MASCA
MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION
VOL. 48, NO. 9
MAY 2012
An Educator’s Dream: “Free” By DONNA BROWN, MASCA Executive Director
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ree. The word is music to an educator’s ear, especially when what is free can be used to enhance a lesson or program. Last month I received an e-mail from Edutopia describing a new downloadable booklet entitled A Parent’s Guide to 21stCentury Learning. What a gem. Designed to help parents of students of all ages, the guide gives parents a clear, concise overview of 21st century skills and the methodology used by educators to implement them. It points out that different schools are at different points on the teaching-learning continuum. Access to technology and willingness to innovate influence the speed of change. While the guide is only nine pages long, it covers a lot of educational ground. The “Skills for Tomorrow” introduction offers an explanation of 21st century skills, defining them as the competencies students need to be successful at all stages of their lives. Known as the “4Cs”— a term created by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills — the competencies include: Collaboration, Creativity, Communication and Critical Thinking. In concert with core academics, the 4Cs help students develop the navigation skills to cope successfully with their ever-changing world. The rest of the guide shows examples of applications of 21st century skills and the 4Cs at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels. Exemplary programs, projects, and lessons are highlighted and references to websites accompany
each example. I was interested, as a professional school counselor, to learn that virtually all of these programs could be used to implement the MA Model. The 4Cs are just a different expression of the skill sets promoted by the Model. Counselors looking for classroom lesson suggestions can easily find direction in this guide. On the elementary page, for example, is the description of a project called The World Peace Game, which is designed to help students develop critical thinking skills. At the middle school level, Down the Drain looks at how we use water. Creativity and collaboration are encouraged in this project. This is also the type of project that can encourage collaboration between counselors and classroom teachers. At the high school level, Money Corps: Finance Experts as Guest Teachers addresses the need for teenagers to learn to manage their personal finances. This project allows educators to connect with the community, bringing “experts” in to be guest teachers who will share their knowledge and experience with students. The last three pages of the guide provide a treasure trove of website information and suggestions for helping children develop positive skill sets. Edutopia has written an informative guide for parents that also provides some excellent ideas for educators. To get your own copy, go to www.edutopia.org and set up a free account.
Another wonderful, practical, free resource is produced by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Teaching Tolerance (www.tolerance.org) is a program that produces a twice-a-year magazine, classroom activities and materials, and a website. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, “Our Teaching Tolerance program is working to foster school environments that are inclusive and nurturing — classrooms where equality and justice are not just taught, but lived. The program points to the future, helping teachers prepare a new generation to live in a diverse world.” The Teaching Tolerance program has a myriad of resources for professional school counselors. Bullied is a classroom kit that includes a 40-minute film, Bullied: A Student, a School and a Case That Made History, that follows a gay student who is harassed and taunted by a group of anti-gay bullies and finally takes legal action to survive. The kit includes an excellent guide that provides both pre- and post-activities that prepare students for the film and provide suggestions for reflection after viewing. Included are a survey, scenarios for discussion, and a reference section. There is alignment to standards as well. This kit provides a series of lessons and activities to augment (or even begin) a school antibullying program. The spring 2012 edition of Teaching (continued on page 6)
MASCA 51st Annual Spring Conference
It Is Our Time to Shine: For Our Students, Our Stakeholders, and Our Profession April 29 – May 1, 2012 CoCo Key Hotel and Water Resort • 50 Ferncroft Road, Danvers, MA Conference Inquiries: Helen O’Donnell, Conference Chair, pdchair@masca.org
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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
2011 – 2012 OFFICERS PRESIDENT MICHELLE BURKE Beverly High School 100 Sohier Road Beverly, MA 01915-2654 Tel. 978-921-6132 x 11107 E-mail: mburke@beverlyschools.org PAST PRESIDENT 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 PRESIDENT-ELECT JENNIFER LISK Medway High School, Medway, MA 02053 Tel. 508-533-3228 x 5107 • Fax 508-533-3246 E-mail: lisk@medway.k12.ma.us VICE PRESIDENT ELEMENTARY JACQUELINE BROWN East Somerville Community School 42 Prescott Street, Somerville, MA 02143 Tel. 617-625-6600 x 6517 • Fax 617-591-7906 E-mail: jbrown@k12.somerville.ma.us VICE PRESIDENT MIDDLE / JUNIOR HIGH ALBERT MERCADO Stacy Middle School 66 School Street, Milford, MA 01757 Tel. 508-478-1181 • Fax 508-634-2370 E-mail: amercado@milfordma.com VICE PRESIDENT SECONDARY 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
MASCA President Michelle Burke thanks sponsors MASCA owes much gratitude to the following for their continued support of Massachusetts school counselors. Their generosity to and respect for our profession is much appreciated and should not go unnoticed. These institutions and companies have provided MASCA leadership groups with impressive meeting spaces, meals, and hospitality for our meetings throughout the year. We truly value our ongoing partnership.
