MASCA
MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION
VOL. 50, NO. 1
SEPTEMBER 2013
A New Year Begins By THERESA A. COOGAN, Ph.D. MASCA President
THERESA COOGAN
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fter surviving the heat waves throughout this summer, the air is cooling down slightly, which means time for another school year to get underway. I hope you have all had a restful and relaxing summer and find yourself rejuvenated for the upcoming school year. We are about to embark on what I believe will be an exciting year, but also one that will provide an opportunity for thoughtful planning. This year will be the final Race To The Top (RTTT) year, which has been a wonderful collaborative partnership with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in recent years. We are actively discussing ways to continue this partnership moving forward after RTTT has concluded in the spring. Be sure to join us at the fall 2013 and spring 2014 MASCA conferences during this final year of RTTT summits and training if you are in a participating school. Our conferences are also shifting format to provide practical professional development in a “jam-packed” style for our members. Both the fall and spring conferences will be offered in a one-day format (connected with the RTTT summits), thereby maximizing our time to offer professional development and networking. We all recognize how challenging it
can be to leave the building, which is why the Conference Planning Committee continues their great work to offer programming that provides our counselors with support for the great work they do across all levels. Check out the Events Calendar on the MASCA website to note the dates for both conferences. We’d love to see you there. We are still looking to fill a few openings on the Governing Board: Vice President Elementary, Secretary, and Membership Coordinator. If you or any
colleagues are interested in learning more about taking on one of these positions, please contact me. In addition to the MASCA website and the Counselor’s Notebook, we will continue to use social media to share items of interest to school counselors and gather feedback. MASCA’s Facebook page can be found at www.facebook.com/Mass SchoolCounselor, and I invite you to “like” MASCA. Best wishes for a productive and fulfilling school year! ■
MASCA Fall Conference Holiday Inn, Boxborough October 22, 2013 Keynoter: Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, Ph.D. Research Professor, Department of Psychology, Clark University. Co-author of When Will My Grown-Up Kid Grow Up? Loving and Understanding Your Emerging Adult
Concurrent workshops National Common Core and PARCC DESE: Getting to know EDWIN DESE: Go Public UMass Amherst CSCORE presentation Preparing for Your School Counselor Evaluation and SMART Goals
Afternoon extended workshops DESE: Managing Your Evaluation Portfolio Executive Functioning and Response to Intervention / Tier 1 and Tier 2 Interventions
For more information and to register, go to www.masca.org.
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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
FOCUS ON HEALTH 2012 – 2013 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: president@masca.org 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 VICE PRESIDENT ELEMENTARY TBA 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 CHRISTINE LUZI Framingham High School 115 A Street, Framingham, MA 01701 Tel. 508-620-4963 x27500 E-mail: Cluzi@framingham.k12.ma.us 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 TBA 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
SEPTEMBER 2013
Look a little harder in hiccups case By SALLY ANN CONNOLLY MASCA Counselor’s Notebook Editor
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hen you don’t know the cause, “It’s all in your head” is an easy, but ineffective, explanation. My friend’s psychosomatic headache turned out, in the end, to be fatal. Before attributing the hiccups afflicting North Shore Tech and Essex Aggie students to contagious conversion disorder, respiratory and neurological factors should be rigorously investigated. Were the students exposed to an irritant in the athletic field or in other soils disturbed by the extensive construction? Methane in manure is one contaminant that has been linked to environmental
Animal production produces air pollutants “Modern animal production is increasingly regarded as a source of solid, liquid and gaseous emissions which can be both a nuisance and environmentally harmful. Solid and liquid manure contain nitrogen and phosphorus, possibly heavy metals (e.g. zinc, copper) and drug residues which are passed to the environment during grazing or spreading of manure. Aerial pollutants such as odours, gases, dust, micro-organisms and endotoxins (bioaerosols) can compromise the respiratory health of farmers, animals and nearby residents, contribute to soil acidification (ammonia) and global warming (methane) and can travel several 100 m between livestock buildings with the risk of transmitting infectious agents.” — J. Hartung, “Assessment of environmental effects of airborne emissions and waste effluents from livestock production,” http://www.isah-soc .org/documents/2007/TARTU_2007/Proc_ISAH_ 2007_Volume_II/127_Hartung.pdf.
