Counselor's Notebook, October 2008

Volume 45

Number 2

www.masca.org

October 2008

Getting on Board with MASCA

KAREN D’AMOUR MASCA President

I

t is pretty easy to get on board with the month of October. The days still have some warmth to them, and the nights are nice and cool for sleeping. Of course, as a school counselor at this point in the school year, sleep may be in short supply.

These fall days have a bounty of fresh vegetables and colorful leaves; but as a school counselor, you have a bounty of school work and meetings, and you are often torn as to whether or not you have the time and energy to add yet another item to your agenda.

On October 23, MASCA will host the fall conference at the Holiday Inn in Boxborough. This will be an opportunity you will not want to miss. You will be able to network with peers and take part in some professional development opportunities that will become vital to you in your role as a school counselor.

This year’s ASCA president, Jim Bierma, will speak about advocacy on both the counselor and student levels. This past summer I had the pleasure of hearing him.

His passion for the profession and his personal stories left most of us with a moist eye and a heartfelt appreciation for the

gift that is our profession.

How do we convey what we do to those who need to hear it? Learn more about the “how to’s” when you meet with educational and political leaders within the state as well as listen to Carey Dimmitt, Ph.D. He speaks from a background rich in research about how to take your guidance curriculum from good to great.

The conference will also offer a muchappreciated, valuable extended session with Barent Walsh, Ph.D. He has extensive knowledge on how to work with students who self-injure. He will take you from understanding self-injury to the new

developments on treating it. I have one of his books and have listened to him speak on two occasions. Both times I walked away with a wealth of information that was presented in a “that makes sense” kind of way.

Now is the time to get on board for the fall conference. It just might be the best thing that you do for yourself all month. I am confident that you will gain both professionally and personally from this experience. Hope to see you there.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at damourk@ mersd.org. ■

MASCA 2008 Fall Conference Get on Board: Advocacy, Accountability, Affiliates October 23, 2008 • Holiday Inn, Boxborough Register online at www.masca.org or by using the form on page 10.

Inside . . .

A Blueprint for MASCA

By Katie Gray .................................... 4 Finding Common Ground

By Kim Gangwisch-Marsh ................ 8 Fall Conference Registration Form ......10

Collaboration: The Key to Implementation

By Cynthia Esielionis .............. 11 Lessons Learned and Shared

By Kathleen Scott................... 12 Affiliate News ..............................18

Counseling Advocacy Workshop: Setting the Agenda Crowne Plaza Hotel • Worcester Tuesday, November 18, 2008 9:30 am (9:00 am, breakfast and greeting) – 3:00 pm COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK 2008 – 2009 PRESIDENT KAREN M. D’AMOUR Manchester Essex Regional High School 36 Lincoln Street, Manchester, MA 01944 Tel. 978-526-7641 • Fax 978-526-2044 E-mail: damourk@mersd.org PRESIDENT-ELECT CHRISTINE EVANS Director of Guidance East Bridgewater High School 11 Plymouth Street, East Bridgewater, MA 02333 E-mail: cevans@EBPS.net PAST PRESIDENT JENNIFER JUST McGUIRE Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School 220 Sandwich Road, Bourne, MA 02532 Tel. 508-759-7711 x247 • E-mail: jmcguire@uppercapetech.org VICE PRESIDENT ELEMENTARY AMANNDA BARTRAM Lynn Public Schools, Lynn, MA 01902 E-mail: bartrama@lynnschools.org VICE PRESIDENT MIDDLE / JUNIOR HIGH RICHARD WHITE Gateway Regional Middle School 12 Littleville Road, Huntington, MA 01050 E-mail: RWhite@GRSD.org VICE PRESIDENT SECONDARY JENNIFER LISK Medway High School Medway, MA 02053 E-mail: lisk@medway.k12.ma.us VICE PRESIDENT POSTSECONDARY JAY LEIENDECKER Vice President Enrollment Services, Dean College Tel. 508-541-1509 • Fax 508-541-8726 E-mail: jleiendecker@dean.edu VICE PRESIDENT ADMINISTRATORS CAROLYN RICHARDS Somerville High School Somerville, MA E-mail: crichards@k12.somerville.ma.us VICE PRESIDENT COUNSELOR EDUCATORS FELICIA L. WILCZENSKI, Ed.D. Professor and Associate Dean Graduate College of Education UMass Boston, Boston, MA 02125 E-mail: Felicia.Wilczenski@umb.edu VICE PRESIDENT RETIREES RALPH SENNOTT P.O. Box 1391, Westford, MA 01886 Tel. 978-692-8244 • E-mail: ralphsennott@hotmail.com EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THOMAS HUGHART Wellesley High School, Wellesley, MA 02481 Tel. 781-446-6305 x5142 • Fax 781-446-6308 E-mail: thom_hughart@wellesley.mec.edu TREASURER TINA KARIDOYANES P.O. Box 1007, Monument Beach, MA 02553 Tel. 508-759-3986 • E-mail: tkaridoyanes@gmail.com SECRETARY ANN HOURIGAN North Reading High School, North Reading, MA 01864 Tel. 978-664-7800 • E-mail: annhourigan@yahoo.com Questions concerning membership in the Massachusetts School Counselors Association should be addressed to:

MASCA has partnered with NEACAC and the College Board to advocate for school counseling in Massachusetts. Your help is needed.

