Updates from Your School Counselor
Sophomores - Class of 2017
An Overview of School Suicide Prevention and Intervention
By Christine Harms (CDE)
- Importance of School Climate
- Provided Statistics regarding suicide – see handout
- Suicide and Threat Assessment Tools can often be used together because . . .
- Why People Die by Suicide By: Joiner
- People have a strong desire to stay alive. Cutting can be a way students slowly dull this desire.
- Starting in December 2014 mobile crisis services in Colorado will be available for any school within one hour. They can transport students to the hospital without having to call the police. This service would not cost families anything.
- Remember to check the mental health status of the student who refers to Safe2Tell.
- Suicide Prevention Toolkit for High Schools – 4 copies
- CSCA is going to start providing more trainings online for Professional Development
Resource
By: Joiner
News
Here is a sample Smore Newsletter!
Toolkit
Suicide Prevention Resource
Looking for College and Career Resources?. . .
Improving Postsecondary & Workforce Readiness
Improving Postsecondary & Workforce Readiness through Data and Research Presented by representatives from CDE
- Concurrent Enrollment, ASENT
- Provides broader access and equity to students from underrepresented/ minority populations. These students are 23% more likely to go to college and CE reduces the chance of remedial courses by 10%.
- Career and Technical Education (CTE) – Colorado Career Cluster Model
- Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness (PWR)
- GPA and Credits earned during first year of college predicted rate of college graduation.
- First year of college retention rate is 81%.
- 30% earned any type of postsecondary credential within 4 years.
- We have a slightly lower rate of students applying for FASA than the national average. The students who are not applying are also more likely to get funding. National Initiative.
- Of those who go to college, 37% needed remedial courses.
- This link will show you how many students at your school have completed the FAFSA.
- AAS median wage one year out from graduation $45,000
- CollegeMeasures.org
- What is the projected demand for specific jobs?
- Check out the CDE website!
CMHS Counseling Department
Website: http://cmhs.cmsd12.org/
Location: 1200 Cresta Road, Colorado Springs, CO, United States
Phone: 719.475.6155
Technology Toolbox for School Counselors By: Andrea Burston
- Try Pintrest for new ideas.
- Google Docs – use to create a form in google docs to track students, reason seen, follow-up (yes or no), also EZanalyze
- Create a form for parents to request a session for their student
- Climate Survey, RTI, Pre-post Tests, Needs Assessment
- Able to use to graph number of visits, reason for visit, etc.
- This data can be used to determine what the counseling department should focus on for classroom guidance, services, psychoeducation, parents info, etc.
- Teacher Kit – app for attendance and notes for small groups
- Save Videos on YouTube to show to students regarding school counseling specific issues and topics. Click the + (plus) to add to your play list. Check out Andrea Burston
- Try Smore online newsletter. The online flyers have analytics which can show you how many people have viewed the flyer / newsletter. It shows how many times it was viewed, where it was viewed, how long they viewed it and if they clicked on any of the links within the flyer.
- #tagboard #csca14 – anything that has that tag will be posted here. All the social media for that one item will be there. Check out: #scchat #schoolcounselor
- Futureme.org – a letter for yourself. Kids write themselves a letter. It will email it to you on that day in the future. Where do you see yourself in 5 years or what do you hope to accomplish by the end of the year?
- Vistaprint – create t-shirt, banners, thank you notes, pens
Making Time for Meaningful School Counseling
Presented by Peak to Peak High School
- Classroom Guidance Lesson - use the material they are already using and tie the material into what they are learning in the classroom. For example, using a book in English regarding the Holocaust to talk about grief and loss.
- College Planning – How do we find the “best fit” college?
- Fit + Funding = Finishing
- They make all students apply to college. Requirement of applying by Nov. 1st of senior year. This includes tech schools.
- Small responsive groups – 10 10th graders failing 3 or more classes. Group utilizing a strengths finder. Went from 28 Fs to 3 Fs in 8 weeks. Data driven. IndigoProject.org – Invited 18 and 10 signed up. Did it during lunch and bought them pizza, boys and girls.
- RAMP certification for their program to help them improve their program
- Have all the freshman reading the Alchemist. Not an add on. Freshman orientation course. ICAP Jeopardy lesson. More fun for kids.
- Google Puzzle – use this to create lessons.
- Utilize volunteers to do clerical task, coordinate events, etc.
- Consider creating limits for frequent flyer kids. Ex: Three passes per semester
Legislative Update
CDE – Standards and Assessments, Special Service Provider Evaluation, Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness, Professional School Counselors, Legislative and Policy
- Common Core – the intent was to level the playing field. Provide the opportunity for all students to engage in this curriculum. They understand the problems with CMAS and other tests as they relate to evaluations for teachers.
- Alignment for Common Core, ASCA National Standards, etc.
- UYP – principals, college readiness, and parent involvement
- Create a use of time analysis – this is very helpful for principals.
- The Evaluation rubric is trying to paint a clear picture of performance and the many roles that counselors have. This is a tool that is use to start conversation.