pollution. Were the students’ immune systems compromised by previous bacterial or viral illness? Strep, Lyme, mono and the flu are being studied in relation to the sudden and dramatic onset of obsessivecompulsive behaviors. When hunting for a cause of the students’ vocal tics, the town formerly known as Salem Village should avoid like the plague any explanation that points a finger at mass hysterics. — Letter to the Editor, The Salem News, July 15, 2013; “Look deeper in school hiccups case, Gloucester Daily Times, July 17, 2013. ■
the decomposition of animal wastes and by the dust generated by animal activity and farming practices. These air pollutants can cause respiratory illness, lung inflammation, and increase vulnerability to respiratory diseases, such as asthma. Emissions of reactive organics and ammonia from AFOs can play a role in the formation of ozone (smog) and particulates, air pollutants regulated by Clean Air Act to protect public health. Soil disturbance by animals or farm equipment can generate particulate matter . . . . Odorous and potentially toxic gases, such as sulfur dioxide, produced by the decomposition of animal wastes, may also cause nausea, headaches, and throat and eye irritation after prolonged exposure. Methane emissions from waste decomposition at AFOs also contribute to global warming.” — http://www.epa.gov/region9/animalwaste/ problem.html
Resource for young children Animal Wastes: What’s the Problem “In general, air quality problems associated with AFOs [animal feeding operations] are caused by gases emitted from
Why is Coco Orange? is a picture book for children, ages 4-8. This introduction to air pollution can be downloaded at http://www.epa.gov/airnow/picturebook/ coco’s-orange-day-web.pdf. ■
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The New Year: Full Speed Ahead By DONNA BROWN MASCA Executive Director
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elcome back! I hope you all had a wonderful, productive summer. Now, it’s back to business. Have you decided how you will make a difference at your school? Some of you are in RTTT schools, and you are well on the way to implementing the MA Model. What are you going to do this year to improve? What kind of professional dev-
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elopment are you seeking? September is always a very busy time of year, but you need to take time to plan for your own growth. Let me share some possibilities. MASCA’s fall conference will be held on Tuesday, October 22, at the Holiday Inn in Boxborough. Dr. Jeffrey Arnett will present “When Will My Grown-Up Child Grow Up? Loving and Understand-
ing Your Emerging Adult.” RTTT schools will meet on Monday at the same venue. Also on Monday afternoon, Attorney Gini Tate will explain 504 mandates and provide updates on anti-bully legislation, confidentiality vs. privileged communication for Massachusetts licensed school counselors, and other timely legal and ethical topics impacting school counselors in our school systems. The Canadian Universities will be hosting interested students, parents, and school counselors at two locations this year. If you are unfamiliar with the financial and academic advantages available for U.S. students, plan to attend one of them. According to Marc Jacques, Attaché aux Affaires Académiques et Économiques / Academic and Economic Affairs Officer at Consulat Général du Canada/Canadian Consulate General in Boston, the Canadian University Fair will be held on Monday, October 7 at the Boston Marriott in Newton and on October 8 at the Holiday Inn in Tewksbury. Both run from 8:0010:00 a.m. and 6:00-8:00 p.m. Jacques looks forward to attracting students, parents, and counselors interested in learning more about Canadian universities. Additionally, a number of non-NACAC college fairs will be held throughout the state. Check MASCA’s website, www. masca.org, for more information. Watch your e-mail or snail mail for information about your MASCA affiliate’s first meeting and plan to attend. This is a great way to share information, learn something new, and mingle with area colleagues. If you need to find out who’s in charge of your local affiliate, check the website. It also goes without saying that you should join MASCA. You will receive information in the Counselor’s Notebook, have access to additional “members only” areas on the website, and receive discounts on professional development opportunities including the conferences. Once you’re comfortable as a member, how about volunteering? We have lots of committees that need volunteers. The chairs are listed on the website. MASCA is on the move. Get on board and head for a terrific year! ■ COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
SEPTEMBER 2013
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Community Partnerships Impact College and Career Readiness By BETHANY PLASSKI M.Ed. Student in School Counseling, Bridgewater State University
