W.C. Petty Elementary School

 What are School Psychologists?

School psychologists are uniquely qualified members of school teams that support students' ability to learn and teachers' ability to teach. They apply expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior, to help children and youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. School psychologists partner with families, teachers, school administrators, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments that strengthen connections between home, school, and the community.

What Do School Psychologists Do?

School psychologists provide direct support and interventions to students, consult with teachers, families, and other school-employed mental health professionals (i.e., school counselors, school social workers) to improve support strategies, work with school administrators to improve school-wide practices and policies, and collaborate with community providers to coordinate needed services.

They help schools successfully:

*Improve Academic Achievement

*Promote Positive Behavior and Mental Health

*Support Diverse Learners

*Create Safe, Positive School Climates

*Strengthen Family-School Partnerships

*Improve School-Wide Assessment and Accountability Monitor individual student progress in academics and behavior

Why Do Children Need School Psychologists?

All children and youth can face problems from time to time related to learning; social relationships; making difficult decisions; or managing emotions such as feeling depressed, anxious, worried, or isolated. School psychologists help students, families, educators, and members of the community understand and resolve both long-term, chronic problems and short-term issues that students may face. They are a highly skilled and ready resource in the effort to ensure that all children and youth thrive in school, at home, and in life. 

How Do I Contact the School Psychologist? 

Mrs. Luoma works at W.C. Petty Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:15-3:40 and on Wednesday's from 8:15-4:00. She can be reached directly by phone at 847-838-8175 or by email at lluoma@antioch34.com. Please don't hesitiate to reach out about anything! 

Meet Mrs. Luoma

I have worked in Antioch School District #34 for 19 years! When I first started in Antioch, I worked both at Antioch Upper Grade School and W.C. Petty School. I did that for probably 10 years going back and forth between buildings. Although it was challenging, I enjoyed working with age groups. I have been blessed to work solely at W.C. Petty School for the past 9 years. Over the past 19 years, I have worked with numerous principals who have taught me so much! My first principal was Mary Kay McNeill. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to learn from her, as a new school psychologist in the field. I have been around for a long time and it's been exciting watching our district grow into what it is today!  

I truly love working at W.C. Petty School. The principals, support staff, and teachers are truly amazing and care so much about the academic and social/emotional growth of all of our students! The renovated building is awesome and out of it I was "awarded" a brand new office. It is huge which allows me to have plenty of lunch dates with students! The addition of the kindergarten and first grade students to W.C. Petty has been awesome! The littles are adorable and bring a lot of energy to the building.  

Now for a little more about me.... I was born and raised in Battle Creek, Michigan. I attended Michigan State University where I earned my bachelor's degree in Psychology. I took a year off after graduating from Michigan State and traveled to Europe with my younger sister. We visited so many countries, learned a great deal, and had an amazing and unforgettable time! I attended Indiana State University where I graduated with an Educational Specialist degree in School Psychology. Following college graduation, I got the job in Antioch and moved to the Milwaukee area where I've lived since 2011. Even though my drive to work is quite long, I love coming to work every day to see my students!  

I am married and have two children, Ella (age 16) and Claire (age 14). I have 3 dogs (Layla, Jazzy, and Emmy). Emmy is the most recent addition to her family. She is a 5-month old puppy who we rescued from a shelter. :) When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my family. I love to travel as much as I can. The beach is truly my happy place and my current office theme is actually the beach. I spend a lot of time with my crazy dogs! I enjoy working in the garden throughout the summer. Lastly, I am a big time sports mom. Much of my time is spent getting them to where they need to be and watching them play volleyball in a gym or on the beach.