Office of School Counseling
Friday Sendoff - November 27, 2019
We are thankful for YOU!
You provide emotional support: When students know they have emotional support, they feel protected, supported, and loved. Because of you, students know they have someone to talk to when things are going rough, or even when they need to share something positive.
You help students develop empathy, coping skills, and social skills: You help students develop and practice empathy, self-awareness and self-management skills, so they know how to communicate with others. This helps not only the school environment, but it also helps our communities become stronger.
You are strong, collaborative members of the educational team: You who work collaboratively with other educators act as figurative quarterbacks to guide effective programs and strategies that help students thrive. You understand the culture and climate and can bridge communication gaps between students and other educators.
You guide students to gain higher education and discover their future career path: School counselors help students discover their overall strengths so that they can determine what their calling in life is. In most cases, school counselors are the only people that students get to talk to about their future. You play a critical role in a student’s next steps beyond high school!
MUST DO ITEMS - Please read this section carefully
Mandatory Meetings and Professional Developments - The PD calendar for the 2019-2020 school year was sent to you in August. Please be sure to add the dates/times to your own calendars and share them with your administration. This will prevent any confusion and requests for you to stay at your school during those meeting times.
Upcoming Meetings
Middle School Counselors Meeting (morning option)
This session will provide a basic understanding of multiple gender identifies, a history of gender, basic terminology regarding identities and sexual orientation, techniques to create environments for non-conforming students and staff, and to learn strategies to support students dealing with harassment or micro-aggressions. 3 CEU's will be available.
Register here: https://registration.bcps.org/Event.aspx?Event_DetailID=29319
Wednesday, Dec 4, 2019, 08:00 AM
Baltimore County Agricultural Center, Shawan Road, Cockeysville, MD, USA
Middle School Counselors Meeting (afternoon option)
Register here: https://registration.bcps.org/Event.aspx?Event_DetailID=29319
Wednesday, Dec 4, 2019, 12:00 PM
Baltimore County Agricultural Center, Shawan Road, Cockeysville, MD, USA
High School Counselors Meeting (option 1)
Register here: https://registration.bcps.org/Event.aspx?Event_DetailID=29318
Thursday, Dec 5, 2019, 07:30 AM
Loyola University Maryland - Timonium Graduate Center, Greenspring Drive, Lutherville-Timonium, MD, USA
High School Counselors Meeting (option 2)
Register here: https://registration.bcps.org/Event.aspx?Event_DetailID=29318
Thursday, Dec 5, 2019, 11:30 AM
Loyola University Maryland - Timonium Graduate Center, Greenspring Drive, Lutherville-Timonium, MD, USA
Announcements
**NEW** FREE Lyft Rides for Families Needing Access to Resources (Provided by United Way) Guidelines:
1. The client must originate and stay within Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Anne Arundel, and Howard.
2. It must be for food access, financial assistance, medical, or employment related reasons.
3. We can provide up to 5 round trips to each person.
How can people access: Call 211 M-F, 8AM-7PM and request a ride. The program will begin this Friday.
**NEW** Stella Maris: "Grieving During the Holidays" - presented by: Julie Kays, LCPC, NCC at The Counseling Center at Stella Maris on 12/2/19 at 7 p.m. at the Stella Maris Auditorium, 2300 Dulaney Valley Rd. Timonium, MD 21093. This is a free talk open to the community. Please call 410-252-4500 ext. 7291 to register or for more information.
SAMHSA: FindTreatment.gov
Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced the launch of FindTreatment.gov, a new and improved website for helping to connect Americans throughout the United States who are looking for substance abuse treatment. More than 19.3 million American adults had substance use disorders in 2018, and connecting them with appropriate treatment is a critical step to combating the opioid crisis in America. FindTreatment.gov is designed to provide the most relevant information for each individual’s recovery needs by creating a modern, user-friendly experience that is visually clear, simple, and welcoming to those in crisis. Visitors can access information on treatment providers’ locations, treatment options, payment and insurance information, and on more than 13,000 state-licensed facilities, based on data compiled by SAMHSA. Visit FindTreatment.gov
Elementary Counselors
Conscious Discipline
Middle School Department Chairs
Secondary Department Chairs
**NEW** Local Knowledge is a new digital publication developed for Maryland’s middle and high school counselors by the Maryland Association of Community Colleges (MACC). "Local Knowledge" will deliver a quick, informative read on student opportunities at our 16 community colleges. This month covers the new Maryland Community College Promise program. Click here to subscribe and receive this monthly.
We are in the process of ordering paper copies of the course registration guide.
Department Chairs, please complete the survey below so we know how many to order for your office.
Upcoming MS & HS meetings - If you have a department member who can't make the designated December 4th or 5th dates, they're welcome to register for the other date (for instance...if you cant make the MS meeting, you can attend the HS meeting).
