LCPS School Counseling News
December 2017
LCPS School Counseling Newsletter
Happy Holidays! It's the most wonderful time of the year....
We are in the final stretch of the 2017 year. You all have accomplished some many wonderful things for your students, families and staff. We appreciate all the work you do. Please be sure to take time for yourself, your family & friends.
May you get to feel snowflakes on your nose and eyelashes. Enjoy!
Facebook & Twitter
Don’t forget to share your news, events, and more with the Office of School Counseling. Send anything you’d like posted to our Facebook page and Twitter to counselingnews@lcps.org.
Calendar
December Events(2017-2018 ASCA Awareness Calendar)
National Impaired Driving Prevention Month
Safe Toys and Gifts Month
1 World AIDS Day
2 Special Education Day
3-9 National Handwashing Awareness Week
3 International Day of Persons with Disabilities
5 International Volunteer Day
10 Human Rights Day
15 Bill of Rights Day
SCHOOL COUNSELING SERVICES MEETINGS/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
December
12/4/17: Elementary Counselor Meetings; 8:30-10:30 am or 2-4 pm; Room 100B
12/5/17: MS Leads Meeting; 8:30 am-12 pm; Room 100A
12/8/17: New Counselors Meeting; 9 - 11 am; Room 100A
12/15/17: HS Directors' Meeting; 8:30 am -12:30 pm; Room 100C
January Events (2017-2018 ASCA Awareness Calendar)
Get Organized Month
National Mentoring Month
National Blood Donor Month
National Thank-You Month
1 Emancipation Proclamation Anniversary
1 Global Family Day
15-19 No Name-Calling Week
21 World Religion Day
22-28 National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week
27 Holocaust Remembrance Day
SCHOOL COUNSELING SERVICES MEETINGS/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
January
1/8/18: Elementary Facilitators Meeting; 8:30-10:30 am; Room 420
1/9/18: MS Leads Meeting; 8:30 am-12 pm; Room 102A/B
1/11/18: HS Naviance Meeting; 8:30- 10:00 am; Heritage HS
1/17/18: ASCA Model Meeting- Topic: Closing the Gap Action Plan; 3:00-5:00 pm; Room 102A/B
1/18/18: MS Naviance Meeting; 8:30-10 am; Simpson MS
1/19/18: HS Directors' Meeting; 8:30 am-12:30 pm; Room 100A
1/23/18: Career Center Assistants Meeting; 1:00-2:30 pm; Loudoun Valley HS
1/24/18: ASCA Model Meeting-Topic: Closing the Gap Action Plan; 8:30-10:30 am; Room 100A
1/26/18 & 1/29/18 Restorative Practices: Language and Circle Training; 8:30 am-4 pm; Sign up on MLP
New School Counselor Trainings
Reminder to share with New School Counselors...
There are trainings that new school counselors must participate and complete. Several of the trainings are located in VISION and others are located in MyLearning Plan. Please assist your new colleagues in meeting the expected requirements by LCPS. Please have them contact the School Counseling Services Offices if there are questions. Below are a list of the topics:
Phoenix
Training on Suicide Prevention Guidelines
CSSRS Training
FERPA
CPS
DTS
McKinney-Vento
By Special Request... New School Counselor Meetings:
December 8, 2017: 9:00 -11:00 am; Room 100A
April 5, 2017: 9:00 - 11:00 am; Room 100A
Virginia Department of Education New Requirements for School Counselors
The Virginia Department of Education has issued new requirements for initial and re-licensure requirements for school counselors.
Below is a link to the memo with links to the new requirements. Please be sure to review all the options to meet the new requirements. There are FREE online options. We have the links on VISION to access Option 3.
Professional Development Conference Requests
If you are interested in attending a conference please contact Office of School Counseling Services first. We will need to check availability of funds before you complete the Request to Attend Conference Form which is available on the Intranet. The link is below:
Once you complete the form, return it to our office. It would be helpful if you could ask your principal to pick up a portion of the cost. Generally we’ll pay registration (if budget allows) and your school may offer to pay additional expenses. Also, you will have to prepay for the registration and then submit a reimbursement form through iexpense.
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Professional Development
ASCA Webinar Series
Develop a Narrated, Self-Advancing, Multimedia Closing-the-Gap Report
Dec. 7, 2017, 3 p.m. Eastern
Career Conversations with Individual Students
Dec. 13, 2017, 12 p.m. Eastern
ASCA Mindsets-Based Mini Lessons
Dec. 15, 2017, 3 p.m. Eastern
Perfectionism: What's it Costing Our Kids?
Jan. 11, 2018, 2 p.m. Eastern
Career Conversations with Parents
Jan. 18, 2018, 1 p.m. Eastern
Help Students With Disabilities Self-Advocate
Jan. 24, 2018, 2 p.m. Eastern
American Counseling Association (ACA) (You can receive up to 5 PD points)
The American Counseling Association proudly offers this FREE online professional development course on LGBTQ-affirmative counseling competencies. This introductory course (lessons 1-5) is produced in collaboration with the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC) and made possible through a grant by PepsiCo Foundation.
