Counselor's Notebook, February 2014

MASCA

MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION

VOL. 50, NO. 6

Shedding Light on Counseling

By JOHN STEERE MASCA VP Secondary

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hen I think about why I started doing it, I can remember exactly what I was thinking: “I NEED to see the sun!” At first, my need was a selfish one, mainly not wanting to work late hours, but now my experience of needing to see the sun has come to mean much more in my school counseling practice. It is more about finding the positive than seeing the daylight.

By nature I am a morning person, so I tend to arrive early to Wellesley High School, and usually my arrival time doesn’t correspond with the sun’s rising.

I maintain this arrival time because of the feeling I have of being the most awake and ready to respond to the number of e-mails I have waiting for me and for the preparations that I need to make. Usually, once I dive into my e-mails and other counseling duties, time flies; and before I realize it, three hours have passed. Also, because my office is on the interior side of the school, I do not have windows to look out to know if the sun has come up yet or what the weather is like. For example, I had a student walk into my office one morning totally drenched and I asked, “Is it raining out?” Needless to say, the student looked down at himself and said sarcastically, “Duh, Mr. Steere!”

At 9:38 a.m. the bell reminds me to walk out of my office to Advisory, but it is what happens after that eight-minute block that has come to be part of the day

that I most look forward to. Every day for a grand total of five minutes, I stand in the middle of the fourth floor “hub” (an intersection of two main hallways conveniently located under a skylight) and attempt to say hello or interact with as many students, administrators, and faculty members as possible. During this time, I just want the chance to interact and hold as many conversations as possible. Nothing about these conversations is formal. It is just a time to interact and, especially, to remember the reason why I got into counseling in the first place. As a school counseling mentor of mine stated, “It is counseling in the hallways.”

A few days ago I showed a TED talk to a group of freshman students, which was given by Andy Putticombe. His message was that all it takes is ten mindful minutes. I hoped that it would make the students think about how they deal with the stresses of high school life. Basically, Putticombe stated that many people are so distracted by thinking about other things that they do not take the time to stop and be in the present moment. School counseling is a job of constant interruptions and reactive moments where we as counselors can get very caught up in the negative stress that comes across our plate on a daily basis. I know that I have been guilty of this. These five minutes in the naturally-lit hub are my way of centering myself to be in the present.

My goal in writing this article is to challenge each of you as counselors to find your moments out away from your office where you can feel the sun and remember why we do the kind of work we do as school counselors. Take time to center yourself in the present moment.

Find those hidden opportunities where you can truly make a small impact with a student who may not be expecting you to enter into their lives. ■

FEBRUARY 2014

National School Counseling Week celebrated in February National School Counseling Week 2014, “School Counseling: Building Magical Futures,” will be celebrated from February 3-7 to focus public attention on the unique contribution of professional school counselors within U.S. school systems. NSCW, sponsored by ASCA, highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career.

ASCA has developed many materials and documents, a number of which are free, to help celebrate during this week.

Counselors will be celebrating the week with one or more of the following: • Press releases • Proclamations • Morning school announcements • Certificates of Appreciation for faculty members, parents, and other stakeholders who help the school counseling program throughout the year • Posters • Pencils and bookmarks that remind students where to turn for help • Stickers that say “I heart my school counselor.” ■

Random Acts of Kindness Week held in February Random Acts of Kindness Week will be held February 10-16. For ideas to use in your school, go to the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation website, www. randomactsofkindess.org /educators.

There you will find free lesson plans, project ideas, resources, clubs, and research.

Research shows “that being kind can make a real difference to the well-being and health of individuals who both practice and receive it.” Make a difference in your school. Start your kindness project now. ■

Advocating for Child Safety

By SALLY ANN CONNOLLY MASCA Counselor’s Notebook Editor

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n article in The Journal of Pediatrics (January 2014) describes the advocacy role played by the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition in its fight against high-powered magnets. These magnets can cause serious injury and even death if they are ingested.

Gastroenterologists throughout the country responded to a physician’s query on its bulletin board in April 2012, indicating that most of the magnetic ingestions had occurred within the past year.

