Testimonials:

• Tara’s bottom line approach to aiding and assisting, treating and releasing and investigating and researching gets to the heart of the matter in a timely fashion. The sincere compassion with which Tara  engages parents, children and co-workers makes her approachable and safe. Time and again, Tara demonstrates a wisdom and understanding of mental health, social and behavioral concerns, as well as emotional issues. Tara  is a consummate employee and personal supporter. Her willingness to share her expertise in living well and in addition to being motivated to achieve happiness and self-fulfillment is what makes Tara someone to know and benefit from in a singular manner. She is a living breathing model of her beliefs and vision.  I can not speak highly enough of this individual and endorse her unconditionally.

– B.M., School Social Worker/Private Practice Therapist

• Tara is very effective in collaborating and following up with peers, parents, teachers, outside agencies, and other medical professionals when gathering their perspectives on fostering success in struggling children. She epitomizes the meaning of “team player,” is extremely loyal, persistent, hard working, highly effective at her profession, and sincere. Once you have the pleasure to meet Tara and or speak with her, you will quickly realize that she has a genuine interest in the development and learning of ALL children. She cares deeply about her role as a psychologist but most importantly about being a wholesome person.  

– S. A., Dean of Students

• As the school nurse, students would often initially present to my office with physical complaints.  Through investigation and repetition of complaints, a suspicion of anxiety would be recognized. I would then contact Tara, who would promptly respond.  Together, we would address the concerns, have conversation with the student, followed by contact with a parent or guardian. Tara would provide next step instructions, resources for therapy if warranted and would keep in regular contact with the student during school hours.  Over the course of the year, we were able to see the results of interventions and observe positive changes in the educational environment.

I cannot speak enough to the knowledge I received from Tara and the ease with which we worked.  She is kind-hearted and compassionate and would stop what she was doing at a moment’s notice to address an issue.  Her calming demeanor is non-threatening and students respond to her and open up. Parents reported positive experiences with her as well, and would continue to reach out when they had concerns about their student.  School staff had the utmost respect for Tara and it was not uncommon for staff to seek her out versus others when they had any mental health related student concerns. – K. C., School Nurse

• Tara is a champion for all of her students.  However, a particular strength that should be noted is her ability to form trusting relationships with some of our most challenging students.  She was able to break down the barriers these children built up, convince them to trust and share and eventually commit to a plan that was tailored to help them succeed.  A dedicated team player, Tara would then work with the teachers, parents and support staff of the student to see that the action plan was working properly.

– A.M., Guidance Counselor

• My son was the target of bullying. He developed severe anxiety and as a result, was depressed and he went from an honor roll student to Ds and Fs. He ate lunch alone in the library and he no longer wanted to play the sports he so loved. We sought help both in school and outside of school but he was resistant and nothing was working. Then he met Ms. Reddington, the school psychologist. He connected with her immediately and trusted her from the first time he met with her.  We were amazed that he was agreeable to continue to meet with her and he even sought her out independently.  In addition, she had valuable insight and recommendations for my husband and I in helping our son and making decisions for high school placement. She is an amazing professional and I’m so thankful for her expertise at a time when we were overwhelmed and didn’t know where to turn.  Ms. Reddington’s knowledge, experience and ability to connect with children as well as parents are a valuable gift.  She is very dedicated to her profession and cares deeply about her students and their families.  She helped us through an extremely difficult time and has had such a positive impact on my son. I am not sure he would have made it through 8th grade without her support.  

–K.M., 8th grade parent

• I am so appreciative of the role you played in not only helping interface with my son’s teachers, but also all of the one-on-one time you spent helping him grow and learn to cope. My son’s fourth grade experience can easily be separated into two sections….before and after Ms. Red.  From the bottom of my heart, Thank you!