All MASCA members are invited to participate in a FREE advocacy workshop on Tuesday, November 18, 9:30 am to 3:00 pm at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Worcester.

The workshop will be conducted by Carey Dimmitt of UMass Amherst and the Center for School Counseling Outcome Research (CSCOR) and Lori Fresina of M & R Strategic Services.

The purpose of the workshop is to set the agenda for our Legislative Action Day at the Massachusetts State House in Boston on Wednesday, February 4, 2009. For more inormation, contact Brad MacGowan at bmacgowan@comcast.net or Bob Bardwell at BardwellR@monsonschools.com.

Breakfast and lunch are included. To register, send an email to Brad MacGowan at bmacgowan@comcast.net. Include your name, school/college/organization, your voting address, and a phone number. You will be sent a confirmation with a map /directions and other information. ■

MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR DEBORAH CLEMENCE P.O. Box 805, East Dennis, MA 02641 E-mail: DeborahClemence@verizon.net The Counselor’s Notebook is published by the Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Inc. 10 times a year, September through June. The yearly subscription rate is $20.00; individual issues are $2.00.

Opinions expressed in the articles published herein represent the ideas and/or beliefs of those who write them and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Inc. The acceptance of an advertisement for publication does not imply MASCA endorsement of the advertiser’s programs, services, or views expressed. © 2008 by the Massachusetts School Counselors Association.

All rights reserved.

Questions concerning submission of articles, publication deadlines, advertising rates, etc., should be addressed to: SALLY A. CONNOLLY, Editor 19 Bayberry Road, Danvers, MA 01923 Tel. 978-774-8158 • Fax 978-750-8154 E-mail: sallyconnolly@att.net

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

OCTOBER 2008

3

A Blueprint for MASCA

MASCA 2008 Fall Conference Get on Board: Advocacy, Accountability, Affiliates Holiday Inn, Boxborough October 23, 2008 Join colleagues from around the state for a stimulating day of professional development.

• Renew your MASCA membership to qualify for a reduced fee.

• Pay by check or purchase order only.

• Your official registration will be confirmed.

For details, go to www.masca.org.

4

By KATIE GRAY MASCA Past President MA Model Committee Co-Chair

I

am excited to learn that under Bob Bardwell and Brad MacGowan’s leadership, MASCA is partnering with the College Board to plan an advocacy campaign. This is an awesome opportunity for MASCA to put the spotlight on the critically important work of school counselors.

This campaign is absolutely necessary because— despite all the wonderful work that has been done by counselors throughout the state to use the framework of the MA Model to bring school counselors to the ed reform table — our profession still remains at the periphery, with many stakeholders undervaluing our work.

The challenge of this advocacy campaign is where to shine the spotlight.

What is the message we want to convey?

What are we advocating for? I believe that the answers to these questions involve • building the case that school counselors are uniquely positioned to help drive the 21st century education agenda forward, and • highlighting results from schools that have begun to implement the MA Model, so that all of our stakeholders begin to understand the value of the role and function of the 21st century school counselor.

Education reform in our state, as outlined in Governor Patrick’s Ready for 21st Century Success report released last spring, focuses on four broad goals: 1. Raise the achievement of all students 2. Elevate teaching to a recognized profession capable of attracting the most highly qualified candidates 3. Ensure that every student is prepared to take advantage of higher education, employment, and lifelong learning opportunities 4. Unleash innovation broadly, allowing the power of new ideas and new approaches to transform the system.

The Governor’s report barely references school counselors, despite the fact that the work we have been doing over the last several years should have put us front and center as key players in changCOUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

ing the outdated 20th century educational system referenced throughout the report.

Here is where our advocacy work needs to begin: educating our legislators and other stakeholders about how school counselors and conditions favorable to implementing the MA Model are necessary to realize Governor Patrick’s goals!

Looking at Goal #4, the MA Model is the kind of new idea/approach that is capable of helping to transform the current system. By requiring counselors to learn to use data, a MA Model counseling program helps identify those students who need additional supports in order to succeed (Goal #1).