ACT New England Office Three Executive Council meetings
Dean College Four Fiscal Oversight Committee meetings Governing Board meeting, March 2012
Salem State University Governing Board meeting, June 2012
Springfield College Governing Board meeting, December 2011
Stonehill College Overnight Leadership Development Institute, August 2011
The College Board New England Office Two Executive Council meetings
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: ruth.carrigan@whrsd.org 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 VICE PRESIDENT RETIREES RALPH SENNOTT P.O. Box 1391, Westford, MA 01886 Tel. 978-692-8244 E-mail: ralphsennott@hotmail.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: browndonnamarie@gmail.com TREASURER ASHLEY CARON 25 Belmont Ave., Stoughton, MA 02072 Tel. 508-212-0676 E-mail: ashcicero@hotmail.com SECRETARY JENNIFER JUST McGUIRE Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School 220 Sandwich Road, Bourne, MA 02532 Tel. 508-759-7711 x 247 • Fax 508-759-5455 E-mail: jmcguire@uppercapetech.org MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR DEBORAH CLEMENCE P.O. Box 805, East Dennis, MA 02641 E-mail: membership@masca.org 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
MAY 2012
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A Department Head’s View By MARIE ANDERSON, MASCA Member Services Chair
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he major benefit to a School Counseling Department for having a department head is to help create consistency for ALL students in a proactive program with a standardized, databased curriculum. Having been a school counseling department head for twentyfive years, I believe that a student’s ability to access and benefit from their school counseling department should not be dependent upon who their assigned counselor is. A strong school counseling department with a department head provides services equitably and cares about all its students. The following include major components of what a department head offers your counseling department.
Communication Informs school and greater community through newsletters, website, announcements, mailings, bulletin boards, all-call phone system, mass e-mails, press releases, and participation on leadership teams to represent school counseling.
Curriculum and Data Annually develops and reviews department programs and curriculum. • Regularly schedules meetings with department to devise curriculum with MA Model • Sets annual goals and devises ways of measuring success of programs • Maintains consistency in programming for ALL students • Develops Annual MARC (Massachusetts Accountability Report Card) for website and to share with school and district leaders Professional Development • Keeps Department updated with current professional practices • Serve as liaison with MASCA (attend conferences) • Serves as liaison with local affiliate (attend meetings) • Plans In-Service Days for department to keep current • Uses department meetings for training, teaching, sharing best practices
• Does three-minute walkthroughs to ascertain curriculum consistencies • Informs department about relevant professional development opportunities
Administrative Responsibilities Avoids all counselors doing the same tasks. • Circulates relevant information coming into the department such as college mailings • Provides an important liaison with principal and department heads along with superintendent; collaborates on annual goals • Oversees departments tasks such as scholarship process, standardized testing, school’s college application process, use of software such as Naviance and student database • Supervises and evaluates counselors using MA Model guidelines • Acts as liaison regarding school counseling for businesses, nonprofits, community agencies, parents, scholarship donors, foreign exchange programs, community college initiatives such as College Connection, etc. • Creates or consults for the master schedule each year • Monitors and updates department procedures and policies • Oversees student records School Counselor Support Provides Catalyst / Leadership for a successful, positive department to better impact work with students, faculty, and community. • Recognizes and works within the dynamic of the department for continual team building • Recognizes and publicizes department successes • Responds to counselor personal needs to promote sense of well-being when working with students • Advocates with school and district leadership team for department’s needs • Utilizes School Counseling Calendar to maintain understanding of timeline for tasks, accomplish department goals, and set reasonable standards of what can annually be accomplished. It is a privilege to work with school counselors in this wonderful profession, having had the opportunity to do so with the counselors at Barnstable High School for twenty-four years. ■
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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
THE INTERN’S TALE A New Perspective for Counselors By BETHANY GRANDFIELD Master’s Student in School Counseling, Bridgewater State University
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very school system is unique, especially in the tasks performed by faculty members and the ways in which individuals are utilized. While each school has its own combination of school counselors, adjustment counselors, and school psychologists, the roles they play differ from district to district. At the high school in Fall River, where I am completing my practicum experience, we have five school guidance counselors, a guidance director, and an At-Risk Counselor. After several years of the student drop-out rate increasing, it was decided that a void in services needed to be filled and an at-risk counselor was added. Currently, this counselor works with students who have academic issues that require more attention than the counselors can offer. Since this is the first full year that this position has been in place, there is still some discrepancy as to what “at-risk” means and what role the At-Risk Counselor