr. Alex Thomas for receiving the R.A. Horn Honorary Life Membership Award. Dr. Thomas few have or will match the contributions you have made on a state and national level to the field of school psychology. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do! You are an inspiration for us all!

Congratulations to Dr. Cathy Telzrow for receiving the OSPA President's Award for her service on the State of Ohio Board of Psychology and to Dr. Alex Thomas for his lifetime of service to the field of school psychology. Thank you!

I would like to send a very, very special thank you to the members of the Inter University Council (IUC) for their undertaking of the Internship Program that was managed by the Ohio Department of Education, Office for Exceptional Children. Due to limited resources at ODE/OEC, the Internship Program responsibilities have been assumed by the university trainers. These responsibilities are in addition to their training responsibilities and other duties assigned by their institutions. As school psychologists, we owe them a great deal of gratitude!

Please know that your state organization works hard and diligently on your behalf. Please join us in those efforts. I would be remiss if I did not extend a heartfelt thank you to Cheryl VanDenBerge, OSPA's business manager, for helping me to manage my role as president and for all of her hard work on behalf of the organization. Thank you, Cheryl, for everything!

In closing, it has been an honor and privilege to have served as your association president. Thank you for giving me the opportunity. Thank you to all who serve on the OSPA Executive Board and the regional school psychologists associations. Your efforts are appreciated! For those of you who are not involved, I invite you to join us. Discover the rewards associated with serving your school psychologists associations at the local, state, and, perhaps, national level.

Wishing You Health and Happiness,

George M. Csanyi

Dear IUC School Psychology Trainer:

I am writing this letter on behalf of the Ohio School Psychologists Association's (OSPA) Executive Board. The purpose of this letter is to ask you to notify your school psychology interns and their field supervisors that a Featured Professional Development Activity will be provided for the interns on Thursday, May 6th from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Ballroom of the Embassy Suites Hotel in Dublin. Appetizers and a cash bar will be available.

Please inform your interns that the registration fee for them to attend the OSPA Spring Conference, which includes the Featured Professional Development Activity, is only $75.00. Please encourage your interns to register before the April 28th deadline. Also, inform them that the OSPA room rate for the Embassy Suites Hotel in Dublin is available until April 14th. Please share with the interns that the traditional OSPA Intern Raffle will be held for those interns who are OSPA members.

Through the efforts of Ann Brennan, who has been working diligently with the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), ODE has agreed to commit $2,500.00, which they will only pay directly to the hotel, to have a professional development activity for the interns. The OSPA Executive Board voted to match, this one time, ODE's $2,500.00, to provide the Featured Professional Development Activity that is being developed by Valorie Wolcott-Mendelson and Kristine Quallich.

The OSPA Spring Conference co-chairs have secured the Ballroom and are making other necessary arrangements with the hotel along with Cheryl VanDenBerge, OSPA's Business Manager.

Thank you in advance for your help. The OSPA Executive Board realizes that the information dissemination is time sensitive. However, I am confident that with our combined efforts we can assure that No Intern Is Left Behind!

Sincerely,

George

George M. Csanyi, Ed.D.
President

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

Congratulations for making the OSPA Fall Conference one of the most successful in the history of the organization! Successful in the sense to the number of attendees, the positive feedback received on the presenters and topics, and your generous support of the NASP Children's Minority Scholarship Fund. Thank you!

I would also like to personally thank the OSPA Fall Conference co-chairs, Janet Brunecz and Krista Hickman for their efforts in planning, organizing, and executing a very successful conference. Another personal thank you is extended to Dr. Antoinette Miranda for collecting the college/university items, as well as collecting and arranging the NASP basket. A special thank you is given to Cheryl VanDenBerge for all of her efforts toward the conference and all she does for the OSPA and its membership. A heartfelt thank you is given to the contributor, who wishes to remain anonymous, for their very generous contribution to the NASP Children's Minority Scholarship Fund. Lastly, thank you to all of you unnamed people whose added efforts resulted in such a successful event!