School counselors implementing the Model have begun to develop curriculum for students and parents, which helps to make the college application process open to more students and encourages more students to take higher level courses (Goal #3).

Counselors across Massachusetts are beginning to teach lessons designed to help students acquire 21st century skills such as communication, collaboration, self-direction, and motivation (Goals #1 and #3).

Many more linkages can be made between the Patrick administration’s Education Action Agenda and the work of school counselors implementing the MA Model. When the group gets together next month in Worcester to plan MASCA’s advocacy campaign, I believe that this crosswalk needs to be completed, so that it can be presented clearly and succinctly to our legislators in February.

Following this blueprint, those planning the advocacy campaign must work with schools that are already implementing the Model. They need to collect data that will convince our legislators that all schools in Massachusetts must have the conditions necessary to implement the Model effectively, as do • Greater New Bedford Tech, where counselors and vocational instructors are piloting a new curriculum designed to prepare students for the 21st century workplace • East Longmeadow, Wellesley, Milford, Hopkinton, Ludlow, and many more, where guidance seminars are educating students about the college admissions process • Somerville, Brighton HS, Natick, Agawam, King Phillip, and Bellingham, OCTOBER 2008

which are part of the Life Science Career Development Program sponsored by Mass Bioed, where counselors are teaming with science teachers to promote careers in the life sciences • Assabet Valley Voc Tech and Chicopee, which are using counselors to lead their school’s participation in the State Scholars Program, where students are encouraged to take a rigorous curriculum and maintain solid grades.

The College Board could help with data collection at these and other schools and,

thus, build the case for the important role school counselors must play in advancing the reform agenda.

I would like to see the MASCA advocacy task group join forces with the MA Model committee to flush out the details of this suggested blueprint. Together we can create a convincing case that inspires legislators and other stakeholders to support the work of school counselors as strong and vital contributors to the Massachusetts 21st Century Education Action Agenda. ■

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5

Choosing the Right Course

THOM HUGHART MASCA Executive Director

H

ere we are well into the new school year with all that it brings: excitement, hope, renewal, improvements, and

changes. One thing that doesn’t change, I think, is the expectation that we can do it all and do it all the time. As I enter my seventeenth year as a school counselor, and my tenth year as a director, I think I have finally experienced an insight, an epiphany, a revelation.

As you would imagine, it happened while I was playing golf with a couple of friends (my principal and one of the assistant principals). We were discussing what messages we could send to our new teachers — things we would like to share with them to help them have long and rewarding teaching careers.

The principal said we needed to get the

Mission of MASCA The mission of MASCA is to advocate for school counselors in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by providing leadership, collaboration, and professional development.

6

new staff to relax, to take a deep breath, and trust that all will work out. The assistant principal agreed, saying we have to explain that they will never get everything expected of them done. There will always be stuff in the “in box.”

Of course, I agreed with all of this, realizing that between the three of us we had about seventy years experience working in education. But this conversation got me to thinking about effectiveness, expectations, goals, and accomplishments.

We are all being asked to multi-task (not even a word a few years ago). We are expected to accomplish a myriad of things, some of which are our responsibility and some of which were just sent to us because there was no one else to do them.

We have personal goals intermingled with professional goals, and we dance to a variety of mission statements and vision statements. We like to end our day, our week, our terms, and our years with measurable accomplishments.

Here’s my new “ah-ha” experience.

It has two parts: the “ah” part and the “ha” part.

First, the “ah” part. When we survey the mass of tasks facing us (classes to teach, calls to make, reports to write, people to see, meetings to attend, articles/ books to read, people to speak with, and on and on) we must prioritize, before acting. Think, reflect, determine, and choose.

Accept reality. We won’t get everything accomplished. But rather than be frozen by indecision and the dreaded sense of being overwhelmed, make a choice, an intelligent one.

Next is the “ha” side of the equation.

For every Plan A we need to have at least three Plan Bs. If Plan A works, recycle the aforementioned Plan Bs. If Plan A doesn’t work, start cycling through the Plan Bs. One of them will probably work.

If we prioritize well, we will accomplish the most important thing first. If our Plan A— addressing our priority number one—is not successful, we are still prepared with three backup plans. We go home feeling we have succeeded in accomplishing something important, which is better than feeling we accomplished a lot of “stuff.”

One more thing I realized that morning.

Revelations don’t really work well on the golf course. ■ COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

OCTOBER 2008

7

Finding Common Ground

By KIM GANGWISCH-MARSH MASCA Human Rights Committee Chair

L

ast spring, Franklin County Technical School’s student council held a series of after-school forums. The intent of these forums was to encourage frank discussion around racial issues lurking, unaddressed, in the school. These discussions opened a few eyes.

This school year we did two things.

