Counselor's Notebook, February 2009

Volume 45

Number 6

www.masca.org

Get on Board

MASCA Call for Appointed Positions

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KAREN D’AMOUR MASCA President

A

few years ago how many people knew of Barack Obama, the politician? And how many of them thought that he had the potential to be the next president of the United States? Obama built his campaign on a platform for change. Change we can believe in.

Another politician who became a household name, Sarah Palin, is now famous for saying, “Some of life’s greatest opportunities come about unexpectedly.”

We are at the point in the MASCA calendar year when we let you know about the upcoming elected positions that will be on the ballot in April. This is a perfect time for you to consider whether you would like to “throw your hat in the ring.” You will be voting for a MASCA president for 2010-2011 and for the following 2009-2010 officers: Vice President Elementary, Vice President Secondary, and Vice President Postsecondary.

We invite you to become an agent of change as well. Change we can believe in.

It would be great to have some new faces and new talents as part of the MASCA (continued on page 15)

February 2009

n accordance with the MASCA ByLaws, we seek to fill the annual slate of appointed positions. These include: Executive Director, Secretary, Treasurer, Coordinator of Membership, Counselor’s Notebook Editor, Technology Coordinator, and Coordinator of Professional Development.

Job descriptions for each position can be found on the MASCA website, www. masca.org. If you are interested in applying for one of these positions, send a

resume and letter of intent no later than March 1, 2009 to Karen D’Amour, Manchester Essex Regional High School, 36 Lincoln Street, Manchester, MA 01944, or you can e-mail your information to me at damourk@mersd.org.

Applicants will be interviewed by a screening committee. Upon completion of the interview process, the screening committee will make recommendations to the Executive Council and the Governing Board. ■

We Make a Difference!

Massachusetts School Counselor Advocacy Day on Beacon Hill Wednesday, February 4, 2009 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM 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 the 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.

21st Annual Conference for Guidance Counselors and Administrators Monday, March 16, 2009 • Regis College “The Impact of Technology on School Counseling” 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:

Keynote Speaker: Elizabeth K. Englander, Ph.D., Director of Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center (MARC) at Bridgewater State College Sponsored by the Guidance Administrators Forum (GAF), an affiliate of MASCA

Registration form on back cover of this issue.

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

Keeping a Lid on Permissiveness

By SALLY A. CONNOLLY, Counselor’s Notebook Editor

Although television programs are aired without warning labels, watching TV can have unwanted consequences for the behavior of teenagers.

W

atching TV can have serious consequences for behavior. So says a three-year study of youngsters between the ages of 12 and 17.

The RAND Corporation study found a high rate of unwanted pregnancies among teenagers who watched the most TV programs with sexual content. Teenagers who had the greatest exposure were twice as likely to get pregnant.

The study went on to point out that the United States has “one of the highest teen pregnancy rates among industrialized nations. Nearly 1 million young women become pregnant each year, with the majority of these pregnancies unplanned.

Research has shown that young mothers are more likely than others to quit school, require public assistance and to live in poverty.”

Are we really stunned by the findings of this latest study? How shocked would we be to learn that someone who saturates his diet with hot dogs, bacon, and other processed meats has developed cancer?

Or that someone who gorges daily on baked goods, candy, and ice cream has become obese or developed diabetes?

Overindulging is bound to have consequences, some of them unwanted and unplanned.

Our favorite TV programs, however, seldom carry warning labels. The possible consequences of risky behavior — pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases — are seldom portrayed. How often have the characters on “Friends” or “Sex and the City” talked about safe sex? Or engaged in safe practices? How often have the frequent portrayals of one-nightstands resulted in health problems?

But avoiding TV programs with sexual content is difficult. Approximately 80 percent of today’s programming includes sexual scenes or dialogue. Producers and scriptwriters rely heavily on the marketing premise that sex sells. Take a look at the themes of the highly popular “Two and a Half Men” or the program geared specifically to teenagers, “90210.”

