Office of School Counseling
Friday Sendoff - May 22, 2020
Music As Self-Care (adapted from The Self-Care Institute)
Music can be a friend to lean on right now. Music might also be your co-worker, an emotional outlet, a voice of reason, a way to connect with others, a reminder that you're not alone, or a way to keep your kids occupied - and all of these things makes our relationship to music very important.
1. Music can help create structure in your day.
For example, choosing specific music for the morning (before work), afternoon, and evening (after work) can be grounding and create personal rituals yourself. Since many of us are at home a lot right now, this can also help the break the day up into more specific chunks of time so that the day doesn't just quickly fly by or drag on endlessly.
Making music a part of your routine can help create signals and cues to your brain and body so that a rhythm can be established. Because time is taking on a different type of texture right now, providing these external cues can be helpful. Also, consciously choosing your own music to listen to or play can help you take ownership of your environment, your time, and your life.
2. Music can be familiar and grounding.
We can find so much comfort in the familiar sounds right now. Listening to music that brings back positive memories can help bring back feelings associated with those memories. However, sometimes music related to positive memories can create sadness too, so check with what is best for your heart.
Try out different songs and different types of music to see what is grounding for you right now. Find that song that eases your mind and soul and feels like home to you.
Most days it can seem like the Coronavirus is this big entity that's taken up so much space in our lives. However, there are other things that can be even bigger that can bring hope and comfort.
Music is an entity that is bigger than all of us, and is something we can turn to to remind us that we are not alone.
Music can be used as self-care in so many ways and see how you can bring in music and allow it to be your friend today.
But of course, feel free to choose silence at any time also. Silence can also be a friend that can be restorative and healing.
Adapted from The Self-Care Institute
Don't forget to reach out to someone you care about!
Announcements
**NEW** Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Newsletter
Please take a moment to check out this week’s FACEtime Newsletter from BCPS Parent University.
Newsletter Link: https://www.smore.com/r1g4e
**NEW** There's A Reason Kids Are Clingy Right Now
**NEW** Supporting Families during COVID19
We know parents are struggling to balance work, child care and self-care while keeping worries — both their children’s and their own — under control. They don’t have to do it alone. For more information, visit: https://childmind.org/coping-during-covid-19-resources-for-parents/
**Virtual Career Day Videos and Resources**
Volunteer Opportunity
**NEW** Volunteers Needed!
The YMCA of central Maryland is looking for volunteers to help with food distribution this week at various locations.
Please visit https://ymaryland.volunteermatters.org/project-catalog?regions=&tags=&keywords=COVID_19 to learn more and sign up.
Elementary School Counselors
Combination Lock Tutorial
Middle School Department Chairs
Secondary Counselors
**NEW** Visit with Blue Angels Commander Brian Kesselring
High School Counselors
National College Foundation Career Expo
On Wednesday, May 27, 2020, the National College Resource Foundation is holding its 2020 Virtual Career Expo LIVE from 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm (EST). This will be an online virtual career recruitment experience. The career expo is open to high school juniors and seniors, college students, college graduates, and other adult individuals. See the link below to access the information.
https://www.thecollegeexpo.org/events/2020-virtual-career-expo
High School Department Chairs
**NEW**Student Voter Registration
The Upsilon Epsilon Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. of Baltimore County would like your help getting eligible BCPS students who are 17 and 18 years or older registered to vote by October 13, 2020 so they can vote in the November 3rd Presidential election.
Please share this link with seniors who are interested in registering to vote: https://www.whenweallvote.org/alphakappaalpha/
CCBC Non-Degree Program
CCBC ECAP Information sessions
Naviance Graduation Survey
– See the attachment below for a senior survey questions. The built in grad survey data populates the following district/school reports in Naviance. There isn't a way to just pull only their responses for the 5 questions.
- Student outcomes report
- College application reports
- Scholarship report
Graduation Survey Completion Results
In order for seniors to send their final transcripts through eDocs, we need them to complete the Graduation Survey that was assigned to them. One of the five survey questions asks seniors where they’re attending in the fall, which makes completion crucial so we have the location to send their final transcript.
Please take a look at the attached, but you’re also able to run this report using the following steps:
- Go to the Analytics tab
- Click on Reports BETA
- Click on Task Completion Report
- In the filter on the left side select the "Complete Graduation Survey" under the tasks section.
There’s also the current task completion status report available to provide the names of students who need to complete the survey by following the steps below.
1. Choose settings
2. Class year: 12
3. Continue
4. Remove all > add COMPLETE GRADATION SURVEY
5. Continue
6. Choose CSV so you can reorder by complete, in progress and not started
Please contact your Specialist directly if you have any questions about the reports.
College Counselors
**NEW** Supporting Students in Navigating Trauma, Grief and Stress during the College Process
A few weeks ago, the American College Application Campaign (ACAC) held its 2020 National Convention. A presentation hosted by Laura Owen, Ph.D., American University, and Kara Leva, Ph.D., Rowan University addressed how individuals who are working directly with students can help them navigate trauma, stress, and grief. Additionally, the presentation shared information about how trauma impacts the college-going process.
