The first expectation is that you get to know your team and staff. This includes the school principal/assistant principal, teachers, leaders in special education, designated in-service (DIS) providers, administrative assistants, etc.. These people will be your allies and greatest resources. In addition, make sure to meet and greet other district school psychologists, the director of student services, and make a point to attend all meetings, and/or staff development days before school starts.

Next, become familiar with your site. Explore your office, speech therapist's office, special day classrooms (SDC), meeting/conference room, staff room, copy room, cafeteria, bathrooms, nurses office, lunch room, library, computer lab, arts/science rooms etc. At times, students willl not be in their classrooms. Knowing possible alternate student locations will help when trying to find them.

Learn your cases. Parents will be interested in who the "new Psych" is and will want to meet you. Whether this is over a phone call or in-person, you will want to be preparred and familiar with their child/children, their needs, and/or their current services.

Review your special education case load and calendar your triennial IEP meetings.

Review your counseling case load and schedule group and individual counseling per the IEP requirements.

Learn new assessment tools that you are not be familiar with. Some districts or schools have particular assessments/evaluation tools they prefer. If you don't know them, find one, open it up, and learn it. There are so many different types of assessment tools available that you may run across something new. Also keep in mind that schools, and sometimes districts, may share assessment kits, therefore, if your school uses one in particular and it is not there, track it down.

Meet the students (those in your case load and those who are not). This can be accomplised through in class observations, monitoring recess, and/or just being present on campus.

Try to find old templates and forms that you can organize and place in one easy to find location. Check them for accuracy and make sure you have included all the information required by law, and are following IDEA guidelines. This will help streamline the process when it comes time to write those lengthy reports.

Start testing, counseling, and networking, and have a great year! Remember - if you don't know, ASK! There are a ton of resources available and people always ready to lend a helping hand.