Prior to our opening we invited Hadley’s Race/Class Intersection program coordinator, Rhonda Soto, to speak to admin-

istration, faculty, and staff around just that: racism and classism. Also, at the start of the school year, all ninth graders participated in a classroom discussion focused around positive campus culture and what is and is not acceptable behavior and language.

In order to set the tone, Rhonda took us through a series of “common ground” statements. The beginning statements were rather benign: “If you didn’t get enough

MASCA Fall Conference “Get on Board” • Holiday Inn, Boxborough October 23, 2008 Workshops • Networking • Exhibits For information, go to www.masca.org.

8

sleep last night . . .” or “If you are a Boston Red Sox fan . . .” They were meant to break the ice and to include most of us who stood up in answer. As the exercise developed, however, the statements became more poignant: “If you were raised in a single parent household . . .”

“If you were ever on public assistance . . .”

“If you had interracial parents . . .”

“If you went to prep school . . .”

In the conclusion of this exercise, the option to name our own statements established the “common ground.” The only requirement was that, in order to make a statement, we had to have experienced what we stated. Initially we had identified our differences. When creating our own statements, it was the similarities we sought. Here we found likeness through similarities, where we once thought there might be none. This is a great exercise to do with kids.

Despite the fact that most of us believe we are not prejudiced, all of us hold some preconceived ideas about something. If we are to truly combat the “ism’s,” we must be honest with ourselves. Like the students we work with, we too are products of backgrounds that can creep unexpectedly into conversations or situations and influence the culture of the school and the behavior of those students we work with.

For instance, if a student makes an inappropriate but conceivably funny, racial, sexist, or biased joke, all eyes turn toward the teacher. If there is any indication of a smile, smirk, or physical reaction that indicates the teacher found this joke humorous, this unacceptable behavior is given carte blanche. The same goes for those remarks or behaviors that happen during lunch or passing time that are ignored or unaddressed by nearby adults.

Our time with Rhonda was a powerful lesson in how inclusive “common ground” can be. It isn’t what makes us different that changes minds and attitudes. It’s what makes us the same. The more things we can find we have in common, the less other things seem to matter. ■ COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

OCTOBER 2008

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MASCA 2008 Fall Conference

Get On Board: Advocacy, Accountability, Affiliates October 23, 2008

•

•

Holiday Inn, Boxborough

www.masca.org

Inquiries to: Helen O’Donnell, Conference Chair, helenod@worldnet.att.net or pdchair@masca.org

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FORM Only checks and purchase orders will be accepted for registration.

MASCA membership must be current (paid) by October 1, 2008 to qualify for reduced member rates. PO’s in process are NOT paid. Membership renewal information is available at www.masca.org. Click on “Member” tab, log in to Members Only Area, follow directions. Or e-mail inquiry to: Membership@masca.org Check www.masca.org for online registration information. A registration form MUST be completed and submitted to the conference registrar online (preferably) or by mail, regardless of payment method.

Refund Policy: All refund requests must be received in writing on/before October 15 at helenod@worldnet.att.net.

There will be a $20 processing fee charged.

Hotel information/room reservations: Ask for MASCA rooms, 978-263-8701; AV rentals: 978-263-8701.

FIRST NAME ________________________________ LAST NAME _______________________________________________ Are you a MASCA Member?

Yes

No

MASCA membership must be current through October 1 to qualify for member rate. Check membership status on CN address label or online at www.masca.org, or e-mail inquiries to Membership Coordinator, DeborahClemence@verizon.net.

My primary MASCA e-mail address is _________________________________________________________ (required for automated conference registration confirmation)

Preferred mailing address:

School/Work (include school name)

Home

__________________________________________________________________________________________ Position/Title: __________________________________________ Elementary

Middle School

High School

Is this your first MASCA Conference?

Yes

Administrator

No

Retired

Grad Student

Counselor Educator

Are you a Graduate Student?

Yes

No

Choose your extended afternoon session: Barent Walsh, Ph.D. “New Development in Understanding & Treatment of Self-Injury” Carey Dimmitt, Ph.D. “Moving Curriculum from Good to Great” I will not be able to stay for the extended afternoon training session (1:15-3:45pm) Registration type (check category and options) Registration includes breakfast, snack, lunch, keynote, workshops, and exhibits

MASCA Member

Non-MASCA member

To qualify, must be current MASCA member and registration MUST be postmarked or completed online by 10/1

$105

$155

Registration (after 10/1/08)

Retiree Presenter Graduate Student

Early Bird Rate (ends 10/1) $55

$115

$65

$65

2008-2009 10-PDP fee

$25

$25

$25

PO Processing Fee (if applicable)

$10

$10

$10

$______________

$______________

Total Amount Due: Payment by check

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Payment by Purchase Order

jdfitz02188@comcast.net

Complete registration form (1 per person).

