Counselor's Notebook, January 2010

MASCA

MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION

VOL. 46, NO. 5

MASCA’s New Website: Up and Running

By JOE FITZGERALD MASCA Technology Committee Chairperson

F

or the last several years and two summer Leadership Development Institutes, technology has been a MASCA priority. With the support of the MASCA Executive and Governing Boards, the MASCA website has been completely re-designed.

The previous website, which has served us in good stead for many years, was completely overhauled by a professional web designer under the leadership of MASCA Technology Coordinator, Ron Miller, and the Technology Committee. The new site has many features that make the site userfriendly and a great resource for counselors and their constituents.

Though the site is new and still undergoing development, all counselors should visit it frequently. The tabs on the home page, which are typical of a well-designed web page, will direct you to a wealth of information. There is information about MASCA and its affiliates, professional development opportunities (under Events/ Conferences), and resources for counselors. There is even a tab for MA Model Resources.

The Members tab provides information about membership and is divided into three areas: • Become a Member • Membership Benefits • Members-Only Area Because you are reading this issue of the Counselor’s Notebook, I assume that

you are already a member and that you know the benefits of membership.

In the third section, our Members-Only Area, you can search our member directory, renew your membership, register for conferences, and create a Profile for yourself. More features are currently in the works.

To access the Members-Only Area, click HERE. When you do so, you will be asked for a username and password.

Most members do not know these the first time they enter this section. However, when you fill out the “forgotten username and password request,” your username and password will be immediately emailed to you. Your member number will also be included in the e-mail. Once you are in the Members-Only Area, we encourage you to update your profile and make sure that the information is correct.

To check on the expiration date of your membership, look at the mailing label on the back page of the Notebook. The expiration date is located above your name.

You will get reminders by e-mail, as well, when your membership is due to be updated. (That is, if you have updated your profile to include your current email address!)

If you have any trouble with our Members-Only pages, please contact the webmaster: webmaster@masca.org. We look forward to having you visit us often at the new www.masca.org. ■

JANUARY 2010

A New Year, A New Opportunity

By JENNIFER LISK MASCA VP Secondary

JENNIFER LISK

A

s you have probably heard by now, the 2010 ASCA Conference will be held in Boston this summer from July 3 to July 6. As on-site chair, I am looking for volunteers to help make this conference a success.

There are opportunities to act as hosts at a table highlighting what Boston and Massachusetts have to offer. Or you can volunteer to monitor sessions, collect tickets, help with registration, or help with exhibits.

Volunteers will receive a $25 gift certificate to be used at the ASCA bookstore during the conference. Anyone who is interested in volunteering, whether it’s for an hour, a day or several days, please contact me at ascabostonvolunteer@ gmail.com. ■

MASCA Annual Spring Conference Connecting Counselors in the 21st Century

April 11-13, 2010 Crowne Plaza Boston North Shore (formerly, Sheraton Ferncroft) • MASCA room rate: $89/room Monday Luncheon Keynoter: Laurie Young

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

MASCA

2009 – 2010 MASCA OFFICERS PRESIDENT CHRISTINE A. EVANS East Bridgewater High School 11 Plymouth Street, East Bridgewater, MA 02333 Tel. 508-378-5851 • Fax 508-378-8236 E-mail: cevans@ebps.net PRESIDENT-ELECT CAROLYN RICHARDS Somerville High School 81 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA 02143 Tel. 617-625-6600 x 6120 • Fax 617-628-8413 E-mail: crichards@k12.somerville.ma.us PAST 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 VICE PRESIDENT ELEMENTARY TBA 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 RUTH CARRIGAN Whitman-Hanson Regional High School 600 Franklin Street, Whitman, MA 02382 Tel. 781-618-7434 • Fax 781-618-7098 E-mail: carrigan.ruth@whrsd.org

January 2010

inside 4 6 7 8

Taking Care of Business

By Christine Evans

What Is Your Goal for the New Year?