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ollege and Career Readiness is a driving force in the work of school counselors as they look to prepare students for success in postsecondary opportunities. In order to achieve best outcomes, school counselors look to partner with community stakeholders and local businesses to educate students regarding their future plans. As an intern during the past year, I have seen many college and career readiness initiatives developed through collaboration between counselors and community stakeholders. I would like to share some of these. Partnerships with community stakeholders and local businesses require collaboration with counselors as they invest in educating students for their future. Examples of some community stake-
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holders include, but are not limited to: banks, local businesses, military recruiters, law enforcement agencies, and community colleges. With extensive planning and preparation these community-based individuals and businesses donated their time for on-site events at our high school as well as off-site job shadowing opportunities. As local businesses prepared staff members to attend our school’s Career Fair and to host job-shadowing days, counselors conducted career assessments to educate their students on the career pathways that align with their interests and abilities. We organized the Career Fair so that students could meet with community members from local businesses, other community stakeholders, and military personnel. Over 100 indi-
viduals from these areas were recruited, and they were identified by career pathways. Students met with individuals in a casual environment and had the opportunity to learn more about different occupations that might interest them. By identifying a career pathway, students have a chance to see the connection
Collaboration with business and stakeholders enhances student awareness of postsecondary opportunities.
between their education and careers of interest. School counselors assist by aligning available courses with career pathways as students undergo the course selection process. Students with an identified career pathway can also take part in job-shadowing. After collecting permission slips, counselors in our school held mini-assemblies to inform students of the expectations of the local businesses and to encourage them to dress professionally. Through collaboration and partnerships with community stakeholders and local businesses, counselors were able to provide students with opportunities to develop an awareness of postsecondary opportunities available to them. By making a connection between their interests and abilities, career pathways, and current educational experiences, students can now make informed decisions regarding their future college or career plans. I recommend that other interns look to working with their supervisors to learn how to establish such partnerships. In our fast-moving global community it is imperative for all stakeholders to invest in college and career readiness initiatives to inform students of all postsecondary opportunities. ■COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
SEPTEMBER 2013
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A Leap Pays Off By KELLY SHAFFER Guidance Counselor, Marsh Grammar School, Methuen
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t the 2012 MASCA Spring Conference, I decided to actually read some of the handouts included in the registration packet. (Admit it, you also frequently bypass this information.) One flyer by Helen O’Donnell outlined the 20122013 MA Model Implementation. Because it was time that I checked out what the MA Model is all about, I registered for the Institute and the three graduate credits offered by Fitchburg State University. We met for two days at Dean College, which is a great campus. I found the Institute to be unbelievably informative and helpful. But I was thinking: How am I going to do all that is being asked? All pumped up, I immediately met with
a co-worker and explained my Institute assignments. Much to my surprise, he was actually on board. In our school counseling practice, you see, we often do things that are actually linked to the MA Model. The lessons we delivered all year long, for example, are what we are “supposed” to be doing. We also outlined our school counselor calendar, and it was easier than anticipated. Again, we were already putting the elements into practice; they just weren’t outlined on paper. Once school resumed, I stole Helen's idea of the Band-Aid Chicken lesson, which focuses on peer pressure. It is based upon Becky Henton’s book of the same name. In the book, a new hen is added to the chicken coop, and older hens begin to pick on her. When it is her turn to “peck” on a new hen, she stands up for herself and refuses to be a part of the peer pressure. My lesson focused on recognizing peer pressure and ways to avoid engaging in negative behavior. A follow-up lesson focused on ways to manage peer pressure. All students developed and performed original role plays of school bullying incidents that included a bully, a victim, and positive and negative actions of a bystander to the incident. These lessons gave me, the school counselor, an active role in the classrooms during our Bully Prevention Week.