– 4th grade parent

• Mrs. Reddington, or “Ms. Red”, as my son calls her, was assigned to his “case” as soon as she got to our school. To put it mildly, we were in crisis-mode.  I had a little boy struggling with ADHD and so riddled with anxiety that he was getting headaches and throwing up multiple times a week. I met with the teachers, administrators, special educators/coordinators, and support personnel multiple times but to no avail.  His struggles were affecting all parts of his life: academics, classroom experience, home life, health and relationships both at home and at school. The circumstances were so desperate that we were about to begin home-schooling, then Ms. Red got involved.

From our first meeting, I knew he would finally get the support he needed. Mrs. Reddington seemed to “get” him better than anyone else had at the school.  Within the first week or two, the headaches and throwing up stopped and shortly thereafter, he began to make significant progress in home and at school. While I’m sure this can be partially attributed to her advocating for my son to the relevant parties, the overwhelming majority is due to the one-on-one work she did with him. She helped him to learn how to accept responsibility for his choices but also how to advocate for himself appropriately in a school setting.  My son describes Ms. Red as nice, calm and optimistic. He said that before Ms. Red, everything made him mad but now he knows how to control his feelings and he isn’t always mad and out of control. He learned so much about how to identify his feelings, how to have a conversation about them, work through them and maintain emotional control even in stressful situations.

I would add that Mrs. Reddington is the most caring, invested and dedicated professional we have had the pleasure of interacting with during my children’s education.  She went beyond the call to communicate with me and gave me insights about my child and how to best help and advocate for him. Because of her, my son got his smile and youthful innocence back, his grades improved, he formed relationships with teachers, friendships and other students, and gained a new level of independence.  While, I personally am saddened that my son will not have her at school, I am not worried about him and he is not worried about the upcoming school year.

– K. P., 4th grade parent

• Since we have a child that has difficulty coping with anxiety, we know the strain that it can place on a child, the home environment and the family.  When our daughter entered middle school, she found it hard to adapt to her new environment. We were extremely fortunate to have Tara Reddington as her school psychologist at the time.  At our first meeting with Tara and our daughter’s teachers to discuss her learning disability diagnosis, we felt at ease with Mrs. Reddington and that our child would get the support she needed in order to succeed at her new school.  When you are in Tara’s presence, you immediately know that she cares for children, has a variety of strategies that meet individual’s specific needs and is an effective communicator, not only with parents and guardians, but also with the children.

Mrs. Reddington is an effective communicator.  When she talks with the children, Tara is talking with the students instead of at them, and they feel that they are part of the conversation where their voices matter.  As far as parents and guardians, my husband and I appreciated her openness and communication while our daughter was at school. She always returned our emails and answered our calls in a way that made us feel comfortable and valued.  If there were issues that she felt that we needed to be informed about, she contacted us. For instance, our child was in a social situation that exposed her to issues that were not good for her mental health. Not only was I told about the circumstances in a way that protected all of the children’s identities, but also, I was coached in how I could guide my daughter through this delicate time and help her to handle the situation in a positive way.

Tara Reddington genuinely cares for children and their families. Because of her caring nature and her plethora of strategies and skills that she uses to assist children, she is effective at gaining their trust and helping them to cope with their anxieties in a healthy manner.  I have no doubt that she will be successful in her new coaching venture and make a positive impact for years to come.   

– R. M., Middle School Parent

• The school nurse referred us to Tara and we were so pleased and impressed with her immediate responsiveness.  Tara was understanding but also firm which was exactly what was needed to face the makeup work ahead. Tara was instrumental in helping him (and his parents) in taking this challenge on and using effective coping skills and techniques.  Tara was able to quickly assess our son and implement strategies and provide education about anxiety to help him understand himself better.  Tara provided us much short term intervention with long term results, allowing our son to face the situation and deal with it successfully.

Tara was extremely helpful in moving our son from a place where he was feeling lost and overwhelmed to a place where he felt things were manageable and his perspective shifted toward a more positive outlook.  Tara gave him concrete solutions and practical suggestions, under somewhat time sensitive conditions.  Once the immediate crisis was over, Tara made the extra effort then to reach out to us and provide some suggestions and referrals for the summer so that starting high school would be a positive experience.