By Ruth Carrigan

MASCA Government Relations Update

By Bob Bardwell

Your Tax Dollar at Work

By Donna Brown

VICE PRESIDENT COUNSELOR EDUCATORS THERESA A. COOGAN, Ph.D. Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, MA 02325 Tel. 508-531-2640 E-mail: theresa.coogan@bridgew.edu

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MASCA Awards 2009-2010 Nomination Form

VICE PRESIDENT RETIREES RALPH SENNOTT P.O. Box 1391, Westford, MA 01886 Tel. 978-692-8244 E-mail: ralphsennott@hotmail.com

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MASCA Annual Spring Conference Registration Form

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DONNA M. BROWN Adjunct Professor, UMass Boston P.O. Box 366, 779 Center Street Bryantville, MA 02327 Tel. 781-293-2835 E-mail: dbrownmasca@gmail.com TREASURER TINA KARIDOYANES P.O. Box 1007, Monument Beach, MA 02553 Tel. 508-759-3986 E-mail: tkaridoyanes@gmail.com SECRETARY CARRIE KULICK-CLARK Braintree High School, Braintree, MA 02184 Tel. 781-848-4000 x 2273 E-mail: Jd02375@aol.com MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR DEBORAH CLEMENCE P.O. Box 805, East Dennis, MA 02641 E-mail: DeborahClemence@verizon.net COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK EDITOR SALLY ANN CONNOLLY 19 Bayberry Road, Danvers, MA 01923 Tel. 978-774-8158 • Fax 978-750-8154 E-mail: sallyconnolly@att.net

JANUARY 2010

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Celebrate National School Counseling Week

By Celeste Cianfrani

Published by: Massachusetts School Counselors Association 10 issues per year, September through June. The yearly subscription rate is $30.00. Individual copies are $3.00.

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.

www.masca.org

The acceptance of an advertisement for publication does not imply MASCA endorsement of the advertiser’s programs, services, or views expressed.

Questions concerning submission of articles, publication deadlines, advertising rates, etc., should be addressed to Sally Ann Connolly, Editor. ©2010 by the Massachusetts School Counselors Association.

All rights reserved.

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Taking Care of Business

By CHRISTINE EVANS MASCA President

W

ell, it is officially the New Year.

Happy 2010!

I am excited and enthusiastic because January is a time for resolutions, new beginnings, and a fresh start in the New Year. Perhaps we started back to school in September with an ambitious plan of objectives and goals for the 2009-2010 year and have not yet made the progress we hoped for. Now is a perfect time to take inventory, assess what progress we have made, and take the steps to move ahead.

This is the beginning of a new calendar year; in the schools we are approaching the mid-year point. It is a great time to take care of business, and it may mean we need to re-evaluate our plans for the year and make adjustments.

It is not too late to accomplish what

CHRISTINE EVANS we set out to do, to revise our plans for the rest of the year. Some of us may find we are on schedule or even ahead of schedule. In that case, is there something else that needs attention that can be added to the plan for this year? Are we satis-

MASCA 2009-2010 Moving All School Counselors Ahead

4

fied with how the year is going thus far?

What can we do better? Have we done all we can to reach our students?

In terms of professional development, we also need to check our progress. Have we attended any workshops, trainings, or conferences? Have we had the opportunity to share best practices with our colleagues and learn from them about what is new and exciting in their schools?

There are great graduate courses being offered for the spring semester at the colleges and universities with counselor education programs, and it is not too late to register.

This spring and summer, we will have two fantastic opportunities to attend high quality conferences. Pencil in the following dates on your calendar: April 11-13, for the MASCA Annual Spring Conference. It will be held in a new location in a lovely hotel and conference center in Danvers. Helen O’Donnell and the conference program committee have been working hard to provide excellent keynotes, breakouts and workshops.

The ASCA National Conference will be in Massachusetts this year from July 3-6. This will be a wonderful opportunity to meet school counselors from all over the country. I hope you will consider attending both conferences, as they have so much to offer.

This is also the time for MASCA to take stock of our year thus far. Are we doing what we planned for this year to continue to improve and grow our school counselor association? One thing we can all do is invite a colleague who is not yet a member to join MASCA. If all of your counselor friends and colleagues are already members, this is a great time to join a committee or consider being nominated to serve as an officer. It is not too late to get involved. There is plenty to do and wonderful, rewarding collegial friendships. Taking care of business is important in all our endeavors.

Take up the challenge to move ahead as a school counselor. Do this by taking a look at where we are, making a decision about where we want to be, making a plan, and then taking action to get there.

I wish you happiness and success in the New Year! ■ COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

JANUARY 2010

5

What Is Your Goal for the New Year?

