PLSCN Update
Prairie Lakes School Counselor Network - November 2021
November Note
November is flying by as anticipated ... despite that, we hope that you will be able to find time to slow down and intentionally reflect on how much we have to be grateful for in order for our brains to refresh and refocus on what our next best steps are moving forward.
For those of you who made it down to ISCA, it was so great to see you!
We recognize that prioritizing time for professional development and time outside of the district is especially challenging this year and hope you were able to gain either new information or validation of all the amazing things you do for students here in Prairie Lakes.
As always - thank you for all you do,
Courtney & Mark
Upcoming ICAN Webinars
Need help providing Tier 1 College/Career Services to your students and parents? ICAN Webinars are an easy click to share!
Employability: Building Skills for Any Career
- Monday, November 22 at 5:30 pm - Register .
- Perfect for all high school students and parents
FAFSA Step-by-Step
- Wednesday, December 1 at 5:30 pm - Register.
- Perfect for high school seniors and parents
Life After High School - Career and College Planning
- Wednesday, December 8 at 5:30 pm - Register.
- Perfect for high school sophomores, juniors, and parents
The World of 7 Billion video contest is back for the 2021-2022 school year!
The topic of this year's contest asks students to: Explain how population growth impacts one of the following global challenges and offer an idea for a sustainable solution. The global challenges are: agriculture and food, urbanization, or ocean health.
Over 80 cash prizes of up to $1,200 will be awarded to student winners, and participation is a wonderful addition to college applications. All students in grades 6-12 are encouraged to participate, either individually or in small groups. The contest is currently open and the deadline for video submissions is February 22, 2022.
Career Development Month with ASCA
Get ready for a full month of career development resources and insights to share with your students!
To celebrate Career Development Month, ASCA is offering a series of webinars starting Nov. 2 and continuing through Nov. 30. Sponsored by North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU), the Career Development Webinar Series features Careers Your Students Should Know About sessions from more than 40 national organizations, plus four additional webinars covering gap years, test-free and test-optional college admissions, elementary school career exploration and perceptions, and promoting diversity in STEM careers.
Tune in live or watch recorded sessions later in the month. Click here for details
PLSCN School Counselor Spotlight: November
This month we'd like to recognize our local PLSCN Certified FAFSA Professionals:
Noel McLaughlin, Algona High School
Allie Peterson, Graettinger-Terril High School
Natasha Nelson, Spirit Lake High School
Jodi Theisen, Storm Lake High School
Noel, Allie, Natasha, and Jodi have all completed the ICAN Financial Aid Certification training FAFSA: A Scenario-Based Training and are ICAN certified to provide professional assistance in filing the FAFSA form. What an amazing asset to their school community!
We invite you to nominate someone you know - or yourself - to be featured in a future PLSCN School Counselor Spotlight! Submission Form
December PLSCN Network Roundtables and Academy Workshops
- 8:30 - 11:00 Data-Driven Dialogue/Decision-Making - Section 308687
- 11:00 - 12:00 Elementary Roundtable
- 12:00 - 1:00 Secondary Roundtable
- 1:00 - 3:30 Interventions and Progress Monitoring - Section 308688
For 21-22, School Counselors will register for all workshops within the Professional Registration System. To sign up for an individual session, click the links above or select the appropriate section(s) within Course #202224. Registration closes for each section the Friday before.
Those wishing to earn licensure renewal credit will also register for Course #202225. They will be required to attend at least 15 hours of professional development throughout the year and submit reflections and action plans.
Quarterly Roundtable Discussions will be hosted in between workshops and invitations were sent out to all school counselors via Google Calendar invites last month. Counselors will RSVP via Google Calendar and are able to join in person or via zoom. Those attending in person will be able to take a lunch break opposite the roundtable they wish to attend if attending both the morning and afternoon sessions.
Friday, Dec 3, 2021, 09:00 PM
Prairie Lakes Area Education Agency, 5th Avenue South, Fort Dodge, IA, USA
New Winter Support Groups from Please Pass the Love!
2021 Fall Support Groups will be facilitated by Please Pass the Love's Therapeutic Outreach Coach, Alex Rohn, MA, LMHC.
Parent Support Group
This support group is a safe space to explore your feelings and share your experiences as a parent of a student struggling with mental health concerns and exploring ways to take care of YOU while taking care of your child.
Wednesday December 1st @ 5:30-6:30 pm
Wednesday December 8th @ 5:30-6:30 pm
Wednesday December 15th @ 5:30-6:30 pm
Wednesday January 5th @ 5:30-6:30 pm
Wednesday January 12th @ 5:30-6:30 pm
Wednesday January 19th @ 5:30-6:30 pm
Student Support Group
This support group is a safe space to explore your feelings and share your experiences as a high school student struggling with mental health concerns and looking to improve your overall mental wellness.