I just cannot say enough about Tara and I welcome any inquiry.

– M. S., High School Parent

• Her ability and gift to see clearly what is troubling a child is astounding!  She reached out to me personally with such care and concern. We continue to have conversations regarding both my children.  She has helped immensely with teaching all of us to work better as a family unit. I would highly recommend if you need guidance with your children or family that Tara has the skills and compassion that necessary for counseling. – K. T., High School and Middle School Parent

• Please allow me to take some time to talk about Ms. Reddington.  In short, my son would not have made it through this school year without the assistance of Ms. Reddington.  You see, my son has been diagnosed with anxiety and possible autism spectrum disorder. Though very intelligent, he has a lot of trouble with school.  He can easily become stressed at school, which can result in disruptive behaviors in class, meltdowns, and panic attacks. Ms. Reddington worked with my son during the entire school year to assist him through his school year. Teachers and administrative staff would page her if she was in a meeting because they were confident in her ability to work with him and calm him down.

Ms. Reddington herself perpetuates the calm and friendly atmosphere with her own demeanor.  She speaks kindly to her students and listens quietly to everything that they want to say to her.

Even outside of her required work hours, she met with my son and I together and worked with us until the situation was resolved. In addition, she spoke with my son’s outside providers to provide a continuation of care at school.  

I know that we are only one family that she has worked with over the course of her 18 years in the field, and that many more could also attest to her talent and kindness, and her willingness to go above and beyond to help her students and families.  I only wish that we could work with her for more time, but I know that she has other children and families who need her just as much as we did.

– J. T. , Middle School Parent

• One of Tara’s strengths is her ability to build and sustain relationships with staff, students and parents. Mrs. Reddington is a team player and embraces collaborative practice. She frequently conferences with teachers and parents and is focused on arriving at solutions.  Parent collaboration is another strength and Tara understands the importance of communication with parents and outside providers in coordinating a student’s care.

Mrs. Reddington is a valued member of 504, special education and RTI meetings. She works with teams in better understanding a student’s strengths and needs and providing targeted, evidence-based supports. Tara is well-versed on special education and 504 regulations and adheres to evaluation timelines. Tara assists teams in developing effective goals and objectives as well as accommodations that are related to the student’s specific disability.

Tara cares deeply about the students with whom she works and is a strong advocate for students with disabilities. She is a valuable resource and teachers turn to her when they have concerns about a student’s behavioral presentation, academic progress, or their social/emotional well-being. Teachers can rely on Tara to follow through and to provide targeted recommendations or to implement a specific course of action aligned to student need.  

-A. S.,  Assistant Special Education Director

• I have had the privilege to spend a lot of time working with Mrs. Reddington in many capacities.   It is always evident that she is enthusiastic and works to to her full potential and beyond. It was immediately evident after first meeting Tara that she has a love for the profession and a sincere interest in and concern for the students. She is able to analyze and interpret multiple sets of data, identify students who have deficit areas, and assist the team in determining appropriate interventions for students. A noticeable strength that Tara brings to the table is her ability to respectfully push back on colleagues in the best interest of the student, which causes them and myself to be more reflective and data driven.  

Tara is frequently called upon by building and district administration to design and implement staff professional development targeting social and emotional domains.      

– S. M. , MIddle School Assistant Principal

She is active and visible throughout the building and meets each student with genuine care and concern. Her interactions with each student are thoughtful and her solutions are creative. Mrs. Reddington is a valuable team member who works in a number of roles throughout the building. She meets with students and families to form partnerships that are essential to student success. Additionally, she is a member of 504 meetings, retention prevention meetings, Response to Intervention meetings, and special education meetings. Every action that Mrs. Reddington makes is guided by her dedication to student success.    -G. P. , Middle School Counselor/Dean of Students