By RUTH CARRIGAN MASCA VP Administrators

W

ith the New Year upon us, it is a good time to think about one thing we can do to improve the counseling curriculum in our schools. With the challenges that school counselors face (too little time, too little funding for worthy projects, etc.), it can be difficult to move forward. Despite the obstacles, I encourage you to keep the positive energy flowing and pick one project to work on for the coming year.

For my department at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School, a project that we tackled not long ago was implementing early college planning into our curriculum.

Our school counseling program had always done a good job with high school juniors and seniors. We have a tradition of hosting excellent parent programs for both age groups, and we always sought feedback and collected data about our programs via an evaluation tool.

6

RUTH CARRIGAN What we started to hear from parents last year was that they wanted to know more about the college admissions process earlier in their children’s high school career. Armed with that information/data, we set out to develop an early college planning program for parents and students.

Feeling a little overwhelmed with commitments, I turned to my graduate interns for help. We worked together to develop a comprehensive program for parents of ninth and tenth graders that we called “Getting Ready for College – An Early College Planning Workshop.” We developed an informative PowerPoint presentation, included a video clip of Kelly Walter, Director of Admissions at Boston University, that gave students and parents some pointers on the college admissions process, and put together some great handouts with resources for parents.

The counseling staff, guidance interns, and I were part of the presentation team for the evening parent program, and our workshop was a great success. We had parents complete an evaluation tool, and we received lots of positive feedback.

The program was such a success that we decided to make it an official part of our school counseling curriculum.

This year, after making a few modifications with the help of our current graduate intern, we ran the program again in late October, and we developed a version that was presented to all ninth graders during Freshmen Survival Seminar. The feedback we’ve received indicates that we’ve made a systemic change and that we are doing a better job than ever in

helping our students make a plan for life after high school.

If doing more with early college planning is a goal of your department, I encourage you to put together a program that works for you and your students.

You can find some excellent resources from the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA).

MEFA supplied Whitman-Hanson with both “MEFA’s Student Workbook for Early College Planning” and “MEFA’s Parent Guide to Early College Planning” for our workshop attendees. MEFA also has a very good PowerPoint presentation that you can download from their website, www.mefa.org. It provides a lot of

An early college planning program for students and parents helps to create a college-going culture in the school. solid advice for students and parents, and it can be modified with your own schoolspecific information. To access all of these free materials and get a complete list of available resources, go to the “Guidance Counselor” section of the MEFA website.

If you’d like more information about our program, feel free to contact me. I will be happy to share our presentation materials.

With over 60% of jobs in Massachusetts requiring postsecondary training, I can’t think of a better goal for the New Year than to help create a college-going culture for our students through early college planning. Whatever the need in your school, I wish you luck as you take on the challenge of providing comprehensive school counseling services to your students.

As always, if you are doing something interesting and innovative that is helping your school and your students, please contact me at Ruth.Carrigan@whrsd.org.

Let’s spread the word about programs and services that can make a difference in the lives of our students. ■ COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

MASCA Government Relations Update

By BOB BARDWELL MASCA Government Relations Committee Chair

T

he Government Relations Committee continues to work on moving our two bills out of Committee. Even though the legislature is not currently in formal session, we still need MASCA members to contact the seventeen members of the Joint Education Committee and ask them to support HB 470 & 471.

For specific details about the bills, how to communicate with legislators and to hear the testimony from the October hearing, go to http:// www.masca.org /index .php / government-relations-news.

The Government Relations Committee is also working on plans for the 2010 Leadership Day on Beacon Hill on Wednesday, March 10. Please plan on attending to show your support and help make legislators aware of just how important school counselors are to the students of the Commonwealth. Look for more details in the February Notebook, in your e-mail and on MASCA’s website, www. masca.org.

Our committee meets monthly via conference call. If you have any questions or want to become more involved with MASCA’s advocacy efforts, contact me at bardwellr@monsonschools.com.