Thank you for those of you who attended the Fall Conference and completed and submitted the survey regarding the creation of an electronic The Ohio School Psychologist (TOSP). The results were strongly in favor of an electronic newsletter. Thank you to those of you who provided your thoughts regarding how the electronic newsletter should be created to best meet your needs. There were some respondents who were skeptical if the OSPA Executive Board was sincerely interested in their input or, if in fact the decision had already been made. I assure you that a decision had not been made. Comments and suggestions made in the surveys will be strongly influential in designing the electronic TOSP. Furthermore, I will propose to the Executive Board suggestions for providing hard copies of the TOSP to OSPA members who would want them.

A historical committee has been formed to gather historical information and items on the sixty year history of the OSPA. The historical committee is not attempting to acquire the information and items, but how to preserve them and share them with OSPA members and other interested parties. If you are interested in being part of this exciting endeavor, please contact me and I will put you in contact with current active members of the committee.

The OSPA Executive Board is still actively seeking members from each of the regional associations to become an active member of the work committee that is being created to design a collaborative relationship between OSPA and the regional associations that may result in professional development opportunities in individuals regions sponsored by both the regional association and OSPA. Also, the work committee is responsible for developing a speakers' bureau comprised of individuals who have specific expertise and are willing to present. OSPA is still conducting its membership drive. If you know of Ohio school psychologists who are not currently members of OSPA, please encourage them to join.

If folks are critical of the organization, remind them that an organization is only as strong as its membership. Please read OSPA's very own Director of Legislative Services and Professional Relations, Ann Brennan's update on the latest state and national legislative news. Stay abreast of this news as it may directly impact how school psychologists serve students and their families.

The NASP 2004 Annual Convention is being held at the Adam's Mark Hotel in Dallas, Texas from March 30 to April 3, 2004. Cathy F. Telzrow, Ph.D., ABPP, NCSP from Kent State University and Tasneem Lokhandwala, Ph.D. from the Cleveland Municipal School District will be presenting at the Convention. Please mark your calendars to attend the OSPA Annual Spring Conference at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Dublin on May 6 - 7, 2004. We look forward to seeing you there!

Wishing you and your family a healthy and prosperous year!

As the dawn of a new school year begins, Members of the United States Congress are in August recess. The work of the U.S. Congress will resume in September. This information is important because this is an opportune time for school psychologists to contact congressional representatives and share their concerns about issues relating to the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that the Members of Congress will take up when they return to work in September. The passage of the House IDEA Reauthorization bill (H.R. 1350) earlier this year resulted in the National Association of School Psychologists' (NASP) publication of its concerns and recommendations. There are a number of sources from which this information can be accessed. The summer 2003 edition of The Ohio School Psychologist (TOSP) contained an extensive NASP Legislative Update plus NASP News provided by Ohio's Delegate to NASP, Juliette Madigan. Another source of information is the NASP web site accessible at http://www.nasponline.org/advocacy. I recommend that all school psychologists and concerned parties visit the web site and read NASP's concerns and recommendations, as well as NASP's rationale for its positions. Time is of the essence. According to NASP officials, once the Senate bill passes (S. 1248), which may occur as earlier as September 2003, the House and Senate will assemble a Conference Committee that will negotiate the differences between H.R. 1350 and S. 1248. NASP suggests that grassroots lobbying at this time may be able to effectively impact the negotiations.

In addition to the IDEA Reauthorization, Ohio school districts are faced with the challenges of implementing the Model Procedures for the Education of Children with Disabilities, addressing the mandates required by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), and complying with other legislative mandates such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Frankly, all of this can become overwhelming. Therefore, remember to engage in behaviors and activities that will help maintain balance in your life and will allow you to function in a healthy and productive manner.

Many prefer the known to the unknown. Therefore, staying informed and up-to-date may serve as a means of reducing some of the anxiety in your life. By joining OSPA, your regional school psychologist organization, and NASP, you will be provided current legislative updates, research, best practices, as well as important events occurring in Ohio and nationally that are of importance to you in your practice as a school psychologist.