Electronically forward registration form and PO # to Joe Fitzgerald, Registrar.

List ALL persons registered for conference on PO. Make PO payable to: MASCA. A $10 PO processing fee will be added to PO. You will be sent an invoice electronically to submit for payment via your school/business protocol.

PO Number _______________________________

Checks payable to: MASCA or MA School Counselors Association

Business Office contact (NAME) _______________________________________________ and e-mail (required) _____________________________________________

Complete registration form (1 per person).

Mail form with full payment to:

Joe Fitzgerald, Registrar 5 Progress St. Weymouth 02186

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

Collaboration: The Key to Implementation

By CYNTHIA ESIELIONIS Guidance Counselor, Ayer Middle High School

T

o begin implementing the MA Model in my school, collaboration was critical. The first piece was discussing the movement with the administration. One of our assistant principals, a former guidance counselor, readily supported my efforts to implement the model. The principal was open to discussions, read the model, and discussed the initiative with the superintendent, who subsequently gave his support as well. He even came to the MASCA fall conference.

To begin implementation I needed to find a curriculum that all counselors were comfortable using and that was appropriate for grades 6-12. I presented three options to the counselors, and we agreed on the Choices program through Bridges Transitions, Inc. The next issue was to find the funding to purchase the site license. Although there was no money in the budget available for such an expense, the Ayer Education Foundation was accepting grant proposals. AEF, a local organization comprised of community members, seeks to support teacher initiatives that will help the students of the Ayer Public Schools.

Since the grant needed to be approved by the principal and superintendent, I attached a copy of the Model to ensure that the committee had as much information as possible about the direction school counseling is going and the rationale behind implementing the model. My grant was approved, and I learned later that this was due, in part, to the fact that the initiative would serve all students in grades 6-12.

In mid-December we had a representative come to the school and train the counseling staff and one teacher, who would be assisting in the initiative. In order to complete the training, the administration agreed to have the counselors in training for the day, and they arranged for a substitute for the middle school technology teacher, Barbara Dyer, who had agreed to work with us.

Next, the counselors collaborated with Mrs. Dyer and agreed to devote the third

OCTOBER 2008

term of her technology class to using specific portions of the Choices Explorer program for the entire middle school population. We held class meetings with the students, staff, and administration at the end of the first semester to introduce the program to everyone. We also held a meeting with the other enhancement teachers, so that the entire faculty would be aware of what we were doing. We then followed up with an e-mail to both the middle and high school faculties.

After the first rotation, we saw what incredible work the students had done.

Mrs. Dyer displayed their projects on the technology bulletin board by grade level.

The students were able to synthesize the information they found on the Choices site into clear descriptions of an occupation of the individual’s choice, making it that much more meaningful to each student. Members of the AEF were made aware of the bulletin board and have responded favorably.

The task for the remainder of the year is to integrate the Choices Planner into the high school curriculum. Again, with the collaboration with teachers and the continued support of the administration, Ayer Middle High School should be able to achieve this goal, furthering the implementation of the MA Model. ■

To respond to an article in the CN, write to Sally A. Connolly, 19 Bayberry Road, Danvers, MA 01923, or e-mail her at sallyconnolly@att.net.

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Lessons Learned and Shared

By KATHLEEN SCOTT Guidance Counselor, Amesbury Middle School

I

had a unique and challenging experience during this past school year. For sixteen years I have been a high school guidance counselor in vocational and comprehensive high school settings. After five years of budget cuts and a school renovation project that stretched from the planned two years into four, a man-

12

agement decision was made to eliminate a counseling position at our high school.

Simultaneously, a retirement was occurring at our middle school, prompting my request for a meeting with that school’s principal to discuss the possibility of my working with their students and staff.

Following that meeting and before leav-

ing a few weeks early for bilateral knee replacements, I submitted a request for a transfer. During my recovery, I received a phone call from the District Guidance Director letting me know that my request for transfer had been accepted. I would be working with our middle school, Grades 5-8, when I returned to school in September. The anxiety set in.

You’ve heard the saying, “Be careful what you ask for. Sometimes you get it.”

After observing middle school students over the years, I often wondered how they (the staff) did it. Middle schoolers seemed like such active, little whirling dervishes that I was convinced that the adults in their building were either crazy or saints and maybe a bit of both. I’m not going to lie, for the first time in many years I wondered if I had what it took to do the job, especially as well as they did.

In my search to train for my new job, I stumbled upon the MASCA Model Implementation program, and I decided to use it as my framework for learning my new job. Make no mistake about it, although I am still a counselor, this job is different from the one I trained for over the previous sixteen years.