We must not wait for other studies to confirm what we already feel in our gut.

The hypersexualized messages being fed to us by TV as well as movies, music, magazines, and the Internet have a negative impact on formative minds.

FEBRUARY 2009

Parents need to know the viewing and listening habits of their youngsters and be willing to have frank discussions with them about the behavior and values being portrayed. Everybody may be doing it on TV, but in real life, actions have social, moral and legal consequences.

To avoid overexposure to the media, we need to work with our teenagers to

help them find satisfying alternatives for their bountiful energy — activities such as after-school sports, personal enrichment opportunities, or limited, part-time work.

It is often said that in terms of our body, we are what we eat. In terms of the formation of attitudes and our behavior, we can say the same thing: Garbage in, garbage out. ■

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Time to Get Involved

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ow that the holidays are behind us and New Year’s resolutions have lost their novelty, it is time to get serious about making real changes. The enthusiasm that comes with ushering in a new year need not die down now that we are well into the blustery cold of February.

After all, this month we have Valentine’s Day, and what a perfect time to renew our hearts and recapture the inspiration to improve ourselves in 2009.

Most of us share the desire to do better and make a positive difference in the lives of those we love and care for every day, at home, at work, and in our communities. At home, this may translate into being more organized and making a conscious effort to spend time with our loved ones. We can get so busy that we forget to make time for those closest to us.

One way to change this is to use our time more efficiently. Prioritizing tasks and scheduling time for rest and recreation are good strategies for making the

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CHRISTINE EVANS MASCA President-elect most of the time we have and for making sure that our family and friends get us at our best. We can be more attentive to them and take better care of ourselves when we make a point of spending time together doing things that are fun.

As school counselors, we need to look at how we spend our time and energy.

How much time are we spending on tasks that directly benefit our students?

Perhaps there are lessons in our curriculum that are outdated and need revising.

As we strive to collect data to evaluate our programs, we need to keep asking if what we are doing is making a positive difference for our students. When we discover an area of need, we have to put our attention and energy into developing programs to meet that need.

There are many professional development opportunities that can help us learn more about how to help our students.

While we are working with our calendars to plan tasks and events, we should take special care to seek ways in which we can become competent in new areas. This will help us professionally, and it will bring lasting benefits to the students we serve.

Along with planning to attend workshops, seminars, and conferences, another important way for us to grow and learn more about how to help students is to become involved as a board member in our school counseling associations. Working with colleagues from schools across the region and throughout the state can be a very rewarding way to renew our enthusiasm and recharge our batteries for the work we do every day.

As you look for ways to prioritize your time and improve your skills and knowledge, think about how you can serve in MASCA or one of its affiliates. Several elected and appointed positions in MASCA will be opening up in the coming year. The value of what you will learn for the time you spend is incredible, and the networks you establish and friendships you make with like-minded professional educators are wonderful fringe benefits.

The real value comes from what you learn when you reach out to serve others in the field. You learn about the triumphs and struggles we all face as well as how to advocate in a way that helps both your students and students all over the Commonwealth.

The time commitment is minimal, especially when weighed against the value and benefits gained. So, while you are planning how to do better this year, give serious thought to taking the next step and getting more involved. ■ COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

FEBRUARY 2009

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Annual MASCA Election

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JENNIFER JUST McGUIRE MASCA Past President

t seems like only yesterday that I was encouraged to run for president-elect of MASCA. When I decided to move forward, I knew that I was in for quite a journey. I could never have imagined, however, how much the experience of serving on the MASCA Governing Board would change my life. Serving as an elected MASCA officer has been a journey that I will always treasure!

Can you believe that it is already

time to start thinking about next year?

Nominations for the 2009-2010 slate of MASCA officers are now due. This year, we will need a president-elect and vice presidents for elementary, secondary, and postsecondary. This is an exciting time to become a part of MASCA’s leadership; Massachusetts will be the destination for the 2010 ASCA conference.

