Counselor Connection--April 14
Education Service Center Region 15
School Counselor Spotlight
Crystal Chapman is a counselor at Central High School in San Angelo ISD. She has been in education for almost 20 years, 11 of those as a counselor. When deciding to become a counselor she wanted to help students find their strengths and a path that will be a good fit for them after high school. She also wanted to help first-generation students navigate the confusing world of college applications and financial aid because she understood first-hand how overwhelming and daunting the process could be. She wanted to be an active listener and advocate for each student.
Crystal's favorite thing about being a school counselor is getting to talk to all different kinds of kids from all different backgrounds! She also loves to do college and career exploration with them. Her advice to others is never be afraid to ask for help! Her favorite counseling tools to use are CBT, coping skills, and college/career exploration websites.
To decompress, Crystal likes to read, travel, and spend time outdoors. She says, "I have a wonderful and supportive husband and we have been married for almost 20 years. We have a son who we are very proud of here at Central!"
Here is Crystal's fun fact: "I have first-hand knowledge of a trade (welding in high school), at a community college, public four-year college, and private school educational experiences (which helps me with my students)."
4 Things You Can Teach Kids To Help Them Overcome Test Anxiety
Counselor Chelsey shares in her blog
post information on how and why to teach the following things:
- What to expect during the test
- Test-taking strategies
- Positive self-talk
- Coping skills they can use during the test
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month
National Child Abuse Prevention Month recognizes the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect. Prevention services and supports developed by this collaboration can help to protect children and strengthen families.
Human Trafficking Shared Learning Series
Through the Human Trafficking Shared Learning Series, you can:
- Sharpen your ability to detect the signs and symptoms of grooming and human trafficking (including sexual exploitation and labor exploitation),
- Enhance some protective factors in your school and/or classroom environments that support safety, healthy relationships, connection, and belonging – factors that reduce vulnerability to trafficking, and
- Experience supportive peer-to-peer conversations and build relationships with other professionals working to prevent and address trafficking.
NCSSLE will host three 90-minute facilitated conversations with up to 75 participants. Each session will include a mixture of large and small group activities and discussions. The date, time, and topic for each session follows:
- Thursday, May 4, 2023, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM EDT: Recognizing the cues that a student may be involved in human trafficking. This session will include information about the signs and symptoms as well as opportunities to hone observation skills with peers.
- Thursday, June 8, 2023, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM EDT: Effectively engaging students who may be involved in or at risk of human trafficking. This session will include conversations about relationship development strategies and the effective use of communication skills to engage students.
- Thursday, September 14, 2023, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM EDT: Creating a supportive classroom as you start the new school year, including adjusting the classroom environment and management to incorporate trauma-sensitive approaches to enhance student comfort and safety.
To participate in this inaugural series, please complete the brief application. If more than 75 individuals complete the application, NCSSLE will select those who commit to attending all three sessions and represent diverse geographic regions and locale types as well as roles. We will inform applicants regarding inclusion in the series by April 21, 2023.
Stress Awareness Month
As part of April’s Stress Awareness Month, the CDC is highlighting the
Body and Mind (BAM!) Teacher Portal. This portal addresses how to support mental health in youth by informing teachers about bullying, anxiety, depression, and mental health screenings.
Social and Emotional School Climate Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has developed the
Dating Matters: Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships model. This prevention model focuses on teaching youth about healthy relationships and reducing behaviors that increase the risk of dating violence. Dating Matters is for individuals, peers, families, schools, and neighborhoods that want to help youth between the ages of 11-14 years old to build healthy relationship skills. For specific questions about materials or the Dating Matters model, contact
datingmatters@cdc.gov.
Family Engagement--Essentials for Parenting Teens
Essentials for Parenting Teens is CDC’s newest resource for parents and caregivers of youth ranging between ages 11 and 17. Topics include understanding and adapting to teen years, coaching, recognizing, and managing emotions, encouraging independence, and praising teens.
College, career, and military readiness resources
Highest Ranking Graduate Tuition Waiver
In accordance with Texas Education Code (TEC), §54.301, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) provides an opportunity for each public and accredited non-public high school in Texas to identify a student to award a "Highest Ranking Graduate” certificate and tuition waiver document. These documents must be presented to the highest ranking graduate (HRG) in the senior class. Under no circumstances may a student ranked lower than "highest" be awarded this honor. The HRG should present the tuition waiver document to a college or university upon admission and may retain the certificate for personal use. The HRG tuition waiver document authorizes the president of any state-supported college or university to provide a waiver for tuition in accordance with TEC, §54.301.
Each local school board should adopt and adhere to a policy that outlines the criteria and the method to select one student as their HRG to receive the tuition waiver. The methodology for determining the HRG is a decision that rests strictly with the local school district. State law contains no provision that designates the Commissioner of Education or the TEA as the decision-making authority in this area.