Rep. Richard Ross of Wrentham Rep.RichardRoss@Hou.State.MA.US

Rep. Geraldo Alicea of Charlton Rep.GeraldoAlicea@Hou.State.MA.US

Rep. Lida Harkins of Needham Rep.LidaHarkins@Hou.State.MA.US

Rep. Rosemary Sandlin of Agawam Rep.RosemarySandlin@Hou.State.MA.US

Rep. John Rogers of Norwood Rep.JohnRogers@Hou.State.MA.US

Rep. Katherine Clark of Melrose Rep.KatherineClark@Hou.State.MA.US

Rep. Stephen Canessa of New Bedford Rep.StephenCanessa@Hou.State.MA.US

Rep. Jennifer Benson of Lunenburg Rep.JenniferBenson@Hou.State.MA.US ■

Members of the Joint Committee are: Sen. Robert O’Leary of Cape and Islands, Chair Robert.O’Leary@state.ma.us Sen. Kenneth Donnelly of Fourth Middlesex, Vice-Chair Kenneth.Donnelly@state.ma.us Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz of Second Suffolk Sonia.Chang-Diaz@state.ma.us Sen. Anthony Galluccio of Middlesex, Suffolk and Essex Anthony.Galluccio@state.ma.us Sen. Susan Tucker of Second Essex and Middlesex Susan.Tucker@state.ma.us Sen. Scott Brown of Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex Scott.P.Brown@state.ma.us Rep. Martha Walz of Boston, Chair Rep.MartyWalz@Hou.State.MA.US Rep. Allen McCarthy of East Bridgewater, Vice-Chair Rep.AllenMcCarthy@Hou.State.MA.US Rep. Jeffery Perry of Sandwich Rep.JeffreyPerry@Hou.State.MA.US JANUARY 2010

7

Your Tax Dollar at Work

By DONNA BROWN MASCA Executive Director

DONNA BROWN

F

irst of all, best wishes for a very happy new year. One of the resolutions I might make for 2010 is to learn more about the free materials and information available from the federal government — your tax dollar at work. Today, I would like to share one of the federal websites that can help make your life a lot easier.

Disabilities.gov is an absolute gold mine. There one can find information about financial aid for students with

8

disabilities, hints for parents of disabled students, and even two online modules by the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) that introduce the theory, principles, and application of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to teacher and school counselor candidates and in-service teachers and school counselors. The TA Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (CPBIS) has been established by the Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education to give schools capacity-building information and technical assistance for identifying, adapting, and sustaining effective school-wide disciplinary practices.

This site also provides a great deal of information for students themselves. One interesting example is Tips for Teens: Use Your IEP Meetings to Learn How to Advocate for Yourself. Here students can obtain information on how to begin to express their needs and wants by participating in their Individualized Education

Program (IEP) meetings. At these meetings, teens can learn ways to talk about their disability to others, set goals, build teamwork skills, ask for accommodation, and practice other self-advocacy skills.

Another really useful file, My Future My Plan: A Transition Planning Resource for Life After High School, provides an excellent curriculum designed to motivate and guide students with disabilities and their families as they begin early transition planning for life after high school.

National Youth Leadership Network site promotes leadership development, education, employment, independent living, health and wellness among young people with disabilities.

For parents, there are also a number of interesting references that can answer questions and provide information to assist their child. Four of the most popular files are: • 10 Basic Steps in Special Education: information about the process by which children are identified as having a disability and in need of special education and related services.

• 25 Parent Tips for More Effective IEP Meetings: ideas parents should keep in mind before, during and after an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting with their child’s teachers.

• Center for Effective Collaboration & Practice: information and resources to improve the education of children and youth with emotional and behavioral problems.

• Developing Your Child’s IEP: explains the basics of the special education process and Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), and provides information on how to be an effective partner with your child’s school.

Take some time at the www.Disabilities .gov website. Working with students with disabilities is an area where counselors often have to learn “on the run.” Very few of us have more than a basic introduction to special education when we first begin as professional school counselors.

Indeed, most school counselors learn about IEPs and 504s as on-the-job training. Thus, even “vets” will benefit from the materials presented on this site. This is really a terrific example of your tax dollar at work! ■ COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

MCPHS Means Health Care At MCPHS

we’re all about health care.

From students and faculty in lab coats and scrubs,

Schools at a Glance:

to the concentrated energy in our modern, high-tech

• School of Nursing

laboratories, to the hustle and bustle within our soaring

• Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene

glass-and-steel atrium, our campus mirrors our mission.

• School of Radiologic Sciences

Everything we do reflects our commitment to educating the next generation of capable and compassionate health

• School of Physician Assistant Studies

care professionals and researchers. We encourage students

• School of Pharmacy

to contact our admission office at 617.732.2850 to schedule

• School of Health Sciences

an individual visit through our Visit Concierge.