Wednesday December 1st @ 4:30-5:30 pm
Wednesday December 8th @ 4:30-5:30 pm
Wednesday December 15th @ 4:30-5:30 pm
Wednesday January 5th @ 4:30-5:30 pm
Wednesday January 12th @ 4:30-5:30 pm
Wednesday January 19th @ 4:30-5:30 pm
Soft rollout of EWS for secondary schools
- Daily and period attendance
- Behavior referrals
- Traditional grades (ABCDF and %)
- ISASP (expected sometime in November
Student Success Training Opportunities
MTSS Platform Introduction & Overview - targeted to secondary schools, but all are welcome
Social-Emotional-Behavioral Health Webinar Series
The Iowa Center for School Mental Health and the Baker Teacher Leader Center are proud to partner in offering the Social-Emotional-Behavioral Health (SEBH) 2021-2022 Webinar Series Program.
Teaching Social-Emotional-Behavioral Health Through PBIS
Presenter: Dr. Mary Crnobori
December 15, 5:30-7:00
Free Teacher Licensure Renewal Credit
Educators who register for and attend all 8 sessions in the series will earn one free teacher license renewal credit! Register here for the credit . You CAN still register and catch up by watching the October and November recordings if you missed them!
ASCA recently collaborated with ACT to study school counselors' perspectives on SEL. That study found that a majority of school counselors consider social/emotional learning as important as academic success. Respondents also pointed to a need for more professional development in this area. You'll learn more about this important study at ASCA@Home: Support & Sustain SEL when study researchers discuss the results.
ASCA@Home: Support & Sustain SEL includes nearly 30 informative breakout sessions, addressing a wide range of SEL topics to ensure you're up-to-date with all the latest developments and strategies. Registration is only $99 for ASCA members and $249 for nonmembers. Watch live or any time through March 31, 2022.
Registration open for the Elementary School Counseling Institute!
Do you sometimes feel that professional learning opportunities do not directly address the specific needs of elementary school counselors?
Are you a new elementary school counselor (PK-6 or PK-8), looking for how to best design and implement a school counseling program that makes an impact for students?
If so, you’re in luck! Please join us for the virtual Elementary School Counseling Institute (ESCI) on December 7 - 8, 2021 because we are in this together!
Free ASCA U Training
Remember, you can earn THREE licensure renewal credits for ASCA U courses through the AEA Learning System. Cost of credit for each course is $105 and paid through the AEA Learning System.
Me & My Emotions - Free lessons for teens
Moved by a desire to reduce youth’s toxic stress and increase their resilience, The Dibble Institute, in partnership with ArtCenter College of Design and author Carolyn Curtis, PhD, is releasing Me & My Emotions—a new, free adaptation of our beloved Mind Matters Curriculum.
The mobile-friendly Me & My Emotions website features engaging graphics and bite-sized lessons teens can access and practice any time. This digital experience for teens aligns with the same skill sets available in Mind Matters:
- Self-Soothing and Mindfulness Practices
- Managing Stress Effectively
- Developing Empathy
- Developing a life of Intention
- Building and Using a Support System
November Book Spotlight: ...
This month's book spotlight is one for the adults ...
Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World
Hailed as "an absolute must-read" (Jean Twenge) and a book that "will change your kids' lives" (Jack Canfield), UnSelfie by Dr. Michele Borba explains what parents and educators MUST do to combat the growing empathy crisis among children today--including a 9-step empathy-building program with tips to guide kids from birth through college, and beyond.
Teens today are forty percent less empathetic than they were thirty years ago. In UnSelfie Dr. Borba pinpoints the forces causing the empathy crisis and shares a revolutionary, researched-based, nine-step plan for reversing it. The good news? Empathy is a trait that can be taught and nurtured. Dr. Borba offers a framework for parenting that yields the results we all want: successful, happy kids who also are kind, moral, courageous, and resilient. UnSelfie is a blueprint for parents and educators who want to kids shift their focus from I, me, and mine...to we, us, and ours.
We invite you to share how you either already use - or plan to implement - a book in your comprehensive school counseling program! submission form
We would love to hear from you!
Also, if you know of a school counselor or administrator that would like to receive this newsletter and isn't, please email us and we will get them added!
Also, please remember that we would love to hear recommendations for future PLSCN School Counselor & Book Spotlights!
- Courtney and Mark
PLAEA School Counselor Supports:
Social-Emotional-Behavioral Health Coordinator
712.346.5073
Mark Shea; mshea@plaea.org
Postsecondary Readiness Lead
712.458.7024