**NEW** Ohio College information session
The Ohio Six were so thrilled to have over 1,000 registrants for their first Ohio 6 Colleges webinar yesterday! As they reached capacity in the virtual room, they wanted to invite your students to a second webinar, hosted by the following Vice Presidents and Directors of the Ohio 6 Colleges, on Tuesday, June 2nd at 2 pm EST:
- Tom Abeyta, Director of Admissions, Oberlin College & Conservatory
- Diane Anci, VP for Enrollment and Dean of Admission & Financial Aid, Kenyon College
- Kelsey Ellis, Director of Admission, Wittenberg University
- Scott Friedhoff, VP For Enrollment, The College of Wooster
- Stefanie Niles, VP for Enrollment and Communications, Ohio Wesleyan University
- Drew Riley, Director of Admission, Denison University
University System of MD Contacts
New and Updated Scholarships in Naviance
General John Stricker PTA Alumni Scholarship
The Rambler Scholarship
The Rambler scholarship supports student-athletes pursuing an undergraduate education who self-identify publicly as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex (LGBTQI), or as demonstrated and committed straight allies. The link to access the scholarship site is https://nyramblers.com/scholarship/.
Awardees will receive a one-time scholarship, paid directly to their school to cover tuition fees. Up to two scholarships of $2,500 each will be awarded publicly each summer. The application process deadline is June 1, 2020.
CCBC Scholarship Opportunity
The Marie Lloyd/ Ed Lamon Endowed Scholarship is offered each year to students graduating from a Baltimore area high school planning to attend CCBC for the Fall Semester, 2020.
The Marie Lloyd/Ed Lamon Scholarship is a two year award (four semesters) for a student pursuing an Associate Degree in a program of the student’s choice. The scholarship will fund up to $1,500 per semester.
Students will be evaluated on financial need, quality of essay, and high school grades.
The recipient can attend CCBC either full-time (12 credits) or part-time (6 credits). (Note: the scholarship amount will be prorated for a part-time student). The recipient must maintain a 2.0 grade point average and demonstrate acceptable progress toward an Associate Degree to be renewed each semester.
See Naviance for application. Deadline is July 15, 2020.
Naviance Scholarships ending this month
BCPS Hub Information
Recently added Hub items
- BCPS CONNECTS: STAFF SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND WELLNESS VIRTUAL SUPPORTS DURING THE COVID-19 CLOSURE
- PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPS - EXCEL: NAVIGATING THROUGH SPREADSHEETS TRAINING
- 2020 SUMMER PROGRAMS
- PUPIL PERSONNEL SERVICES – NEWLY REQUESTED SHARED DOMICILES
Professional Development
Teachers and counselors must engage in a minimum of two hours of virtual professional learning each week during the closure. Please document your participation in your Outlook calendar.
**NEW** Helping Clients Adapt and Thrive Through Covid19 2 CEUs on 5/26
**NEW** Promoting Educator Well-Being: Compassion Fatigue, Burnout and Secondary Traumatic Stress in the Era of COVID-19 on 5/26 at 9:00am
**NEW** Wellbeing Through Crisis: Emotional PPE on 5/26 at 9:00am
**NEW** Coping with Stress During the Pandemic 5/26 at 1:00pm
**NEW** The Coming Out Process 5/25 at 3:30p
**NEW** Communicating Death and Dying to Latino Families during a Pandemic 5/27 at 1:00
**NEW** Ambiguous Loss: Grieving in the Time of COVID-19, Followed by Live Q&A Session
5/27 at 5:00
**NEW** Crisis Readiness, Response, and Recovery Webinar Series: Supporting Grieving Students During a Pandemic 5/29 at 6pm
MSCA Webinars - MSCA is holding evening webinars to support school counselors' growth during the COVID 19 pandemic. Sessions are free for members ($10 if you want CEU's) and $15 for nonmembers.
Generalized Anxiety And Trauma Interventions (Home Study Course) 3 CEU's, currently 30% off!
Mindfulness Client Care Interventions (Home Study Course) 6 CEU's - currently 30% off!
Anxiety Stops Here: 10 Powerful Interventions (Home Study Course) 3 CEUs - currently 30% off!
A Rainbow Of Play Techniques (Home Study Course) 1 CEU - currently 50% off!
Advanced Concepts: Cognitive Conceptualization & Modification Of Core Beliefs In CBT (Home Study) 5 CEU's - currently 33% off!
Helping Clients Address Anxiety Through the Lens of Emotional Intelligence 2 CEU's on 6/10/20 at 8:00pm
Understanding the Therapeutic Value and Real Work Within Play Therapy 2 CEU's on 6/22/20 at 8:00pm
How Trauma Transforms: Nurturing Resilience Through Play Therapy With Clients Impacted by ACEs 2 CEU's on 7/9/20 at 8:00pm
**NEW** Identifying Signs of Abuse Amid Social Distancing
BCPS Counselors Good News & Inspiration
Virtual Counseling Office
Pikesville High School Senior Awards Ceremony
Eastern Tech Signing Day
Lansdowne High Senior Signing Day
New Town High
Pikesville High
Lyons Mills
Websites
Traitify: https://bcps.traitify.com/
Other career-related websites:
https://www.bls.gov/k12/content/students/careers/career-exploration.htm
https://www.careeronestop.org/Videos/CareerVideos/career-videos.aspx?frd=true
https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs.html
https://www.cacareerzone.org/budget/
http://www.careersinthemilitary.com/
MD CAPS (MHEC): https://mdcaps.mhec.state.md.us/MDCAPS/login.aspx?c=-8586295899786270826&ReturnUrl=/MDCAPS/int/FinAid
College Covered resources for school counselors https://www.collegecovered.com/resources-for-counselors/
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
GSA Sponsors (LGBTQ+ resources): ZMBZ-4QXP-DKC89
Contact Information
Naviance Support: 1-866-337-0080 option 2 & support@naviance.com
Signup Genius Support: support@signupgenius.com
CPS phone number: 410.887.TIME
CPS email address: dhr.baltimorecountycps@maryland.gov
MHEC FAFSA Completion (MD CAPS): fafsa.mhec@maryland.gov