NASPGHAN then set out on an aggressive campaign to educate pediatric gastroenterologists, other pediatric physicians, and the general public. The organization also began working to remove the hazardous toys from sale. In the process, NASPGHAN partnered with organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Pediatric Surgical Association.

The authors of the journal article conclude by saying: “One year after our society became aware of the public health implications

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of high powered magnets, we have helped reduce sales of these products and inform the public. However, we still have work to do. Many families remain unaware of the danger, and just recently another toddler went to surgery for fistulae at our institution following magnet ingestion.

Although the CPSC works to finalize its proposed magnet safety regulations, highpowered toy magnets are still for sale on the internet. In fact, one new company is advertising these magnets as ‘do-it-yourself fashion jewelry.’ We need to continue to educate our policymakers and our patients about the hazards of high-powered magnets, or our patients will continue to suffer the consequences of their availability for years to come.”

I am reprinting my reaction to discovering that toys with the possibly lethal magnets were being sold in my community. (Never Better: All Things Considered, 2007) More information is available at “Dangerous Toys Still for Sale,” www.neverbetter.net or www.issuu.com/ sallyconnolly. ■

Dangerous Toys Still for Sale

By SALLY ANN CONNOLLY

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ould you shop in a store that knowingly and willingly sells toys that kill? A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts at the Liberty Tree Mall is doing just that.

This week I went shopping for gifts for my granddaughter’s fifth birthday.

A.C. Moore seemed to be a good choice.

Sommerlyn likes nothing better than creative projects.

To my horror a whole section of the store is stocked with construction sets by Magnetix. Last year, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall, warning consumers: “Tiny magnets inside the plastic building pieces and rods can fall out. Magnets found by young children can be swallowed or aspirated. If more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract to each other and cause intestinal perforation or blockage, which can be fatal. This product is unsuitable for young children . . . . [The] CPSC is aware of 34 incidents involving small magnets, including one death and four serious injuries.

A 20-month-old boy died after he swallowed magnets that twisted his small intestine and created a blockage. Three children ages ranging from 3 to 8 had intestinal perforations that required surgery and hospitalization in intensive care.

A 5-year-old child aspirated two magnets that were surgically removed from his lung.”

Naively, I brought the recall to the attention of the store’s management. They knew all about it. “Oh, that’s an old recall,” said the assistant manager.

Does that mean the same toys are less dangerous now, a year later?

“That’s a voluntary recall,” she continued. Retailers, in other words, are not required to pull the dangerous items off the shelves. Rather, consumers who have bought the product are urged to stop using it and return the product to the retailer for a suitable replacement or refund.

But what if the consumer did not happen to learn about the recall? Shouldn’t a warning be posted in the store near the item? Certainly, customers have a right to know that the product on the shelf is hazardous.

I say to A.C. Moore and the other retailers still stocking Magnetix: Protect COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

2013– 2014 OFFICERS PRESIDENT THERESA A. COOGAN, Ph.D. Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA 02325 Tel. 508-531-2640 E-mail: theresa.coogan@bridgew.edu PAST PRESIDENT JENNIFER LISK Medway High School, Medway, MA 02053 Tel. 508-533-3228 x 5107 • Fax 508-533-3246 E-mail: jlisk@medway.k12.ma.us PRESIDENT-ELECT TINA KARIDOYANES Mansfield High School 250 East Street, Mansfield, MA 02048 Tel. 508-261-7540 x3122 • Fax 508-339-0259 E-mail: presidentelect@masca.org

our children. Step up and voluntarily remove these sets from your shelves. Do not let unsuspecting parents and grandparents buy toys that will seriously harm or kill their loved ones. Do we have to wait until another child dies before you, corporate headquarters, and the manufacturer will deem a child’s life more im-

portant than a profit margin?

Before stopping at A.C. Moore, I had bought a few items for Sommerlyn at a local drugstore: a pad of detachable, white paper, a pad of construction paper, glitter pens, washable markers, and stickers.

She will be thrilled with these safe gifts.

I am. ■

In July 2007, the Consumer Product Safety Commission named magnets the number one unrecognized household danger.