Nomination forms are included in this issue of the Notebook, and information about the positions, as well as additional nomination forms, can be found on our website, www.masca.org. There are two ways to endorse a nominee. A nominee can be endorsed by either a MASCA affiliate association or by the signatures of ten MASCA members in good standing.

Pictures of the candidates and information about their experiences will be published in the April Notebook. MASCA members will have the opportunity to vote at the spring conference. Members unable to attend the conference will be able to mail in their ballots.

I encourage all of you to step up to the plate and run for elected office. It is a wonderful way to give back to your profession. Serving on the MASCA Governing Board has been a life-changing experience for me. I have grown both personally and professionally, and I hope you will consider taking this path. It is an amazing experience!

If you have any questions or concerns, or if you would like more information, please contact me at jmcguire@uppercape tech.org or (508) 759-7711 x247. ■

MASCA 2009 Directory of Massachusetts School Counselors The Directory lists school counselors in K-12 public, private, parochial, and regional and technical high schools. Phone, fax, and e-mail information is included. Each MASCA member will receive one (1) complimentary copy. To order extra copies, contact Marla Schay at SchayM@ mail.weston.org.

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

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FEBRUARY 2009

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50

YEARS

1961

2011

How It All Began

By OSCAR KRICHMAR, MASCA Life Trustee THE PROBLEM: How can a new state association present itself to an existing group of local associations without appearing as a threat to their identity or autonomy?

THE ANSWER: Carefully. The MASCA By-Laws Committee decided that a Governing Board of Trustees should provide for statewide representation in ad-

dition to the “constitutional” offices.

Obviously, having each existing local association choose its own representative would achieve that.

But, MASCA was “the new kid on the block.” Would local associations be willing to join? To ensure that a governing structure was immediately in place, it was decided that one counselor from each Massachusetts county would be chosen to be a Trustee.

Once MASCA was up and running, an informal recruitment program was initiated to have local associations volunteer for affiliate status within MASCA, while retaining their own identity and autonomy.

And, so it happened.

THE QUESTION: Why is MASCA’s Annual Conference held in the spring?

THE ANSWER: In the spring we can celebrate the year just passed, and we can look forward to the next academic year when we can apply the skills and information learned during a conference.

In the fall, we can look back, celebrate the achievements of the previous year, and immediately apply the skills learned during a conference.

Although the fall seemed a better bet, “the new kid on the block” syndrome reared its ugly head again. At the time, there was an organization known as the New England Personnel and Guidance Association. Each of the New England states took a turn hosting its conference, which was held annually on Columbus Day weekend. The main participants were practicing school counselors and university counselor educators as well as other groups that were members of the American Personnel and Guidance Association.

The MASCA By-Laws Committee felt that school counselors would probably not be allowed to attend two similar conferences in the fall. Hence, MASCA’s Annual Conference has been held in the spring. ■

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

FEBRUARY 2009

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What Will You Do For Shy Kids?

By MARJIE BRAUN KNUDSEN

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hey’re quiet, don’t get into trouble, and can become invisible if you let them. They don’t want to participate in activities, go to school, or even birthday parties.

This was my daughter. Life was more of a challenge for her. The everyday tasks of interacting with peers and talking in class were overwhelming and sometimes painful. Changes in routine or new situations were especially difficult.

There were several times over the years that she had begged me to home school her. I knew if I went down that route, it would be the point of no return for her to feel independent. For her, home schooling would have been giving up. It would have been easy to let her slide by through life as the invisible child . . . the most difficult thing in the world was to not let her.

When, by fifth grade, things did not get better, I realized that if I wanted my

daughter to have a chance at life, I needed to get her some help. Also, as a parent, I needed to learn how I could help her through those difficult moments. This was the turning point for my daughter, to decide to get help, instead of just letting time slide by.

I took her to see a psychologist. It was Jenne R. Henderson, Ph.D., who helped my daughter finally start understanding about the anxiety she was experiencing.