My fellow counselor in the middle school was also experiencing health issues, which forced her to work three days per week. And prior to her illness she had agreed to take on a counseling intern. We decided that we would both work with the intern rather than leave her without a training site. Of course, not only had I never worked in a middle school, I had never supervised an intern. Concerned that I would shortchange her, I decided to use the MASCA Model Program to train her, even as I retrained myself to the unique needs of the middle school setting.

The three of us collaborated to write a mission statement and create a calendar. When I wrote lesson plans, I taught the intern how to do so as well. She shared in the resources I had amassed over the years, giving them all a new perspective.

Using this framework, she quickly became an integral part of our counseling team.

COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

She joined MASCA and even presented alongside experienced professional counselors at the MASCA spring conference.

Lessons learned I quickly learned that the problems of bullying and harassment are exacerbated during the middle school years, perhaps by social development and the overwhelming effects puberty can have. We made it our mission to deliver lessons and programming in that area, again using the MASCA Model as a framework for our planning and delivery of classroom activities.

A planning committee evolved. In addition to the intern and me, it included a health teacher, two eighth-grade language arts teachers, and a technology teacher, who created a survey and administered it to all students.

We used a major collaborative effort to launch a “No Name Calling” campaign the week prior to February vacation. Ageappropriate programming was delivered to each grade using fifth-grade homeroom teachers, health classes in grades six and seven, eighth-grade language arts classes, peer leaders from both the middle school and high school, peer mediators, and outside community agencies. It was truly a whole community effort. Much of the campaign’s success was due to the tremendous support given by the principal and two assistant principals. They, too, are very special people, possessing a calm, consistent clarity that seems especially necessary with this age group.

All in all, I had a wonderful year! I loved working in the middle school. It’s a much different job from that of a high school counselor.

I also loved having an intern. We all know that teaching strengthens those very skills in the teacher. It definitely breathes new life and knowledge into us. As a result, for selfish reasons, I hope that I always have interns around me.

Most importantly, I learned that I love another aspect of school counseling that I would never have known had this experience not presented itself to me.

I have long subscribed to the philosophy that everything happens for a reason.

The benefits I experienced this past year can’t possibly be adequately described or measured. My message to all of you is to stretch yourselves and try something new this year. You just may love it! ■ OCTOBER 2008

Reminder from MASCA Please check your membership expiration date on the affixed mailing label.

For a membership form, go to MASCA’s website, www.masca.org.

Saturday, October 18 Saturday, November 8 Nursing Focus Day Friday, October 31 Please call to pre-register:

800-338-7057 admission@sjcme.edu

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ED’S VIEWS

N

ED BRYANT, NCC MASCA Armed Forces Liaison

ovember is National Career Development Month. Are you planning a Career Day? If so, do you plan to invite the Armed Services Career Planner?

As MASCA’s Armed Services Liaison, I am concerned about a recent article in a local newspaper that said some schools will not invite local military recruiters to their Career Day programs.

One editorial, for example, stated that Cohasset and Milton, among other

schools, prohibit the U.S. Armed Forces from presenting the many career options as shown by ASVAB testing. Maybe these schools would also exclude Gen. George Washington and Adm. John Paul Jones? Maybe these schools do not teach American history, especially the years of “citizen soldiers” (1775-1776). The schools should review state and federal law.

By the way, November 11 is Veterans Day. Thank a veteran.

November 5 is the Annual Service Academies/ROTC Night, to be held once again at Danversport Yacht Club in Danvers, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Each year approximately three hundred parents and students in grades 9-12 show their interest in learning about these available career options. I look forward to seeing you or your students there.

The RMC system is valuable and interesting. What if your computer is down, or like many retirees, you do not have a computer? For access some look to their local library. In the meantime we need to rely on the Counselor’s Notebook.

Have you heard about Got Books?

This for-profit endeavor has books for teachers and a fund-raising project. Call 978-327-7600, or go to abby@GotBooks.

Is MASCA involved with the Fair Access Coalition to Testing (FACT)? Should we become involved?

At our conferences MASCA tries to assist retirees. Do you volunteer in your community? My latest “crazy yes” is to serve as co-chair of the 375 Celebration Parade in Ipswich. The many events start in March of next year, and the historic parade is scheduled for August 2. Plan to visit history.

In honor of Veterans Day, here are Abraham Lincoln’s words from his 1863 Gettysburg Address: “The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.”

Happy autumn. ■

Annual Service Academies/ ROTC Night November 5 Danversport Yacht Club 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

Making Time Count

A

utumn is here once again. Can you believe it? It seems as if the school year just started; but, somehow, we all get back into a familiar routine, and time begins to fly once again.

Funny how the school year is marked by events that occur on an annual basis.