Visit HRG frequently asked questions for additional information regarding the award.
Career Signing Day
The San Angelo Chamber of Commerce Economic Development and SAISD Career & Technical Education Department will host their first-ever Career Signing Day in recognition of the important step students are taking to continue their career and technical education after high school to ensure a skilled future workforce for the Concho Valley and the Lone Star State.
This event is part of a nationwide celebration showcasing the impact Career & Technical Education programs have on addressing the U.S. skills gap. By empowering the next generation of skilled workers, we can help close the skills gap as we highlight the value of career paths for young workers that offer interesting work, good salaries, stability, and long-term growth opportunities.
Graduating seniors will sign letters of intent reflecting their commitment to enter the workforce, attend a community or technical college, join the Military, or participate in an internship.
Date: Tuesday, May 16, 2023
Location: West Texas Training Center
3501 N US Highway 67
San Angelo, TX 76905
Contact:
Mike Berry, Economic Development Manager
San Angelo Chamber of Commerce
325-655-4136
mikeberry@sanangelo.org
Roxanne Fentress, Director of Career & Technical Education
San Angelo ISD
325-947-3838 ext. 533
roxanne.fentress@saisd.org
Use this link or the QR code below to sign up for Career Signing Day. Registration closes on Thursday, April 20.
Upcoming Sessions at ESC
We've got some really great sessions this
spring and summer designed to support you this school year. You can simply click on any of the graphics to register.
Open Registration: Little Changes = Big Results Conference
Registration is officially open for the Little Changes = Big Results Conference. This two-day conference is meant to tailor your needs and availability! You will receive a certificate for each session that you attend during the two-day conference, being able to earn up to 12 hours of CPE. Just like last year you get to choose the tools you need in your toolbox to get you ready for the upcoming year. This conference is for anyone that works with students: Admin, Gen Ed, SPED, Mental Health, Paraprofessionals, etc. This year we will have a variety of local presenters training on a variety of topics: Autism, Behavior, learning, classroom management, sensory, mental health, and so much more. Please share this with all your listserve, and with anyone that you feel will benefit from this conference. Looking forward to seeing you all this summer!
Our Key Speaker is Ashley Mohesky. Some of you might have even worked with Ashley Mohesky during your education career.
Ashley Mohesky is a graduate from San Angelo ISD. Ashley has a neurological disorder called Cerebral Palsy that affects her ability to walk and talk. Due to brain damage caused at birth, doctors predicted that she would not have a quality of life and at three years old, she was placed in special education. Ashley was evaluated for a communication device and after using it for a short time proved to excel at her studies and was transferred to general education. As Ashley reports, “During my time in school, I did everything that other kids my age did. In fact, I was voted prom queen during my senior prom. I also was on a bowling league for people with disabilities throughout college.” Ashley graduated high school and attended Howard College where she received her Associate degree in General Studies. Ashley went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Angelo State University.
Hotel Block is Open
If you will be attending the Counselor Retreat, please contact the Fredericksburg Inn and Suites to make your reservation. You must secure the reservation with a major credit card at time of booking. The group rate is not available online. Contact the hotel at (830) 997-0202 and ask for the ESC Region 15 Counselor Retreat. The rate is $98 per night and cut-off date for this rate is June 11.
CTE Professional Learning Dates
I wanted to share with you all several opportunities for professional development this summer. Last year, TEA created training geared toward new counselors and administrators and asked ESCs to conduct regional convenings. ESC 15 partnered with ESCs 14, 16, 17, 18, and 9 and held training at ESC 14. This year, these sessions will be available here at ESC 15. In addition to the new counselor/administrator training, TEA is releasing a series for experienced counselors and administrators. Please know you are welcome to attend any and all training regardless of your experience level or role. Counselors serve in many different capacities and you are welcome to attend administrator training. Registration is open for all sessions. Flyers have been attached detailing each session. Additional resources will be provided if applicable to the session.
Please let me know if you have any questions. Hope to see you this summer.
Traci
Emergency and After Hours Resources
This list is of known providers of particular services. The providers on the list are from a variety of sources. The list is being provided as a courtesy, for information only, and the user should understand that no assurances or guarantees regarding the providers on the list are being made by providing this list. We do not endorse, approve, or recommend any specific provider listed below. This list is not inclusive of all community agencies, services, or organizations that provide the particular service, and the omission of an agency, service, or organization from this list does not imply disapproval. It is the responsibility of the user of this list to determine whether any of the content is of value to them and whether or not the agency, service, or organization meets their specific needs.
________________________________________________________________________
National
ESC 15 Counseling and Mental Health