plays. The role is often mistakenly seen as a final effort to reach a difficult student who has discipline issues or mental health needs that lie outside the scope of the school counselor. In our school the At-Risk Counselor’s role is to help students who are struggling with academic or personal issues that might prevent them from graduating high school. The counselor designated to these students offers interventions on an individual basis and assists the student by meeting more frequently and arranging meetings with mental health counselors and other agencies, while—at the same time—overseeing their academic success. For me, as a counseling graduate student, this emphasis provides a new perspective on what the role of a school counselor can be. Although the At-Risk Counselor is a licensed school counselor, it is questionable whether or not an LMHC is necessary. The range of responsibilities shows all the possibilities for an M.Ed. degree in school counseling and MAY 2012
all the different “hats” worn by a school counselor throughout the course of a typical school day. As a counseling intern, I get daily insight into the work of the school counselor—a view that I hadn’t been able to see previously. ■
MASCA Statewide MA Model/College & Career Readiness Research Study During May and June, have eligible seniors complete the online student survey. www.emergentfutures.org/signup
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BROWN (continued from page 1) Tolerance (www.tolerance.org/magazine/ number-41-spring-2012) provides material for any number of classroom / small group lessons. One of the featured articles, “Possession Obsession,” looks at dating abuse and violence. It also references another free resource, the Liz Claiborne Inc.’s Love Is Not Abuse (www.loveisnot abuse.com), which provides additional activities and information. Another excellent article, “The Poverty Myth,” encourages reflection about the differences in expectations between have and have not students. There is a portfolio activity that follows as well as other references. “Out of Bounds” takes a look at the role of sports rivalries and how to “keep the lid on,” so that athletes and fans can be respectful while being enthusiastic. An abundance of free resources are available to support the MA Model competencies we hope to help students develop. Many are well-researched and tested. “Free” doesn’t necessarily mean poorly designed or ineffective. Mostly, “free” is good. ■
PEOPLE, PLACES, AND PROGRAMS UNE offers scholarships The University of New England in Biddeford, Maine, is pleased to announce that a limited number of merit scholarships are available for its Early College Programs for high school students this summer. Students presently in their sophomore or junior year of high school can earn three college credits in Coastal Marine Ecology, Neuroscience, Creative Writing (Poetry), and Pre-Law/Trial Advocacy. Applicants who wish to be considered for these merit scholarships should request consideration on their application forms. Program dates are: Creative Writing: Poetry, July 8-20; Coastal Marine Ecology, July 8-20; Neuroscience, July 15-August 3; and Pre-Law/Trial Advocacy, July 22-August 3. Courses are taught by UNE faculty and are intensive in nature, with lab/field ex-
periences, academic fieldtrips, and research projects. Programs include informational workshops with Admissions and Financial Aid representatives. Participants enjoy UNE’s many recreational facilities and exciting activities, including a whale watch out of Kennebunkport, a visit to the historic Portland “Old Port,” and Movie Night. For more details or to apply, go to www.une.edu/oce or call 207-602-2802.
DOE offers ESSCP Grant The U.S. Department of Education recently announced the FY 2012 Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program grant competition. Grantees under this competition will use funds to support counseling programs in target elementary, K-12, or secondary schools. Schools will establish or expand school counseling programs through hiring qualified school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists, with a goal of expanding the range, availability, quantity, and quality of school counseling services. School counseling services will use a developmental and preventative approach. This is a 3-year grant program and each annual award ranges from $250,000 – $400,000. The deadline for applications is May 25. For further priorities and details, see the announcement in the Federal Register. — ASCA, www.schoolcounselor.org
MASCA appoints new Member Services Chair Marie Anderson, retired School Counseling Department Head at Barnstable High School, has been appointed Member Services Chair. Her responsibilities include: • Promote membership • Devise plans for recruiting of new membership • Supervise membership records • Advise the Governing Board at each meeting on membership • Participate with Coordinator of Membership in review of membership procedures • Attend MASCA conferences and staff the table for membership • Prepare an annual statement for the president • Make recommendations about dues and policies to Governing Board To contact Marie, write to marieg anderson@yahoo.com. ■
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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
MAY 2012
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Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Inc. COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK Sally Ann Connolly, Editor
PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE
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CHANGE OF ADDRESS:
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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.
MASCA Annual Spring Conference April 29 – May 1, 2012 CoCo Key Hotel and Water Resort Danvers, MA “It Is Our Time to Shine: For Our Students, Our Stakeholders, and Our Profession” This professional development opportunity is designed especially for you with • Outstanding speakers and workshops • Exhibits • Networking opportunities • Hospitality events