In closing I would like to personally thank each and everyone of you for your service to the profession of school psychology, but most of all for the service you render to the children and their families. I extend to each of you my wish for a happy, healthy, and productive school year. Be a positive force in your school district and make it a great year!

George M. Csanyi

The months of summer have arrived. Some will use this time to read a book or two. Others will enjoy activities with families and friends. Still others will continue to work, go to school, or pursue projects. Regardless of your endeavor, please use this time for renewal.

Daily we are inundated with multiple stressors. These stressors range from conflicts around the world to an argument with a spouse, child, or co-worker. These stressors can and do offset our balance in life. The challenge is to maintain a balance, which includes mental and physical health, despite the constant bombardment of life's challenges. I am reminded, however, that trials and tribulations can help us to grow, help us to change. Change appears to be the one constant with which we all must contend. The life cycle is a classic example of how each one of us is subject to change regardless of our best efforts to combat the changes. Perhaps our energies would be better spent acknowledging and embracing change versus battling it. In physics, I learned that matter is neither created nor destroyed. I learned that matter can and does change. In once read a chapter in a book written by a rabbi. The rabbi's focus was on death and man's perception of death in relationship to change. The rabbi explained that man could no more understand what is beyond death than a caterpillar can understand what it is like to be a butterfly. Yet, through a wonderful metamorphosis, a beautiful creature emerges.

The spring 2003 issue of The Ohio School Psychologist (TOSP) provided inspiration for my previous remarks. I am referring to the dialogue about intervention-based assessment and standardized testing. I appreciate what each of the authors wrote. What I personally took away from the writings is that intervention-based assessment and standardized testing are not mutually exclusive. They both have a place and can be used by the school psychologist and others to meet the educational and mental health needs of children. Assessment and evaluation provide the information necessary to identify or design, as well as implement, appropriate interventions to address the educational and mental health needs of the children we serve.

At the expense of appearing obvious, our children are also inundated with daily stressors. Not only do our children encounter many of the stressors of their adult counterparts, but also several that are specific to them. Furthermore, the adults who have been entrusted with the care and well-being of the children create many of the stressors affecting their children. For these reasons, as well as others, it is imperative that the school psychologist take the lead role in problem identification and appropriate intervention identification, design, implementation, and monitoring.

I believe in the school psychologist as a leader. The school psychologist's training and skills are unique within education environment and, as a result, provide the foundation on which to seize or create opportunities to facilitate the education and mental well being of children, should they chose to do so. Maybe we have become overly attached to our test kits. Maybe we need to seize or create opportunities by identifying and doing one thing during the next school year that will facilitate the educational and mental well being of children. Write down that one thing you will do that you are not currently doing, but would like to do. Develop a written plan. Implement your plan. Monitor your progress. Make adjustments when necessary. Evaluate your outcomes. I am confident that you will be pleased.

Be a leader. Support your regional and state school psychologist organizations by becoming a member. Even further, consider taking an active role in these organizations. The organizations exist for us so that we can better serve the educational and mental health needs of our youth. Organizations are made up of individuals who share a common purpose. Consequently, the organization is only as good as the individuals who comprise it. By choosing not to be a member, a void is created that weakens the overall structure of the organization. Please join.

Like the caterpillar who has no idea what it is like to be a butterfly, the future holds many unknowns. Perhaps in a manner of speaking, we are all in a chrysalis state, metamorphosing into something more beautiful. Along the same lines, this would also be true of our children. You have chosen a profession that touches the mind, heart, and souls of the world's greatest assets - its children. Continue to foster your own growth by being a leader so you can better facilitate the educational and mental health of the children whom you serve. We are remembered for how we lived, not that we lived.

In closing, it is a privilege for me to serve as your president. I look forward to the upcoming year. Smiles are healthy, free, and contagious. Share! Have a great summer.

Peace,
George M. Csanyi