She helped her to not feel quite so “frozen” in fear about experiences and issues that would come up in her life. My daughter learned that it takes her more time than others to get used to new things, that it’s just a part of who she is, and now that she knows that about herself she can plan for it, so she can be successful at anything she might encounter.

She also learned that being prepared ahead of time could help alleviate her anxiety, and also that exposure to those sit-

uations, although uncomfortable, would help. It was the start of the long process of her growing and learning about the way she is, and what she needs to do to help herself through her feelings.

When my daughter was younger, I purchased many books about social anxiety and shy children, although I could never find a school-age book that would help her to understand someone else going through the same feelings. I wanted a story-based book on the issue that would be engaging and entertaining, something that would be memorable. I could not find that book. When mentioning this to Dr. Henderson, years later, she suggested we write one.

The message of being prepared ahead of time echoed throughout the years of the learning process about social anxiety. The book, BRAVE: Be Ready and Victory’s Easy, A Story About Social Anxiety, was written to include that message in the format of an entertaining chapter book. The title and message of the book uses a memorable acronym, BRAVE, which stands for “be ready and victory’s easy” because with social anxiety it helps to not only be ready but also to be brave.

It worked for my daughter. She ended up taking advanced courses in high school, was a cheerleader, and had a part in the high school musical. She is now enrolled at a large university, and I look back over the years at all the turning points and think . . . what if I didn’t keep trying? She has told me over and over that she is glad that I never gave up.

My husband and I are constantly amazed at how far she has come. It was so important throughout the years for us to never give up, and take it a step at a time. We see that so clearly now, even though it was so difficult at the time.

It would have been so easy to let her stay invisible.

––––––––––––––––––––

Ms. Knudsen, a writer living in Portland, Oregon, can be contacted at mbknudsen @msn.com. ■

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

Urban School Counselors: Recommended Reading

I

n the January issue of the Counselor’s Notebook, Dr. Felicia Wilczenski, MASCA VP Counselor Educators, discussed the commitments and skills needed by high quality urban school counselors.

For additional reading on this topic, please refer to the following: Amatea, E.S., & West-Olatunji, C.A. (2007). Joining the conversation about educating our poorest children: Emerging leadership roles for school counselors in high poverty schools. Professional School Counseling, 1, 81-89.

Holcomb-McCoy, C. (2007). School counseling to close the achievement gap: A social justice framework for success.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Lee, C.C. (2005). Urban school counseling: Context, characteristics, and competencies. Professional School Counseling, 8, 184-188.

Oakes, J., Franke, M.L., Quartz, K.H., & Rogers, J. (2002). Research for high-quality urban teaching: Defining it, developing it, assessing it. Journal of Teacher Education, 53, 228-234.

Palladino-Schultheiss, D.E. (2005). University-urban school collaboration in school counseling. Professional School Counseling, 8, 330-336.

Wilczenski, F.L., & Coomey, S.M. (2007).

A practical guide to service learning: Strategies to promote positive development in schools. NY: Springer.

Wilczenski, F.L., & Schumacher, R.A., (2008). Service learning integrated into urban school counselor preparation.

Journal of School Counseling, 6 (12).

Available: http://www.jsc.montana.edu/ articles/v6n12.pdf ■

MASCA Officers Nomination Form 2009-2010 DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF NOMINATIONS: FEBRUARY 27, 2009 Nominations may be submitted by either of the following: 1) An affiliate association with authorized signature, or 2) The signatures of ten (10) MASCA members.

Mail to: Jennifer McGuire MASCA Past President Upper Cape Tech 220 Sandwich Road Bourne, MA 02532 Nomination submitted by: ___________________________________________ Affiliate association: ________________________________________________ Authorized signature: _______________________________________________ Date: ____________________________________________________________ Telephone number: _________________________________________________ • Nominees must be paid-up members of MASCA and have indicated a willingness to serve.

• The President-elect automatically becomes President.

• The slate will consist of President-elect, VP Elementary, VP Secondary, and VP Postsecondary.