For me, this time of year is associated with PSATs and apple picking. It is also the time, once again, for us to come together for a day of learning and sharing at the fall MASCA conference.

MASCA continues to make strategic planning a focus for the Governing Board, and your leaders are working hard to serve your needs. This means going well beyond the tangibles for which the organization is known. Our conferences, one of the

JENNIFER McGUIRE MASCA Past President benefits of membership, continue to be stronger in terms of content and attendance.To make this happen, we are working to improve the technology we use to communicate with members and to make registration more seamless.

We all face the challenges of doing our job with limited time and resources. There are never enough hours in the day to see all the students we want to see or to respond to all the voice mails and e-mails from parents. Or to spend time in the classroom, plan and execute events, and handle everything else that ends up in the guidance office. Getting time out of the office seems almost impossible.

However, anyone who has attended a MASCA conference in recent years can tell you that the sacrifice is worth it. Take time out of your busy schedule to attend the MASCA Fall Conference. You will return to your school with more enthusiasm and a stronger commitment to make a difference in the lives of your students. ■

Plan to attend the MASCA Fall Conference!

“Get on Board” • Holiday Inn, Boxborough • October 23, 2008

Art Biology Business Management Chemistry Communication Computer Information Systems Computer Science Criminal Justice Economics Education/Special Education English Environmental Science General Science History Liberal Studies Mathematics Movement Science Music Political Science Psychology Regional Planning Social Work Sociology Theatre Arts

OCTOBER 2008

For more information, please write or call: Westfield State College Admission and Financial Aid Post Office Box 1630 · Westfield, MA 01086 (413) 572-5218 · Toll-free in MA: (800) 322-8401

wsc.ma.edu 15

MASCA Website Update

By RON MILLER MASCA Webmaster

T

he MASCA website (www.masca.org) is growing, with timely information for our members and the public. We are striving to make it as current and accurate as possible.

Once you log onto the site, you can go to the Quick Links section on the upper right of the page and access some of the more active pages. On the main page you will see notices of upcoming conferences and links to further details. In the future we would like to add more features and update the look of the site. Play around on the site, and let us know what you would like to see.

What else can you do on the site? You can (and should) update your membership profile. Many members change jobs, names, or e-mail addresses from year to year. To receive messages from MASCA, we need your current information. Click on the Members tab on the main page, then log in to the secure section. If you’ve

forgotten your username /password, we can send it to you.

Some other features you will find on the site: • Mass Model resources available for download.

• RSS feeds (XML). Click on the small “XML” icon under the Quick Links section to see the postings. If you have an RSS feed reader, you can subscribe to new notices.

• Job postings. Occasionally we hear of available jobs, and we post them as soon as we receive notice. The link is also under the Quick Links section.

• A voluntary guestbook that allows you to sign in and make suggestions about what you see or would like to see.

If you have some web design experience and would like to expand the volunteer section of your resume, please contact me at webmaster@masca.org. ■

Listening, Learning, and Leading

By JENNIFER LISK MASCA VP Secondary

I

first heard of MASCA in what I believe was my first class of graduate school. One of the first things the professor said was to join the professional organizations for our newfound profession. So, as an eager student, I did just that. Never did I think that I would be writing an article for one of the publications that I soon started receiving.

For a time my involvement with MASCA was not much more than reading the Counselor’s Notebook, attending a fall conference, and visiting the website once in a while to see if there was anything interesting. It was in one of these visits that I came upon a call for Emerging Leaders. A few years into my counseling career, I was intrigued. I had been getting more involved in my own school, but the thought of getting more involved in my profession was intriguing in a different way. The Emerging Leaders Program seemed to be the perfect opportunity to test out the waters, so to speak.

It did turn out to be the perfect opportunity to get involved. I have been able to learn about the bigger picture of school counseling, work on a vision for what we want to and should be as school counselors, and—what I consider most important — meet outstanding colleagues. Not only did I feel incredibly welcome, but I was able to both learn an immense amount and contribute my ideas as well.

Now I find myself in the role of VP for secondary counselors, thankful that I listened in that class. The professor’s suggestion kicked off my involvement with this great organization. I have gained a lot from MASCA, but it is only with the invaluable contributions of other school counselors that I have done so. I encourage you to learn and contribute along with me! ■

Visit MASCA’s website regularly for updates on professional development: www.masca.org 16

COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

OCTOBER 2008

17

50

YEARS

1961

2011

MASCA: How It All Began

AFFILIATE NEWS

By OSCAR KRICHMAR, MASCA Life Trustee

One of the provisions of the NDEA was that each state had to decide how they were going to implement the federal funds they were to receive. Some states elected to do research on the best way to organize guidance and counseling programs. Fortunately, Massachusetts chose a more practical approach. Warren Benson headed the Guidance and Counseling Section within the Massachusetts Department of Education. It was decided to allocate federal funds to each city or town’s school system. The only “string” attached was that the funds were to be used exclusively for expanding or establishing guidance programs in each of the Commonwealth’s school districts.