High School Counslers
**NEW** Health Informatics Degree Fundamentals -
Please share the following guides with students. Contact Alyssa Porter with questions. alyssap@bestcolleges.com
https://www.bestcolleges.com/features/health-informatics-degree-programs/
Health Informatics Career Overview - https://www.bestcolleges.com/careers/healthcare/health-informatics/
**NEW** Day with an Engineer 2020 Attached below are the application materials and flyer for this year’s Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Day with an Engineer program. The program allows juniors and seniors to actively shadow engineering professionals at their offices and on jobsites. Students will get a valuable first look at what it’s like to work as an engineer. The application deadline is Friday, January 10, 2020, and the event is scheduled for Wednesday, February 19, 2020. Please encourage any juniors or seniors who are interested in pursuing a career in the engineering field to apply.
Military Recruiters - Counselors should not share personally identifiable information (PII) with a recruiter without parental consent. Additionally, if your school offers the ASVAB, we cannot share score reports with recruiters. Our state supervisor shared that recruiters have been aware of this. Please be sure you’re using the updated form sent out for ASVAB testing with option 8 as the only choice that can be made.
Per COMAR, the military can meet with students just like any other college visit. There should be no students meeting with recruiters individually without parental consent. When possible, have a staff member present if the parent can't attend the meeting to review students scores.
College Counselors
**NEW** MCAC materials in Spanish
In an effort to ensure that students and families who speak Spanish are aware of the Maryland College Application Campaign (MCAC) and the supports the MCAC provides, attached below you will find four MCAC brochures translated into Spanish. The brochures are also located on the MCAC website. Click on the MCAC Spanish Brochures - MCAC español folletos tab on the right side of the web page. You may use the link below to access the MCAC website. Please share the brochures accordingly with stakeholders, families, and students. The attached translated brochures are:
- MCAC (about the college campaign)
- MCAC Financial Aid - Show Me the Money!
- MCAC Tuition Waiver for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth and Foster Care Youth
- Undocumented Students
Link to access the MCAC website
http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/about/Pages/DSFSS/SSSP/MCAC/index.aspxCollege Application updates (PLEASE REVIEW)
Notre Dame University of Maryland - Please check with your students to make sure their applicaiton is complete. NDM doesn't accept eDocs submissions. They have notified their processing team that many applicants are in fact submitting documents through Naviance so that they can take the appropriate action. None of your students will be penalized for having to resend documents, so please don’t worry. They accept applications on a rolling admissions basis and every applicant is still equally considered for scholarships, regardless of when the student applies. There's no hard deadline in place of when we need all applications and documents in our system, and they are constantly reviewing applications. For future reference, please have any application documents sent to processing@ndm.edu. This is the direct email to the processing team who can pull the documents and upload them to the student’s profile.
Cornell College: Evaluating College Choices
What makes a student say yes to a college?
Inside Higher Ed writer Matt Reed examined this question and posed it to his readers.
Career coaches matter
Ultimately, your students' college journey should end with a terrific launch into graduate school or a career. Hear what students at Cornell have to say about the Berry Career Institute's career coaching.
A College Evaluation guide
We've put together a resource that explains how to evaluate colleges that you can use with your students and their parents when they struggle to make a decision.
Skills training, short-term certificates, or 4 years of college?
What should you keep in mind when students ask what the differences might be between a 4-year college degree and short-term skills or certificate training?
MHEC Financial Assistance Programs
State Financial Assistance Programs and Applications
Tuition Waiver for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
Tuition Waiver for Foster Care Recipients
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
Landmark College Professional Visit Days
https://www.landmark.edu/admissions/professional-visit-days
University of Tampa - 2/16-17, 2020
https://apply-undg.ut.edu/portal/gcvisit?id=5a86e0f3-8a25-4ff2-b98f-e7ce59d5844b
Southern Illinois University - 3/19-20, 2020
https://www.siue.edu/counselors/events-feed/fly-in.shtml
Roanoke College - 3/22-23, 2020
https://www.roanoke.edu/about/news/counselor_fly_in
Saint Anselm College Counselor Fly-in Visit Program - 3/29-31, 2020
https://admission.anselm.edu/register/fly-in-interest
PCACAC College Tour - 4/1-4, 2020
https://www.pcacac.org/counselor-resources
MU/UD Counselor Visit Program - 4/26-28, 2020
https://udayton.edu/apply/undergraduate/guidance/visit-program.php
Recently Added/Updated Scholarships in Naviance
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Scholarship
Point Foundation Scholarship (for LGBTQ students)
Alexander Hamilton Scholars
10 Words or Less Scholarship (Due Nov 30th!!!)
Relevant Bulletin Items
November 22, 2019 Bulletin
https://intranet.bcps.org/superintendent/bulletin/2019/1122/Bulletin112219.pdf
920. PAYROLL UPDATES
929. COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS – MIDDLE SCHOOL EARLY COLLEGE ACCESS PROGRAM (ECAP) LIAISON MEETING
947. HOW TO APPLY FOR A DEPARTMENT CHAIR INTERVIEW – FEBRUARY 2020
949. MARYLAND CERTIFICATION
951. OPERATION JOY FOR FAMILIES IDENTIFIED AS HOMELESS
954. TEAM BCPS COPING SKILLS: MINDFULNESS MATTERS – DECEMBER 2019
Leadership Development
All department chair postings will open on Monday, December 2, 2019. Applications are being accepted online for staff interested in a department chair position. The deadline for applying to be in the department chair candidate pool, and to be considered for a January/February 2020 interview, is Wednesday, January 8, 2020. Only complete applications will be given consideration for an interview.
