Office of School Counseling
Friday Sendoff - November 1, 2019
Trailblazers know that the hike is about the trip as much as the destination
MUST DO ITEMS - Please read this section carefully
Some reminders about the School Counseling Program Plans and Closing the Gap Action Plans:
- Your individual program plans are due TODAY
- The timeline and resources are located in the 9/6/2019 newsletter.
- Departments can create one program plan for the whole group but each counselor must have their own action plans. No 2 counselors should be targeting the same students in their action plans.
- Counselors who are split between 2 schools must create 3 action plans for each of their schools.
- While there are 4 categories of Action Plan goals provided (Academic, Attendance, Climate, Post-Secondary), there is no requirement as to how many action plans you should have for each category. Nor is it a requirement to do 1 of each. Action Plans are based on the individual school's needs.
- The Program Plan template as well as links to the BCPS Blueprint 2.0 and ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors are all available in the Program Plan resources folders in your Schoology Groups.
- The Padlet created in the Elementary Closing the Gap session is also available in the Elementary Schoology group.
- Please submit your program plan to your assigned Specialist only.
West Zone - MaatenRe
East Zone - Jen
Central Secondary - MaatenRe
Central Elementary - Jen
Upcoming Meetings
CTE Exploration Day for 1st Year Counselors
Thursday, Nov 7, 2019, 07:30 AM
Sollers Point Technical High School, Delvale Avenue, Dundalk, MD, USA
Elementary Counselors Meeting
Thursday, Nov 21, 2019, 09:30 AM
Randallstown Community Center, Resource Drive, Randallstown, MD, USA
First Year Counselors Meeting
Thursday, Nov 21, 2019, 12:00 PM
Randallstown Community Center, Resource Drive, Randallstown, MD, USA
Announcements
**NEW** Bilingual Behavioral Health Professionals and Resources for Families
Attached below are 3 documents with local resources for non-English speaking families seeking mental/behavioral health resources. One is a list of local bilingual professionals. The other is the Kennedy Krieger Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress. This program offers FREE mental health services for children and families who have developed emotional or behavior problems as a result of a traumatizing experience. Services include psychiatric evaluation, therapy, consultation with schools, and transportation for the families to attend appointments. We attached 2 flyers - one in English and one in Spanish.
**NEW** Child Abuse and Neglect Training As a reminder, all staff in your building (as indicated in the photo below) have until 11/18 to complete the online training. After that time, you will receive an email from Sharon with a list of school staff who did not complete the online training. Keep in mind that not every BCPS staff member received the online training invitation. Only positions indicated in the picture below need to complete the online training. If you have staff members (ie interns or volunteers) that need to complete the training in person, contact your specialist for the PowerPoint.
**NEW** LGBTQ+ Resources A Schoology group was established with GSA Resources. Whether your school has a GSA or not, this would be a great place to get resources, get help starting a GSA, or connect with others who run a GSA. The Schoology code is ZMBZ-4QXP-DKC89.
**NEW** CPS Updates PowerPoint In the attachments below, you will find the PowerPoint from the 10/30 WebEx. The WebEx recording will be available in the near future.
Stella Maris Loss of Loved One Support Group for Teens Mondays, November 4 – December 16, 2019 @ 6:00-7:30 p.m. To register or for more information, please call 410-252-4500 ext. 7291 or email hbenassi@stellamaris.org. Cost is $120 ($60 each additional sibling). Sliding-fees are available. (flyer attached below)
NAMI Basics - Workshop for Parents/Guardians of Children and Teens with Mental Health Issues Please help promote this FREE opportunity for parents and guardians to get resources and skills to support their children struggling with mental illness. The flyer is attached below. Please share with your School Based Mental Health clinicians and PPW's so that they can reach out to families as well.
Questions about CEU's, Graduate Credits, Lauryn's Law, and Certification Renewal?