Professional counselors working with LGBTQ students and clients will enhance critical skills and insights, with a specific focus on youth and young adults who navigate college and career readiness issues. ACA and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation offer these online learning series free of charge.
Counselors will earn one (1) NBCC continuing education (CE) credit for each module successfully completed. Participants must finish each activity and successfully complete the CE Quiz at the end of each lesson to receive a CE Certificate. Lessons and related activities in this course must be completed sequentially. Graduate Programs in Counseling and related fields are encouraged to use these free resources as supplemental course content, as appropriate.
ACA has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 1000. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. ACA is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Participants who successfully complete all five lessons and required activities will be eligible to receive a Certificate of Completion(Counseling Competencies: Improving College and Career Readiness for LGBTQ Youth).
Virginia Counselor Association (VCA)
NVCA Workshop: Counseling Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
12/5/2017
Location: Arlington, Virginia Time: 9:00 am - 5:30 pm
VCA Legislative Day - January 29, 2018
1/29/2018
Location: Richmond, Virginia Time: 9:00 am - 4:30 pm
Virginia School Counselor Association (VSCA)
1/10/18: VSCA Legislative Day 2018 in Richmond
PCACAC
Save the date for our 53rd Conference:
April 15-17, 2018
Dover Downs Hotel & Casino
Dover, DE
Check back soon to view presentations from the 2018 Conference.
Stopbullying.gov Training Course
Bullying Prevention Training Course
Discover your role in bullying prevention! This training provides guidance on how to take a public health approach to bullying prevention through the use of long-term, community-wide prevention strategies. Take the course, earn continuing education and make a difference today!
Accreditation Statement
CNE: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is accredited as a provider of Continuing Nursing Education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. This activity provides 1.5 contact hours. Read More
Directions
- Click video to play.
- After video, take the post-course and evaluation and assessment to receive continuing education. Please set aside at least 15 minutes for post-course activities.
- If you do not want to receive continuing education, please complete an online feedback form.
Elementary News
We wanted to share some pics from a very special project at Buffalo Trail ES. Shawna, Kathy, and I are the faculty sponsors for our student council, Bison Give Back. With our support, our student reps create service projects for our school. This month, our BGB reps created blankets for children at LAWS. We’re sending some pics. The kids worked so hard and created lovely cuddly blankets. We are delivering the blankets just in time for the holiday season. Our students also collected over 15 boxes of needed supplies—crayons, markers, snacks, paper towels, and toilet paper.
Hutchinson Farm- Patti Bagdasarian
Here a couple of pictures from a boy's leadership/teamwork group that I ran this fall. The curriculum is from a book entitled, "Building Champions," by Carol Miller. I would highly recommend this book for upper elementary grades (and possibly even early middle school). What I love about this book is that each topic has two to three lesson options and one option usually includes a hands-on activity or game (which my students really liked). The pictures I am sending along are from an activity that included following directions, working together, accountability, and resulted in building a palm tree and sailboat out of a small number of items. I had seven 4th and 5th grade boys participate in this group and all want to sign up for another group.
Pinebrook Elementary
PBIS
Pinebrook Elementary School kicked off the new school year with a new set of PBIS initiatives (see photo above) to reinforce positive behavior in their students. So far, students K-5 have each received a Grade Level Reward! Rewards include such things as No Homework for a Week, Movie in their Classroom, and Sit with any friend from their grade at Lunch.
Lip Sync Battle
These new initiatives have been successful in reigniting student interest in this positive behavior program! So much so that the combined Grade Level Awards amounted to the first tier in Pinebrook’s new School-Wide Prize – a Lip Sync Battle between our Administrators (see photo below)! Students assembled together for a Friday afternoon of fun while our Principal, Assistant Principal and Dean were great sports and lip synced to a handful of songs. Students and staff clapped and danced along – and students were reminded that their great behavior earned them this fun assembly reward!
Parent Workshop
Rolling Ridge Attendance Data
Middle School News
It’s spirit week here at Trailside and I wanted to share my door decoration. Our theme in 6th grade is Disney, and I thought this had a nice little counselor message with it. - Lisa Handy
High School News
- LV Counselors and Admin participated in Restorative Circle Training in November!
- Sources of Strength Training was also provided to students at LV via PEER in November.
- Over 60 colleges visited the career center this fall to provide students with information about admissions.
- Counselors participated in 3 in-house professional development sessions at LV: Rethinking Gender-A Shifting Landscape, Workplace of the Future-A New Career Development Model for LV and How Cell Phones are Making Kids Unhappy.
- Wellness Wednesdays are off to a strong start. This new initiative at Loudoun Valley allows students to select fun activities to engage in to reduce stress and improve wellness. Sessions offered are yoga, cross stitch, car detailing, shooting hoops, corn hole, coloring, reading, dancing, Sources of Strength seminars, STEM Macaroni Engineering, weightlifting, and walking, to name a few…
- The Unified Mental Health team combined with LV counselors presented 45 Depression/Suicide Booster Lessons to our 10-12th graders and 26 Lessons to our 9th graders regarding Suicide Prevention and Substance Abuse via their health classes
- We uploaded/processed just under 700 transcript requests to colleges by November 15th for our senior class via EDOCS.