VICE PRESIDENT ELEMENTARY VERONICA KNIGHT Lowell Elementary School 175 Orchard Street, Watertown, MA 02472 Tel. 617-926-2666 E-mail: veronica.knight@watertown.k12.ma.us VICE PRESIDENT MIDDLE / JUNIOR HIGH MARISA CASTELLO E-mail: castelloma@sps.springfield.ma.us KATHLEEN SCOTT E-mail: scottk@amesburyma.gov VICE PRESIDENT SECONDARY JOHN S. STEERE Wellesley High School 50 Rice Street, Wellesley, MA 02481 Tel. 781-446-6290 x4653 • Fax 781-446-6308 E-mail: john_steere@wellesley.k12.ma.us VICE PRESIDENT ADMINISTRATORS TBA VICE PRESIDENT POSTSECONDARY JOHN MARCUS Dean College 99 Main Street, Franklin, MA 02038 Tel. 508-541-1509 • Fax 508-541-8726 E-mail: jmarcus@dean.edu VICE PRESIDENT COUNSELOR EDUCATORS MEGAN KRELL, Ph.D. E-mail: mkrell@fitchburgstate.edu VICE PRESIDENT RETIREES Joseph D. FitzGerald, Ed.D. 5 Progress Street, Weymouth, MA 02188 Tel. 781-264-3426 E-mail: jdfitz1831@gmail.com 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: executivedirector@masca.org TREASURER ASHLEY CARON 25 Belmont Ave., Stoughton, MA 02072 Tel. 508-212-0676 E-mail: ashcicero@hotmail.com SECRETARY ASHLEY J. GUBA 30 Brezner Lane, Centerville, MA 02632 Tel. 508-367-7774 E-mail: secretary@masca.org MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR TBA 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

FEBRUARY 2014

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Deleterious effects of bullying noted

I’ve Been Reading

By DONNA BROWN MASCA Executive Director

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A growing body of research suggests how detrimental bullying can be, raising a teen’s likelihood for depression, anxiety, suicidal tendencies, and, in rare cases, violent acts. Psychologists have found that relentless teasing that occurs over years can cause children to suffer from post traumatic stress disorder that lingers well into adulthood.”

— Deborah Kotz, “Health-related bullying of kids: what parents can do,” The Boston Globe, December 31, 2012, G10.

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hristmas break means many things to people. It’s a time to connect and re-connect with friends and family; it provides an opportunity to explore those parts of the house better left undisturbed; it allows us to play catch up with our reading. This past vacation found me coughing to the point most people preferred to avoid contact with me and would have happily provided me with a leper bell to warn off others. As a result, reading became my primary activity.

Usually I am the consummate trash reader — detective stories and mysteries top my list. This time, however, I read several books that might be of interest to other counselors.

Most of us have heard Elizabeth Englander of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State University speak. This past fall, Harvard University Press published her new book, BULLYING AND CYBERBULLYING: What Every Educator Needs to Know.

In it Englander writes, “Bullying is a term that’s being, well, bullied. It’s been rendered essentially powerless by being constantly kicked around.” She expands on this idea by citing recent research, including her own, and presenting educators with the concept of “gateway behaviors.”

Among the practical how-to’s presented are identifying students who may be at risk, helping students (and their parents) become more resilient, and developing an understanding of bystander roles. The challenges presented by various electronic devices are addressed as are the very subtle ways children have learned to be cruel and cause pain. She also discusses how students view both their own behaviors and those of their peers.

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

Another former MASCA keynoter, Rosalind Wiseman, published a book about the condition of boys in 2013. Best known for her books dealing with relational aggression in girls (Queen Bees & Wannabes), Wiseman, the mother of two tween boys (10 & 12), interviewed nearly 200 boys in grades 4 to 12 to gather the information which became MASTERMINDS & WINGMEN: Helping Our Boys Cope with Schoolyard Power, Locker-Room Tests, Girlfriends and the New Rules of Boy World. The book is eye-opening.

Many of the stereotypes we have of boys are far from the truth. The image of the strong, stoic, silent hero is far from the reality that Wiseman found. She states, “The most common misconceptions about boys are that things don’t matter to them, that their friendships are just about playing and hanging out.” She explodes this myth as well as many others using the

Books I’ve been reading hold surprising insights that can enrich a counselor’s tool kit. boys’ own voices. She looks at topics ranging from teasing to sexting, offering suggestions to parents about how to understand and communicate with their sons.