NECA holds Awards Night Northeast Counselors Association held its Annual Awards Night at Danversport Yacht Club in May. Dean College sponsored the meeting, and presentations by Dean President Dr. Paula Rooney and VP for Enrollment Jay Leiendecker brought counselors up to date on the college’s exciting building expansions and the success of their graduating students.

Receiving awards from NECA were: Leadership Award Michelle Burke Counselor of the Year Janice Howard Counselor of the Year Kathleen Scott Special Award Sally A. Connolly Special Award Jacqui DeLorenzo During the evening, Sally and Jacqui displayed their recently published books, Never Better: All Things Considered and A Thread of Hope, respectively.

Congratulations to all honorees!

NECA sets meeting dates Northeast Counselors Association has partially scheduled its meetings for the coming year. These include: General Meeting, hosted by Merrimack College Tuesday, October 21 General Meeting, hosted by Northern Essex Community College Thursday, November 13 General Meeting, hosted by ITT Woburn at the Woburn Hilton, Early December, TBA January Executive Board Meeting Date and place TBA Secretary’s Night, Merrimack College Thursday, February 12, 2009

18

COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

College fair group appoints Executive Board At its May meeting the Hampshire County College Fair Group elected the following: George Gunn Hampshire Regional High School Westhampton Fred Itterly Northampton High School Northampton Emily McDowell Williston Northampton School Easthampton Christine Soverow Smith Academy High School Hatfield The group also paid tribute to Rick Berger, the guidance director of Hopkins Academy in Hadley, who is retiring this year after over thirty years in the profession.

WMCA appoints Executive Board

Sitting: Left to right - Becky Lescarbeau, Robert Bardwell, Phyllis Levenson. Standing: Left to right Betsy Ogonis, Gina Massa, Ellen Frost, Kathy Conlon, Christine Soverow, Amy Scully, Ruth Robert, Sheila Burke. Not pictured: Carrie Buckner, Lauren Perry, Donna Lyons, Elaine Sands.

WMCA announces Executive Board 2008-2009 The 200 members of the Western Massachusetts Counselors Association (WMCA) recently appointed the following: Amy Scully, President Monson High School Phyllis Levenson, Immediate Past President & MASCA Co-Trustee Westfield High School Becky Lescarbeau, President-Elect Elms College Sheila Burke, Treasurer Westfield Vocational High School Ruth Robert, Secretary Ware High School Carrie Buckner, Reservation Chair Dean Vocational Technical High School Lauren Perry, Membership Chair Ware High School Betsy Ogonis and Ellen Frost, Professional Development Chairs Enfield High School Kathy Conlon, Newsletter Chair Springfield Public Schools Donna Lyons, Scholarship Chair Longmeadow High School Christine Soverow, Awards & Publicity Chair Hatfield Public Schools Gina Massa, Social Chair Springfield Public Schools Robert Bardwell, Nominating Chair & MASCA Co-Trustee Monson High School Elaine Sands, Past President Westfield State College ■ OCTOBER 2008

19

SAVE THE DATE! Massachusetts School Counselor Advocacy Day on Beacon Hill Wednesday, February 4, 2009 • 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM Advocate for our students, our schools, and our profession MASCA, NEACAC, and the College Board have joined together to sponsor the 2009 Massachusetts School Counselor Advocacy Day on Beacon Hill.

School counselors and others who believe in quality school counseling programs in our schools will spend a day at the State House advocating for issues that are important to school counselors and the young people we serve.

Participants will receive training on legislative issues and advocacy and will talk in person with our elected legislators and other policymakers to inform them about who we are and what we do, and about the importance of quality school counseling in our students’ education and lives.

YOUR PARTICIPATION IS CRUCIAL FOR THIS TO WORK! All of our voices are needed for this effort to be effective.

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! This will be a free event. Lunch will be provided. Please mark your calendars now. More details are forthcoming.

Questions? Please contact Brad MacGowan at bmacgowan@comcast.net, Bob Bardwell at BardwellR@monsonschools.com, or Jon Westover at jonw@admissions.umass.edu.

YOUR MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL DATE IS INDICATED BY YEAR AND MONTH ON YOUR ADDRESS LABEL BELOW.

When you renew your membership, return both the application and your check made payable to “MASCA” to the Membership Coordinator. To receive an acknowledgement of your membership, please include your e-mail address.

Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Inc. COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK Sally A. Connolly, Editor

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October 2008