Psychologists work their way into Hawks Nest; Vancampen, McCabe joins staff

      North Harford High School has added two psychologists who have plans to provide support for the Hawk’s community.

     Psychologist Mrs. Kristen McCabe came from her previous job at a school in North Carolina where she worked as a psychologist at both an elementary and high school. The transition from one state to the next has challenges but she said she is “excited for the opportunity to work with new people and gain new professional skills and experiences.” 

     “I have had to adapt my thinking to fit the environment here,” McCabe said. She explains there are many policies from school to school that need to be followed for students to be able to learn and grow.  

     McCabe added she enjoys learning about other fields of work and getting other input on why students could be struggling and how to help them. She “really enjoys working with other support staff like Speech-Language Pathologists.”  

     “I have more experience working with younger children,” McCabe said. She explains that coming to a high school she must shift her mindset to work with teenagers. She “enjoys talking to students about their plans for the future.”   

     “I am considered a floater for the county and will be providing support to other psychologists who will be going out on maternity or medical leave,” McCabe said. She will be working with a lot of special needs students on their course loads. Her main responsibility is observing students to see how teachers can help them succeed academically and socially.  

     Sometimes McCabe meets with students to work on emotion regulation, behavior management, relaxation techniques, and coping skills.  

     “We have a wonderful team of intelligent and passionate school psychologists,” McCabe said. She explains her expectations of being an HCPS staff member have been succeeded as she has many resources for professional development.  

     McCabe received her bachelor’s degree at Stevenson University in psychology. She went on to get her Masters of Advanced Study from East Carolina University. She “completed a 1,200-hour practicum placement and a full-time, year-long internship in an elementary school.” 

     “I love school psychology because it’s like being a detective- there are so many reasons why a student could be struggling in school and it’s up to me and other educators to get to know the whole student and come up with a plan to help them succeed and meet their full potential,” McCabe states.  

     Mrs. Sheila Vancampen is also a school psychologist. She has been a school psychologist since 1999 and has worked in three other school districts in Upstate New York.  

     Vancampen says the transition here will take her a year or two to get completely settled even though a lot of aspects are similar to this job as her previous job. She “will be spending a lot of time learning the new rules and policies Maryland has.”  

     Vancampen is also employed at Harford Tech meaning her time is split between the two schools. She is in North Harford on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  

     “Just having a real office is a big step up from my previous jobs,” Vancampen says. To better help her students she explains she tries to reflect on her teenage years to relate to students better. “Sometimes high school can be one size does not fit all,” Vancampen states.