• School of Arts and Sciences

www.mcphs.edu | 800.225.5506 JANUARY 2010

9

MASCA Awards 2009-2010 T he MASCA Awards and Publicity Committee encourages you to nominate a deserving colleague for a MASCA Award.

Complete the nomination form and send it to Celeste Cianfrani, Chair. The committee will then contact your nominee to submit a nomination packet, which should contain two letters of recommendation and one additional piece of supporting information.

All nomination forms must be submitted by February 1, 2010.

MASCA Counselor of the Year: A current MASCA member and a licensed counselor serving during the current school year in an elementary, secondary, or postsecondary school or in a local or regional school system and who has made outstanding contributions to his/her school. The recipient will have excellent rapport with pupils, parents, and school personnel and is a highly respected counselor of students.

MASCA Administrator of the Year: An administrator, who has made an outstanding and significant contribution to the guidance and counseling movement, developed and/or implemented an innovative program or initiated improvements of school counseling services in his/her area of responsibility.

MASCA Leadership Award: A current MASCA member and licensed counselor serving during the current school year in an elementary, secondary, or post-

secondary school or in a local or regional school system and who demonstrates able leadership in the counseling profession at the local, state, or national level.

MASCA Special Award: An individual who has made a contribution of unusual significance that substantially affects the guidance and counseling profession. The contribution directly affects counselors, students, or a school program and the individual is not eligible for any other MASCA Awards.

MASCA Torch Award, Rising Star: An individual who has entered the school counseling profession within the last five years. The award winner is a model for new counselors, demonstrating the highest standards of professional competence, outstanding contributions to the school community and/or profession, and excellent rapport with students, parents, and school personnel.

MASCA Torch Award, Retiring Counselor: A counselor who is retiring in the current year or has retired within the last five years. This counselor has served as a model for new counselors, demonstrating highest standards of professional competence and excellent rapport with students, parents, and school personnel and has made outstanding contributions to the school community and/ or profession.

The George Thompson Memorial Scholarship Award: A $1,000 scholarship award named in honor of George Thompson, a longtime friend and contributor to MASCA. This award winner is a school counseling graduate student who demonstrates exceptional promise for leadership and contribution to our profession. Nominations from Counselor Educators are encouraged. â–

MASCA Awards Nomination Form 2009-2010 Nominator Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________________ School/Organization: ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Mailing Address: _______________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone: ____________________________________________ E-mail: _____________________________________________________ Nominee: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ School/Organization: ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Mailing Address: _______________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone: ____________________________________________ E-mail: _____________________________________________________ MASCA Award: ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Brief statement about why your nominee deserves to be selected for this MASCA Award: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Submit nominations to Celeste Cianfrani, Awards & Publicity Committee Chair.

Nominations can be e-mailed to cianfrani14@gmail.com, faxed to 413-667-0259, or mailed to Celeste Cianfrani, 12 Littleville Road, Huntington, MA 01050.

The deadline for submitting nominations is February 1, 2010.

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

JANUARY 2010

11

50

Massachusetts School Counselors Association Annual Spring Conference

2011

YEARS

Connecting Counselors in the 21st Century

1961

April 11-13, 2010 Crowne Plaza Boston North Shore, Danvers, MA (formerly Sheraton Ferncroft) Conference Inquiries: Helen O’Donnell, Conference Chair, pdchair@masca.org

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FORM • Member registration rates: MASCA membership must be current (PAID by credit card or check) by March 17.

Purchase orders in process are NOT considered paid. Check membership status at webmaster@masca.org.

• Paper registration: Print clearly, one registration form per person. Mailed form must be accompanied by check or PO. • If you are employed as a full-time professional school counselor, you may not register at the graduate student rate.

• To request online CVENT registration, e-mail Ron Miller, webmaster@masca.org. Confirmations by e-mail only.

• Payment options: (1) online with credit cards (M/C or Visa, no debit), (2) offline with check or purchase order.

• Refund policy: Send requests in writing by March 30 to pdchair@masca.org. A $20 processing fee will be charged.

No refunds after March 30 without written approval by conference chair (Ex., bereavement). Payment expected for registrant non-attendance.

• Registrant name and work mailing address will be shared with select sponsors. To opt out, send e-mail to pdchair@masca.org.