MASCA Members:

School Address:

__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

Urban school counselors are invited to join MASCA’s newest affiliate. Contact Brad Toney at btoney@chelseaschools.com FEBRUARY 2009

__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

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Nominee Information Sheet 2009-2010 Office: _________________________________________________

Educational background: ___________________________ ____________________________________________________

Nominee: ______________________________________________ Position now held: ______________________________________ School address: _________________________________________

____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Experience in school counseling: ____________________ ____________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________ Home address: _________________________________________ _______________________________________________________

____________________________________________________ Professional affiliations: ____________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Please attach a recent photograph of the candidate.

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

ED’S VIEWS Save the Dates!

MASCA 2009 Annual Spring Conference April 29 – May 1, 2009 Sturbridge Host Inn, Sturbridge Keynoter: Michael Thompson, Author of Raising Cain ED BRYANT, NCC MASCA Life Trustee

D

on Coverdale, a retired East Boston guidance director and a loyal supporter of MASCA and its affiliates, performed the Christmas Eve service at a ski resort in Bethel, Maine. Rev. Coverdale is the pastor of the church.

I want to extend my thanks to Mike Hoehl for his ASVAB services for many years to schools in northern New England. It will be difficult for MEPS to find a replacement that has Mike’s knowledge of career education testing. Mike retired in January. Good luck, Mike.

The December 2008 issue of CN reported that in 1960 Oscar Krichmar, a counselor in Winthrop at the time, was co-chair of the organizing group for MASCA. Yours truly was chair of the Winthrop School Committee at that time as well as Assistant Dean of Men at Boston University.

Have you heard of the Kingdom of Bhutan? On September 21, Tshering Dolkar became the first Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) in her home country of Bhutan. Her award, a bronzed certificate, was presented by Her Majesty Queen Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck.

Tshering has joined the more than 42,000 counselors in the United States and around the world who hold the NCC credential.

Boston University’s Bostonia has an interesting story about its 20-year management of the failing Chelsea schools.

Did this experiment succeed?

As you continue in 2009, consider the words of Dr. Smiley Blanton: “Love is the immortal flow of energy that nourishes, extends, and preserves. Its eternal goal is life.” ■ FEBRUARY 2009

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MASCA 2009 Spring Conference April 29 – May 1, 2009 Register NOW for Early Bird Savings!

Credit Card payment is accepted.

For details, go to www.masca.org.

Agenda at a Glance Wednesday, April 29 • MASCA Governing Board meeting and dinner, 4:00-6:00 pm • Kick-off Speaker, 7:00 pm • Welcome Reception, 8:00 pm Thursday, April 30 • Exhibit Hall opens • Courtesy breakfast • Concurrent workshops • Graduate Student and MA Model Implementation Showcases • Luncheon Keynoter: Dr. Karla Baehr, Deputy Commissioner, MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education • Afternoon Keynoter: Atty. Regina Williams Tate, Legal and Ethical Issues for School Counselors (including new 504 regulations) Note: Atty. Tate welcomes and will discuss submitted legal inquiries.

• MASCA Happy 48th Birthday Exhibit Hall Reception • Dinner on your own • MASCA President’s Reception, sponsored by Bay State College Friday, May 1 • Exhibit Hall • Courtesy breakfast • Morning Keynoter: Dr. Michael Thompson, author of Raising Cain • Concurrent workshops • Graduate Student and MA Model Implementation Showcases • Graduate Student Panels, 4:00 pm • Affiliate Leaders Leadership Development Institute, 4:00 pm • Closing reception MASCA 2008-2009 Platinum Professional Development Sponsors • Bay State College • Dean College • New England Institute of Technology • Universal Technical Institute

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

D’AMOUR (continued from page 1) Governing Board. Jen Just Maguire, the past president of MASCA, will be organizing this effort.

There are also other opportunities that you as a MASCA member may want to consider. We are actively looking for a treasurer and a secretary for 2009-2010.