For continued professional development, the Institute required us to attend MASCA conferences. At the fall conference, I met up with my new Institute friends. Observing the MARC and MARC Jr. recognition award presentations, I realized that my school could be recognized for a MARC Jr. All I had to do was write it up. Again, I was thinking: How am I going to do all of this? But Helen was right there once again to guide me. As the spring conference approached, it was time to put together my poster board. I chose to present data on the student learning that resulted from the lessons on bullying. I was really nervous about this upcoming experience. It brought me back to school days of cutting and pasting and mounting items. However, at the conference I was proud to be with my Institute colleagues as we consulted with one another and conference attendees about the development and delivery of our Institute projects. We are often advised to get involved and trust the system. My leap of faith was well worth it. I can do standards-based lesson plans. Actually, I had been doing them all along. Now, I am thinking of taking the leap to get further involved in MASCA. Consider taking a leap yourself. If you are looking for a course that will be useful, take the MA Model Implementation Institute. ■
RACE TO THE TOP Workshop Holiday Inn, Boxborough Monday, October 21, 2013 Legal and Ethical Issues Workshop, Regina Tate, Esq. 2:45 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. RTTT Workshop and MASCA Conference attendees are invited to attend the Sponsors Reception immediately following Atty. Tate’s workshop.
For more information and to register, go to www.masca.org. 8
COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
SEPTEMBER 2013
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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
EXPANDING COLLEGE OPPORTUNITIES
MA Model Institute Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
Informing students about college options “Most high-achieving, low-income students do not even apply to selective colleges despite being highly qualified for admission and success at these institutions. Because they do not apply, these students forgo the generous academic resources, increased financial aid, and better collegiate and career opportunities that selective schools offer. To increase opportunities and improve outcomes for these students, we propose building on the success of an innovative intervention, the Expanding College Opportunities (ECO) Project. At a relatively low cost of about $6 per student contacted, ECO sent the following to highachieving, low-income students: targeted and personalized information on their college options, information on the process for applying, and details of the financial information relevant to their situations. The intervention had a profound effect on their college application behavior, leading to a substantial increase in their propensity to apply to more-selective colleges commensurate with their academic achievements. Not only did students apply to more-selective schools, but they were accepted and matriculated at such schools in greater numbers, and early evidence points to their academic success in these programs.”
Sessions I and II: September 26-27, 2013 Session III: February 7, 2014 Time: 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. For more information and to register, go to www.masca.org.
— Caroline M. Hoxby and Sarah Turner, “Informing Students about Their College Options: A Proposal for Broadening the Expanding College Opportunities Project,” http://www.brookings.edu/ research/papers/2013/06/26, Accessed on July 6, 2013.
Increasing college enrollment simply According to Michael Greenstone, MIT economics professor and director of the Hamilton Project, “simplifying financial aid applications and providing low-income families help in filling them out could increase college enrollment by about 8 percentage points at a cost of less than $100 a student.” — Megan Woolhouse, “Wealth gap limits equality of education,” The Boston Globe, July 5, 2013, p.B5. ■
SEPTEMBER 2013
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Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Inc. COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK Sally Ann Connolly, Editor
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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.
Stay informed at www.masca.org
RACE TO THE TOP Workshop Holiday Inn, Boxborough Monday, October 21, 2013
For up-to-date information about Race To The Top, college fairs, conferences, and more, visit MASCA’s website often.
Legal and Ethical Issues Workshop Regina Tate, Esq. 2:45 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
The Advocacy section provides information about School Counselor Resources Advocacy Tools & Updates State & National News Research
MASCA Fall Conference
Renew your membership online. For your membership expiration date, see the mailing label affixed to this page.
Holiday Inn, Boxborough Tuesday, October 22, 2013 Keynoter: Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, Ph.D. Research Professor, Department of Psychology, Clark University. Co-author of When Will My Grown-Up Kid Grow Up? Loving and Understanding Your Emerging Adult
Concurrent workshops National Common Core and PARCC DESE: Getting to know EDWIN DESE: Go Public UMass Amherst CSCORE presentation Preparing for Your School Counselor Evaluation and SMART Goals
Afternoon extended workshops DESE: Managing Your Evaluation Portfolio Executive Functioning and Response to Intervention / Tier 1 and Tier 2 Interventions
For more information and to register, go to www.masca.org.