Volume 45
Number 4
www.masca.org
December 2008
Happy Holidays from MASCA! A Restful Resolution
KAREN D’AMOUR MASCA President
T
here is something about December, or at least December in New England, that speaks to a time of retreat and renewal. Animals seem to rest more and relax. You don’t hear the songbirds of winter so much or see squirrels at play in the yard. Bears seem to have what I consider the best approach. Wouldn’t you love to hibernate even for one day? While nature retreats, rests, and renews, we as school counselors couldn’t be busier. There probably isn’t much we can do about that from a career perspective, but there is something we can do from a personal perspective. Instead of looking to improve ourselves even more by creating New Year’s resolutions, would it not be in better harmony with nature to sit down with our favorite hot beverage, a nice view, and think about all that we have accomplished so far this year? This year I decided to do just that. In addition to my school counseling position, I also looked at where we are with our professional association, MASCA. This year’s theme is “Advocacy, Accountability, Affiliates.” Together we have done a great deal of work. The advocacy piece is well under way
and some very fine professional leaders seem to be offering to join us in these pursuits. We are starting to discuss accountability in public forums and suggest methods to better define to others what we do. The idea of regional professional development workshops co-sponsored by MASCA and affiliates is starting to take place. The present workshop topic is “Legal & Ethical Practices.” Affiliates will be hearing more from us and this should bridge to a sense of community among affiliates and MASCA. The idea of shared resources and best practices makes us all better prepared to assist the children of the Commonwealth. As I suspected, relaxing into this reflection brought to mind ideas about how we can improve upon what is already going on professionally. I have recorded these ideas, not so much to create resolutions but to ponder at a later time. Resolve to take an occasional break during this busiest of seasons, and enjoy a deep breath. Rest can be a productive use of our time. Learn from the rest, and savor the renewal. “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” (Albert Einstein) ■
The Call to Advocacy
THOM HUGHART MASCA Executive Director
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he theme of MASCA for this year is Advocacy. It started with the development of a committee looking at the vision of MASCA. Then came the May 16 meeting in Worcester, sponsored by MASCA, NEACAC, and the College Board. At the fall conference this past October, we kicked off the day with four enthusiastic speakers, who told us what we need to do to advocate for our profession, ourselves, and our students: • Dr. Karla Baehr, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, delivered a (continued on page 19)
Inside . . . Get on Board: Advocacy, Accountability, Affiliates By Christine Evans .......................... 6
Middle School Implementation: Baby Steps By Amy Meehan ...................... 12
Using Feedback Constructively By Elizabeth Reed .......................... 8
License Renewal Reminder (DESE) ........................................... 14
Setting the Stage for Tolerance By Kim Gangwisch-Marsh ............ 10
MASCA Awards ........................15-16 Affiliate News ............................... 18