- We processed 524 Dual Enrollment Intent Forms for NVCC this fall as our DE offerings grow at LV!
- 104 Vikings attended Monroe Shadowing on December 1st!
Woodgrove (see photo below)
Our We're All Human group had the whole school participate in a Thankfulness Tree. Each student through our FaceTIme group (advisory) wrote on a leaf something for which they are grateful. The PEER students worked with students at Mountain View Elementary school to write what they were thankful on a pumpkin at the base of the tree. The tree became 3D with leaves being hung from the ceiling and the trunk of the tree being corded paper to create a beautiful example of thankfulness.
Peer Training- Jennifer Wall
On Tuesday, November 7th, we hosted our 5th Annual and largest PEER Conference to date with over 225 students in attendance from 14 high schools. Peer Sponsors, School Social Workers, School Counselors, Student Assistance Specialists, and School Psychologists who support PEER and/or Sources of Strength were in attendance as well. We held the conference at Oath’s Seriff Auditorium in Sterling, VA.
Tom Mitchell, the founder and director of Stillbrave Childhood Cancer Foundation was our guest speaker for the morning. Affectionately known as “Tattoo Tom” by the children and families whom he serves. He is also a nationally recognized activist and advocate for children with cancer and their families. Grieving deeply after the loss of his daughter, Tom decided to dedicate his life to raising awareness and money to help people fighting childhood cancer.
Following his inspirational talk, peer students from Riverside, Stone Bridge, Heritage, Freedom, and John Champe led Strength Stations highlighting the eight strengths of the Sources of Strength Program: Mental Health, Family Support, Positive Friends, Mentors, Healthy Activities, Generosity, Spirituality, and Medical Access. All students received a “You are Strong” t-shirt and left feeling connected, valued and inspired!
CAMPUS- Chris Clarke
Chris Clarke is in Germany as part of a German exchange program. Below is the note with specific information on his trip, which includes students from the CAMPUS program:
"I will be away on travel status from November 17, 2017 to December 2, 2017. I’ve been asked to chaperone a select group of LCPS students, which includes a few of our amazing CAMPUS students. We will be travelling to Frankfurt, Germany for the George C. Marshall Student Partnership Exchange Program (SPEP)."
Below are pictures form the trip!
Chris Clarke Speaks...
Knee Surgery
Clarissa McGill
Town of Eppstein
Dulles Airport
LCPS Student Partnership Exchange Program (SPEP) students & Mr. Clarke preparing to leave Dulles airport for Frankfurt, Germany
Future Doctors
Our future Doctors of tomorrow: Spencer Davis, Gabriela Lopez (LCPS CAMPUS program student) and Cara Citrenbaum getting ready to observe a few surgeries for the day with Dr. Krauss.
Virtual Loudoun- Cynthia Fillman
Registration for Term 2 has opened! Here are some tips for High School Counselors and your students when considering registering for a class for the upcoming 15 week term:
- It takes the average student approximately 140 hours total to complete a 1 credit course. This means students should plan on spending between 9-10 hours per week to stay on track with recommended pacing.
- For virtual HPE, students MUST complete and track their fitness activities weekly with an approved device or mobile app. If they put off the physical education or neglect to save screen shots of their activity tracking, they will be unable to catch up later in the term. Not meeting the weekly activity requirements will result in not earning full credit on fitness log submissions.
- Keep in mind that virtual PE is much more rigorous within the 15 week term as an additional responsibility to the rest of a student’s schedule and extracurricular responsibilities than in the classroom throughout the school year. Students who do not have the ability to work diligently from the beginning to end of term with dedicated efforts are not a good fit for virtual HPE.
- If you have students who are not in the building for the full day and are taking a virtual class, please provide me with a copy of the fully approved attendance waiver (early release form).
- If your school is close to meeting/exceeding your 100 space allotment for Terms 1 and 2, consider doing a departmental prioritization of your registrations prior to approving so that you can, if necessary, deny registrations that we cannot accommodate.
Once registration closes, please do not add any additional registrations without first consulting with Stacie. Let Cynthia (email Cynthia.Fillman@lcps.org or call her direct extension: 26518) know if you have ANY questions at any point. We are happy to help in any way that I can! We are truly grateful for your efforts and very much appreciate the collaborative work we do with you for our students!
Parent/Guardian/Community News & Workshops
Share a Little Thanks Mission 2017
Currently serving at 23 schools in Loudoun County, this is the biggest year for this program. Teachers and families come together to sign up on sign up genius and provide more than 250 to provide meals to the families in our community. It is such a rewarding and giving program.- Michelle & Sara
School Counseling Resources
School Counseling Tip
Anaid Shaver
Email: anaid.shaver@lcps.org
Website: http://www.loudoun.k12.va.us/page/1872
Location: 21000 Education Court, Ashburn, VA, United States
Phone: 571.252.1017