Professional Development
**NEW** 2019 ASCA Webinar Series: Solution-Focused Techniques for Responsive Services Dec. 16, 2019, 3-4 p.m. Responsive services are school counseling interventions intended to help students with their immediate needs and concerns. In the time-sensitive environment of a school, having brief, effective and strengths-based techniques is critical to a school counselor’s success in supporting students. Hear about numerous solution-oriented counseling techniques and specific language that will fill your techniques toolbox.
Introduction to Sand Tray Therapy 1/6/20 in Randallstown. 3 CEU's offered.
Getting to the Point! Methods and Applications of Solutions-Focused Brief Therapy 1/6/20 in Randallstown. 3 CEU's offered.
The Ethics of Self-Disclosure 1/6/20 in Randallstown. 3 CEU's offered.
Your Own Worst Enemy: Helping Clients Address Anxiety Through the Lens of Emotional Intelligence (Live Webinar) on 1/7/20. 2 CEU's offered.
The Change Ethic 1/12/20 in Pikesville. 3 CEU's offered.
Life Reclaimed: Helping Substance-Using Clients Through Recovery and Beyond, (Live Webinar) on 1/13/20. 2 CEU's offered.
Supervision and Leadership, Management Seminar 1/16 and 1/23 in Hereford (2 day training for those interested in being an LCPC Board-Approved Supervisor). 12 CEU's offered.
How Trauma Transforms: Nurturing Resilience Through Play Therapy With Clients Impacted by ACEs (Live Webinar) on 1/15/20. 2 CEU's offered.
Best Approaches in Trauma Treatment 1/30/20 in Dundalk. 3 CEU's offered.
Resource Roundup
Lending Library Items of the Week:
We have 2 NEW items in our Lending Library! Thank you to Beth Command for the suggestions!
Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges
Fully revised and updated by education journalist Hilary Oswald, Colleges That Change Lives remains the definite guide for high school students (and their parents) who are looking for more in their college education than football, frat parties, and giant lectures. Building on the foundation of landmark author Loren Pope, Oswald spent more than a year visiting 40 colleges, speaking with students, faculty, and alumni to create these vivid and concise portraits.
Featuring a new introduction, a new Required Reading section, and a new chapter on learning disabilities, the book is organized into five geographic regions (Northeast, South, Midwest, Southwest, Northwest) to make for easy browsing, and urban, suburban, and rural campuses are all featured. There’s also an alphabetical index of colleges. Each profile includes admissions standards as well as relevant statistics to make your decision easier, including where the school ranks in post-graduate grants and fellowships, what percentage of students go on to graduate school or further education, distinguishing facts about the curriculum, percentage of professors who have terminal degrees in their field, even what activities are available to students and what they’re likely to do on weekends.
Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania
Over the last few decades, Americans have turned college admissions into a terrifying and occasionally devastating process, preceded by test prep, tutors, all sorts of stratagems, all kinds of rankings, and a conviction among too many young people that their futures will be determined and their worth established by which schools say yes and which say no.
In Where You Go is Not Who You'll Be, Frank Bruni explains why this mindset is wrong, giving students and their parents a new perspective on this brutal, deeply flawed competition and a path out of the anxiety that it provokes.
Bruni, a bestselling author and a columnist for the New York Times, shows that the Ivy League has no monopoly on corner offices, governors' mansions, or the most prestigious academic and scientific grants. Through statistics, surveys, and the stories of hugely successful people, he demonstrates that many kinds of colleges serve as ideal springboards. And he illuminates how to make the most of them. What matters in the end are students' efforts in and out of the classroom, not the name on their diploma.
Office of School Counseling Lending Library
Email Sharon Holter to borrow any items from our Lending Library.
Inspiration and Good News
Sparrows Point 10th graders made this bulletin board with messages of hope when they did the suicide awareness lesson
Caitlin McGing supporting the Build a Bear event for Kids Helping Hopkins
Websites
Traitify: https://bcps.traitify.com/
MD CAPS (MHEC): https://mdcaps.mhec.state.md.us/MDCAPS/login.aspx?c=-8586295899786270826&ReturnUrl=/MDCAPS/int/FinAid
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 email address: dhr.baltimorecountycps@maryland.gov
MHEC FAFSA Completion (MD CAPS): fafsa.mhec@maryland.gov