• Hotel reservations ($89 MASCA rooms), 978-777-2500, http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/cp/1/en/hotel/bosns • If you have special needs or require an accommodation, please notify us by April 2.

FIRST NAME _______________________________ LAST NAME__________________________________________ Elementary

Middle School

High School

Administrator

Retired

Grad Student

Counselor Educator

E-mail address (required for automated electronic confirmation) : _____________________________________________ Preferred mailing address: Home Work/School name: ___________________________________ Street address: __________________________________________________________ City/town: __________________________________________ State: ______________ Zip: ________________ Requesting vegetarian meals First MASCA Conference?

Yes Yes

No

MASCA Professional Member by 3/17

NonMASCA Member

Retiree or Graduate Student* (*not employed as a school counselor)

Member

Non-member

INCLUSIVE REGISTRATION includes ALL conference days and attendee events.

Sunday: First-Timers/Graduate Student Reception, Graduate Student Events, Poster Sessions, Workshops, Keynoter, Welcome Reception Monday: Breakfast, Keynote, Workshops, Exhibits, Poster Sessions, Snack Breaks, Luncheon, Afternoon Reception, Evening Party Tuesday: Breakfast, Keynote, Workshops, Exhibits, Poster Sessions, Snack Breaks, Luncheon, Administrator Partnership events $225 $280 $145 $160 SUPER-SAVER: CK/CC, no POs, ends 3/1 $240 $299 $155 $170 EARLY BIRD ends 3/17 $265 $315 $165 $180 REGULAR registration begins 3/18

OTHER REGISTRATION OPTIONS: Sunday only Sunday only Monday only Monday only Tuesday only -

Early Bird ends 3/17 Regular registration begins 3/18 Early Bird ends 3/17 Regular registration begins 3/18 Early Bird ends 3/17

$ 90 $100 $115 $135 $115

$105 $145 $165 $185 $165

Tuesday only - Regular registration begins 3/18

$135

Sun. & Mon. -

$200

Early Bird ends 3/17

$50 $60 $70 $80 $70

$ 65 $ 70 $ 85 $ 95 $ 85

$185

$80

$ 95

$265

$115

$145

Sun. & Mon. - Regular registration begins 3/18

$230

$305

$135

$160

Mon. & Tues. - Early Bird ends 3/17

$225

$305

$135

$165

Mon. & Tues. - Regular registration begins 3/18

$265

$345

$150

$180

$20 $25 $10

$20 $25 $10

$20 $25 $10

SUBTOTAL WALK-IN registration: Add $20 to total MASCA PDPs: Add $25 to total PO processing fee: Add $10/invoice TOTAL TOTAL PAYMENT ENCLOSED $____________

CHECK No.____________

$ 20 $ 25 $ 10

PURCHASE ORDER #_______________

Registrants using POs will be electronically sent an invoice, which should be submitted for payment via school/business protocol.

List registrant names on PO.

Make checks payable to MASCA and mail to Joe Fitzgerald, Registrar, 5 Progress Street, Weymouth, MA 02188 registrar@masca.org

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

MASCA selects conference keynoter: Laurie Young

A

ccording to the Laughter Works website, in the past five years, Laurie has hiked the Inca Trail, attempted the potter’s wheel and paper mache, dropped out of unicycle classes, taken American Sign Language, become certified in high ropes rescue and climbed Mt. Washington. With Kay Caskey she took up the sport of joggling, which is juggling and jogging at the same time. They set two world records and won ten gold medals in international joggling competitions. The two also have some impressive hiking credentials. In the summer of 2003, they both summited Mt. Kilimanjaro and three years later they completed a seventeen-day trek to Mt. Everest Base Camp.

However, many people recognize Laurie as the funny speaker who taught them how to juggle. That’s not surprising be-

cause Kay and Laurie have taught over 100,000 people to juggle! Teaching juggling is just a part of what Laurie does.

As co-owner and creator of Laughter Works, Laurie has given over 600 workshops, speeches, and training seminars to such diverse groups as the American Academy of Entrepreneurs, the International Humor Conference, the American Association for Counseling and Development, and the National Council on Aging.

She also is an adjunct professor at Western Michigan University where she teaches a wide variety of courses through the Holistic Health Department including Health and Humor, Holistic Approaches to Successful Aging, and Holistic Approaches to Play Across the Life-Span.