Although written primarily for parents, the book is valuable for anyone working with boys.

RELAX.calm: Helping Teens Manage Stress Using Relaxation and Guided Imagery was the third book I read.

Written by Jeffrey S. Allen and Roger J. Klein, the authors provide over fifty scripts to help teens learn to deal with anxiety and make positive decisions. In their first book, Allen and Klein presented the Responsibility, Empowerment, Learning, Attitudes, and X-pand program. In the current one, the authors offer practical strategies for “empowering adolescents to become a part of their own emotional growth.” Through well-researched scripts, young people can develop self-soothing and muscle-relaxation techniques. Used with students anxious about upcoming tests or tasks, this book can be a great addition to any counselor’s tool kit.

Happy reading! ■ FEBRUARY 2014

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Lighting Up the Future

By JOE FITZGERALD, Ed.D. MASCA VP Retirees

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his past Christmas Eve I received a gift of a wonderful little book. In the Dark Streets Shineth by David McCullough recounts the story of the 1941 Christmas Eve meeting in Washington of Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, which was being held just weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

At first I didn’t pay too much attention to the book. A DVD came with it, and a week later I played it. David McCullough narrated the book with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir behind him, and I was greatly moved by the experience. The emphasis on music and lyrics (poetry) really hit home.

The title of the book comes from the lyric in the Christmas carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem”: “Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light.” Churchill used this lyric as the theme of his speech, and it rings as true today as it did in that very dark period of war for America and England. As McCullough points out: Music is a part of our history. It is an expression of who we are and the times we’ve known, our highs and our lows, and so much that we love. Take away Art Athletic Training Biology Business Management Chemistry Communication Computer Information Systems Compute Science Criminal Justice Economics Education English Environmental Science Ethnic and Gender Studies General Science History Liberal Studies Mathematics Movement Science Music Nursing Political Science Psychology Regional Planning Social Work Sociology Spanish Theatre Arts

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American music from the American story and you take away a good part of the soul of the story.

Impossible to imagine life in America without it – without “Shenandoah,” or “Amazing Grace,” or the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Or Gershwin or Copland or Scott Joplin. Or the music of Christmas in America.

The two leaders lifted the spirits of those attending the tree lighting ceremony and, by radio broadcast, people around the world with their message that the light will shine and overcome the darkness.

Technology and MASCA At the MASCA Fall Conference technology session, many ideas were put forth that are being developed for members in the coming year. For want of better words, “digital meetings” will take place. They will keep members updated about what is happening in their professional organization and its affiliates. As Technology Coordinator Ron Miller says: MASCA will be exploring various social media tools to enable counselors to communicate and share ideas.

Although conferences and meetings will continue to be held, social media such as Twitter and Facebook and online meeting programs such as GoToMeeting will be used. Part of the thrust is cost savings, but it is also meant to make it easier for folks from distant parts of the state to participate without the need for long distance travel.

The committee is also trying out meetings with counselors around the country once or twice a month to share ideas.

And we are looking to have the spring conference be more interactive, encouraging participants to interact with one another during the conference using social media like Twitter. This will help us to get near real-time feedback.

The theme that is emerging is connecting practioners with one another in ways that they are already using to link with family and friends: mobile phones, e-mail, social media, photos, video, etc. Connect with MASCA as it shines its light on the future of school counseling in Massachusetts: www.masca.org. ■

Discover more by visiting us online at westfield.ma.edu.

(413) 572-5218 · COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

FEBRUARY 2014

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

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID NEWBURYPORT, MA PERMIT NO. 96

IN CASE OF NON-DELIVERY, RETURN TO: Donna M. Brown P.O. Box 366 Bryantville, MA 02327

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.

Conference News for Graduate Students and Counselor Educators MASCA will sponsor several graduate student opportunities for the upcoming Spring 2014 Conference on Tuesday, April 8, 2014, in Leominster. Opportunities include: • An evening networking reception on Monday, April 7.

• A panel Q&A conference session for graduate students to ask pertinent questions about getting a job and what those first years in the field really entail.

• Graduate student poster sessions.

• $75 Graduate student scholarships.

Please see the MASCA website for more information.

Send your inquiries to mkrell@ fitchburgstate.edu.