We understand that this new requirement is creating some anxiety and a lot of questions. There are many resources out there to support you. The MSDE School Counselor Renewal information page lays out the description of course requirements and provides links to local courses that fulfill the Lauryn's Law requirement. Additionally, the last 4 pages of the School Counseling Program Plan have a detailed description of the requirements, the contact information at the Office of Certification, as well as a place for you to log your classes, PD's, and other coursework to earn credits/CEU's toward your certification. We highly recommend reading through this section of the program plan and using it to guide you through this process. We created this section of the document in partnership with the Office of Certification in order to be sure that everything is accurate. As always, we will continue to share local courses, conferences and professional learning opportunities to earn credits and CEU's here in the weekly send-off.
**NEW** Staff who must complete the online Child Abuse and Neglect training
Elementary School Counselors
Middle School Department Chairs
Secondary Department Chairs
**NEW** Staff in the Office of Career and Technology Education, in conjunction with the Associated Builders and Contractors, Baltimore Chapter, invite all interested middle and high school students to participate in the annual Careers in Construction–Build Your Future contractor visit. This event is coordinated with a local construction contractor and will include a student interaction session and pizza lunch or breakfast at a date and time selected. The attachment below contains a memo with additional information, registration form, facilitator guidelines, and student selection sheet. Questions regarding this information should be directed to Valerie Brennan, 443-809-9588 vbrennan@bcps.org or Michelle Butt, 443-742-6125 mbutt@abcbaltimore.org
Updated links in the 6 Year Plan Recommendations Bank Many of the BCPS websites have changed in the past few months in the system transition. All links were updated as of this week. This document is available in the Secondary Schoology group in the curriculum folder. Please check the links in your personalized recommendations banks before you enter them in student's 6 year plan journal entries.
High School Department Chairs
The Office of Health Education Would Like Your Input! Please complete this short survey to help them make decisions about future course offerings for high school students.
Updating your Naviance Journal Timeline If your journals are saved in a time zone other than Eastern, there is a way to change the time zone at the school level. Please follow the directions below:
- Hover over the Gear Icon (upper right hand corner) > Click Setup
- Click Preferences > Click Set Time Zone
- Change the Daylight Saving to active from the pull down menu
- Click Update
High School Counselors
**NEW** Master Course File Attached below is a sample your school can use to document courses for students new to BCPS. Please contact your specialist if you have any questions about classes. If your new student is also a student athlete, please be sure all courses are in the NCAA district list.
The National Security Agency (NSA) is looking for high school juniors and seniors who possess outstanding academic credentials in the areas of business, computer, engineering, graphic arts, manufacturing, construction, Chinese language and Russian language. Flyers for 2 different opportunities and an overview of all NSA programs are attached below.
Upcoming College Fairs
School Based College Fairs
Milford Mill Academy HBCU Fair - November 7th at 10am
Scholarships Recently Activated in Naviance
Google Student Veterans of America Scholarship
Lamber-Goodnow Injury Law Team Education Scholarships
Look Twice, Save A Life Scholarship
Stop Hunger Scholars
Comcast Leaders and Achievers® Scholarship Program
Foot Locker Scholar Athletes
Google Lime Scholarship
LEDA Scholars Program
Science Ambassador Scholarship
AXA Achievement Scholarship
CCBC Honors College Fast Start Scholarship
College Counselors
**NEW** Application Waiver for University of Baltimore UB is partnering with MCAC to provide an application fee waiver code, which is valid until 2/28/2020. The fee waiver code is UBFRESH20 (must be entered in all caps).
MHEC Financial Assistance Programs
State Financial Assistance Programs and Applications
Tuition Waiver for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
Tuition Waiver for Foster Care Recipients
Common Black College App: FEE REDUCTION - BCPS seniors may apply to the 56 member HBCU's with the promotion code for only $15. Please encourage your students to select “Apply All” when completing the CBCA. To apply, click the link below:
- https://commonblackcollegeapp.com/ The promo code is: bcps2020
NACAC Request for Admission Application Fee Waiver
Students who have limited financial resources may use the NACAC Request for Application Fee Waiver Form when applying for college. The form — aimed at students planning to enroll in post-secondary education immediately following high school graduation — helps ensure that access to college is possible for all.
College Fly-Ins
Depaul Counselor Fly-In - We are inviting a select group of high school counselors to get an up-close look at our cutting-edge facilities, meet our dynamic faculty, and discover the wealth of educational and extracurricular opportunities available to students at the nation’s largest Catholic university.