And every year the opportunity to express interest in any of the appointed positions becomes available. These positions include Treasurer, Secretary, Executive Director, Counselor Notebook’s Editor, Coordinator of Membership, Technology Coordinator, and Coordinator of Professional Development. More information is available in this edition of the CN and on our website, www.masca.org.

While we are on the topic of opportunities, we may have a few committee chair positions available for 2009-2010. You will be made aware of these opportunities in the near future. Chris Evans, MASCA president-elect, will be making these appointments.

MASCA is very friendly and welcoming to new leaders. I know, because it was not that long ago that I was new to MASCA after becoming president of two affiliates, Northeast Counselors Association and North Shore Guidance Directors Association.

Anyone who knows me knows that when asked to assist my family, friends, or profession I know only one answer, “Yes.” This answer has taken me down many interesting roads professionally.

President of MASCA has just been one of the wonderful ones.

I admit that I had less experience than I would have liked for the position that was ahead of me. In a perfect world, I would have imagined a presidency much further into the future, where I would have the good fortune to take a sabbatical and be able to dedicate myself fulltime to the issues facing students and counselors today. That was not to be.

Instead, chance came along.

Did I know what I was committing to when I agreed to have my name put on the ballot? Not exactly. Call it luck, chance, or maybe survival instinct, but let me tell you some of the gems of being an officer in the MASCA organization.

Holding an elected position in MASCA put me at the table—the Governing Board Table. I learned how an organization of FEBRUARY 2009

mostly volunteers comes together for the benefit of all of its members. Becoming familiar with the various committees, meeting new friends and professional contacts, having my voice heard by respected peers, and the satisfaction of making a contribution — all were part of my early experiences.

As president I have access to counselor state leaders throughout the United States.

After attending the ASCA National Conference and Leadership Development Institutes, most I have met in person.

The opportunities within the leadership positions in MASCA are limitless.

As we head into National School Counseling Week (February 2-6, 2009), I hope you will reflect on your career as a counselor and consider taking a chance at leadership within your organization, MASCA. In his book, Deep Survival, Laurence Gonzales says: “Chance is nothing more than opportunity, and it is all around at every turn; the trick lies in recognizing it.”

Get on board: advocacy, accountability, affiliates! ■

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21st Annual Professional Day for Guidance Counselors and Administrators Sponsored by The Guidance Administrators Forum, an affiliate of MASCA

“The Impact of Technology on School Counseling” Monday, March 16 • Regis College, Weston • 8:30 am – 1:30 pm PROGRAM 8:30 – 9:00 9:00 – 9:15 9:15 – 10:15

Registration and Coffee Welcome: Regis College Staff Keynote Speaker: Elizabeth K. Englander, Ph.D. Dr. Englander is a professor of psychology and the founder and director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center (MARC) at Bridgewater State College, which delivers anti-violence and anti-bullying programs, resources, and research for the state of Massachusetts. She is a nationally recognized expert in the area of bullying and cyberbullying, childhood causes of violence and aggression, child development, and characteristics of juvenile and adult violent offenders.

10:30 – 11:30 11:30 – 12:30 12:30 – 1:30 1:30

Breakout Sessions Lunch Breakout Sessions Closing / Evaluations /Attendance Certificates / Optional Tour of Regis College

Registration: $30 for MASCA members, $40 for non-members Make checks payable to Guidance Administrators Forum and mail to: Lynne Medsker, Westwood High School, 200 Nahatan Street, Westwood, MA 02090 Space is limited to the first 120 registrants. We are sorry that we cannot accept purchase orders. Checks will be returned if the program is full.

Name: _____________________________________________________________ MASCA Member: Yes ____ No ____ (LAST)

(FIRST)

(MI)

School / System: ________________________________________________________________________________________ Position / Title: _________________________________________________________________________________________ Telephone Number: Work ___________________________________ Home ___________________________________ Work E-mail: __________________________________________________________________________________________

Registration deadline is March 9, 2009

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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February 2009