Laurie earned a B.A. in Social Science and English from Michigan State University and an M.A. in Counseling and Per-

sonnel Services from Western Michigan University. She is a licensed professional counselor and is a national certified counselor. Additionally, she has a Specialty in Holistic Health from Western Michigan University and certification in Critical Incident Stress Management.

Most recently, Laurie has been researching and teaching brain learning strategies. Here she has found a natural connection between the brain and humor.

At the MASCA conference, she will share some of what she has learned in an upbeat, humorous way in her keynote and breakout session. In fact, a testimonial from Carol Glazier, educational coordinator at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, said that she has “the rare gift of making a complex subject enjoyable yet educational.” We hope everyone will plan to attend these upbeat, informative sessions. ■

Help Wanted The Conference Committee is looking for a school counmorning of the conference. Volunteers qualify for reduced The Conference Committee is looking for a school counselor or team on the North Shore to be responsible for stuffing conconference registration rates. Contact Helen O’Donnell at selor or team on the North Shore to be responsible for stuffference bags and transporting them to the Crowne Plaza Boston North Shore in Danvers on Saturday or Sunday morning of ing conference bags and transporting them to the Crowne pdchair@masca.org. the conference. Volunteers qualify for reduced conference registration rates. Contact Helen O’Donnell at pdchair@masca.org.

Plaza Boston North Shore in Danvers on Saturday or Sunday

JANUARY 2010

13

Celebrate National School Counseling Week

By CELESTE CIANFRANI MASCA Awards and Publicity Chair

M

ark your calendars. National School Counseling Week will be celebrated from February 1-5 to focus public attention on the unique contributions of professional school counselors within U.S. school systems.

This year’s theme, “Celebrate School Counseling,” offers school counselors the ideal opportunity to show the tremendous impact we can have in helping students

achieve school success and plan for a fulfilling future. MASCA encourages you to use NSCW as a platform to promote an improved understanding of the role of the school counselor and what comprehensive school counseling programs contribute to our schools and communities.

Using some simple, yet effective, public relations strategies, you can communicate the meaningful work you do and

the positive influences you have in students’ lives every day to students, staff, parents /guardians, and your community.

Here are a few suggestions: • Have a proclamation signed by the district superintendent, mayor or other dignitary official declaring February 1-5, 2010 as National School Counseling Week.

• Show your appreciation by presenting someone who has been especially supportive of your school counseling program with a Certificate of Appreciation.

• Start each day of the week with a special morning announcement from the school counseling department.

• Issue a National School Counseling Week press release to local newspapers.

• Contact your local newspaper or television station and ask to have a story run about your school counseling program during the week.

• Contact your local Community Access Television Station to help you publicize National School Counseling Week and your school counseling program.

• Host an open house to inform and educate students, staff, and parents / guardians about your role in the school and what you do to promote the academic, personal/social, and career development of all students.

• Create a brochure describing your school counseling program to distribute to parents/guardians.

• Produce a daily newsletter for staff highlighting a topic (e.g., suicide, depression, substance abuse, Internet safety) that impacts students in your community.

To assist you in your campaign, ASCA offers a National School Counseling Week Kit, which includes posters, stickers, pencils, a sample press release, a countdown calendar, and a number of other useful tools for building and promoting your school counseling program. To learn more or to purchase the kit, visit the ASCA website at www.schoolcounselor.org. ■

Save the Date!

MA Model Institutes July 14-15, 2010 Dean College 14

COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

JANUARY 2010

15

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

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

CHANGE OF ADDRESS: ..........................................

NEWBURYPORT, MA PERMIT NO. 96

NAME

..........................................

ADDRESS

..........................................

CITY

STATE

ZIP CODE

Send this form to: Deborah Clemence P.O. Box 805 East Dennis, MA 02641

YOUR MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL DATE IS INDICATED BY YEAR AND MONTH ON YOUR ADDRESS LABEL ABOVE. To renew your membership, go to MASCA’s website, www.masca.org.

SAVE THE DATE! Massachusetts Coalition for School Counseling Advocacy Day March 10, 2010 • State House, Boston Advocate for our students, our schools, and our profession MASCA, NEACAC, and The College Board have joined together to sponsor the 2010 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! Please mark your calendars now. More details are forthcoming.

Questions? Please contact Bob Bardwell at BardwellR@monsonschools.com.