Our hope is that our attendees will leave this experience knowing more about our institution and with a stronger connection to the DePaul Admission staff who will support you and your students during their college search process.
Event Details:
WHAT:
WHEN: May 31 – June 2, 2020
WHERE: DePaul University in Chicago, IL
DePaul will be providing the following:
- Airfare to and from Chicago, IL
- Transportation to and from the airport
- Accommodations for all nights of the program (2 participants per room)
- All meals and scheduled activities during the program
This program is by invitation only. If you are interested in attending, please complete the Discover DePaul Tour 2020 interest form here.
Interest form submissions to attend will be accepted until Friday, November 15, 2019. Respondents will be notified in mid-December if they have been selected to attend.
Relevant Bulletin Items
October 25, 2019 Bulletin
https://intranet.bcps.org/superintendent/bulletin/2019/1025/Bulletin102519.pdf
773. BRING NEIGHBORS AND COLLEAGUES TO MEET THE SUPERINTENDENT
774. TEAM BCPS DELETING NEGATIVITY: WORDS MATTER - NOVEMBER 2019
776. NEW WEB GUIDELINES
777. AIR FRESHENERS
781. COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS – AVID PROFESSIONAL LEARNING WORKSHOPS – FOCUSED NOTE-TAKING SCHOOLWIDE
782. COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS – HIGH SCHOOL EARLY COLLEGE ACCESS PROGRAM (ECAP) LIAISON MEETING
783. COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS – MIDDLE SCHOOL EARLY COLLEGE ACCESS PROGRAM (ECAP) LIAISON MEETING
784. COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS – SCHOOL-BASED MENTOR COORDINATOR MEETING
789. HEALTH SERVICES- YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING
790.MARYLAND CERTIFICATION
803. TITLE I PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITY: MCKINNEY-VENTO SCHOOL-BASED LIAISON PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FALL 2019
805. AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK SAFETY TIPS
808. FINANCIAL WELLNESS SERIES
810. OPERATION JOY FOR FAMILIES IDENTIFIED AS HOMELESS
811. REQUIRED ONLINE CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT ANNUAL TRAINING MODULE REMINDER
813. THE COMPREHENSIVE SAFETY PLAN
Professional Development
13th Annual CCS Conference - Bearing Witness to Racial Trauma: The Role of the Therapist/Supervisor - December 6, 2019 @ 8:30 -12:00 on the HCC campus (see flyer below)
How to Use Games Therapeutically in Play Therapy Earn 3 CEU's November 7th @ 1:00 in Owings Mills
Trauma Through the Life Span Earn 1.5 CEUs November 19th @12:30 in White Marsh. (flyer attached below)
Understanding the Many Faces of ADHD Live Webinar November 20th
Neuroscience Tricks for Anxiety, Panic and, Worry Earn 6 CEUs November 21st @ 10:00 in Owings Mills
Supervision and Leadership, Management Seminar (required course for becoming an LCPC Board-Approved Supervisor) Earn 12 CEU's January 16 & 23 in Hereford
Resource Roundup
Lending Library Item of the Week:
Inside this workbook you'll find hundreds of worksheets, exercises, and activities to help treat:
- Trauma- ADHD
- Autism
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Conduct Disorders
Written by clinicians and teachers with decades of experience working with kids, these practical and easy-to-use therapy tools are vital to teaching children how to cope with and overcome their deepest struggles.
Office of School Counseling Lending Library
Email Sharon Holter to borrow any items from our Lending Library.
Inspiration and Good News
Websites
Schoology Access Codes
Elementary Counseling Curriculum: M4HSN-FCFN4
Secondary Counseling Curriculum: CFBV7-B6PCM
Threat Management: Q6RHK-WHHVC
College and Career Counseling: PFZD6-65N4V
Curriculum Updates: T7BM2-R8JSC
Contact Information
Naviance Support: 1-866-337-0080 option 2 & support@naviance.com
Signup Genius Support: support@signupgenius.com
CPS email address: dhr.baltimorecountycps@maryland.gov
MHEC FAFSA Completion (MD CAPS): fafsa.mhec@maryland.gov