School Counseling News You Can Use
Counseling News from the Indiana Department of Education
April 2020
It's hard to believe all that has happened since my last newsletter! I know this has been a very trying time for educators. One positive is that I have had the pleasure of attending many conference calls, and have enjoyed seeing all of you working diligently to continue to do GREAT work during this unprecedented time. I hope to use this newsletter as a place to share helpful resources I have collected, and answer many of the questions you have asked.
Stay Safe and Healthy!
Michelle
Self-Care Tip
(download PDF to access links).
All Level Updates
Resources from National Organizations
Rogers InHealth staff (Wisconsin) have translated the strategies from Compassion Resilience into the context of this pandemic
National Center for School Mental Health
Covid-19 resource: http://www.schoolmentalhealth.org/COVID-19-Resources/
Panorama
Indiana Career Explorer/Kuder Success at Home
With the school closures caused by the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, the Indiana Career Explorer, powered by Kuder® (INCE) is fully operational and accessible. Accessing the system is easy – go to www.indianacareerexplorer.com. Take advantage of training – contact Mary Pouch at pouchm@kuder.com or go to https://tinyurl.com/INCETrainingRequest.
Kuder has also created Success At Home – a remote-resources toolbox that supports career development from anywhere. In it, you’ll find lesson plans, system access, login instructions, webinars, videos, and more. As always, feel free to contact the Kuder Client Engagement team with any questions at clientengagement@kuder.com or 877.999.6227.
Lilly Endowment Comprehensive Counseling Initiative Videos
Each month this year, brief stories of the schools and organizations implementing Lilly Endowment’s Comprehensive Counseling Initiative (CCI) are being released online. These 10-15 minute videos highlight the strategies and activities schools and organizations are launching with the support of their CCI grant to improve student outcomes in Indiana.
The March video features Southeast Fountain School Corporation. Principals Ashley Hammond and Kelli Morgan discuss the corporation's move towards implementing the ASCA National Model and some of the unique strategies, such as their Backpack meal program, this small rural school corporation has been able to expand as a result of the CCI grant.
The April video features KIPP Indy Public Schools. Randi Perry shares how KIPP Indy Public Schools are collaborating with teachers and community organizations to grow and sustain their college and career readiness efforts.
The videos can be viewed here: https://fleckeducation.com/lillygrant/ccivideos/
Primary (Pre-K to Five)
Sample Activities for Elementary Students
- Weekly Challenges
- Sending Postcards home
- Pre-recorded Lessons
- Lunch Zooms (for socializing with kids outside classroom)
- Google Check-ins (Sample Here)
Secondary (6-12)
ISCA Webinar Questions
FAFSA Deadline Extended
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) filing deadline for Indiana has been extended beyond the Commission for Higher Education’s original state deadline of April 15. The extension is intended to ensure as many Hoosiers as possible can access financial aid in the coming academic year in the midst of challenges presented by the coronavirus.
Students who did not file the FAFSA before the April 15 deadline are urged to submit the form at FAFSA.gov as soon as possible. The Commission will consider students who file past the original deadline, however, limited funding is available on a first-come basis.
The extension applies to the 21st Century Scholarship and the Frank O’Bannon Grant. There is no FAFSA deadline for Hoosiers applying for the Next Level Jobs Workforce Ready Grant.
High school seniors are encouraged to create a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) prior to beginning the FAFSA. The FSA ID serves as a legal, digital signature, and both the student and at least one parent must have one. The FSA ID can be created on the Federal Student Aid website.
Students can get assistance with filing by contacting their outreach coordinator or our partners at INvestEd at 317-715-9007.
If you have any questions, please email Barbie Martin at bmartin@che.in.gov or your outreach coordinator.
Parchment Webinar
Parchment will be hosting webinars detailing how to navigate Final Transcript season during COVID-19. Please register using the below link.
Register for Wednesday, April 22 - 12:00pm EST (11:00am CST)
Register for Wednesday, April 29 - 12:00pm EST (11:00am CST)
AP Information
Contact-Jason Feig, PhD
Director, Midwestern Regional Office
AP Exams-
Exams will be given from May 11–22. Makeup test dates will be available for each subject from June 1–5. View the full exam schedule.
AP Unused/Canceled Exam Fee Waived
Students can cancel at no charge. We won’t charge anything for an exam that isn’t taken, including the base exam fee as well as any additional fees such as the late order fee and canceled/unused exam fee. Fees will still be listed in AP Registration and Ordering until the final invoice is generated after the makeup testing window in June. Final reconciliation will be reflected on your final invoice.
AP Parent Webinar-
The webinar can be viewed here.
Graduation Pathways
IYI Webinar-Keeping up With Graduation Pathways: Questions Answered and Emerging Promising Practices
This session will review the Graduation Pathways and take a deeper look at how schools are implementing this new requirement, as well as Promising Practices from schools across the state.
- Educators will have a greater understanding of the Graduation Pathways.
- Educators will learn how to implement the 3 Graduation Pathways in their schools.
- Educators will learn promising practices for Graduation Pathways.
Register Here
Locally Created Pathways
The window to apply for a new Locally Created Pathway has been extended to May 31st. Additional details regarding Locally Created Pathways can be found here.
If you have further questions you can email me or direct questions to DOEGradpathways@doe.in.gov.
Professional Development
Opportunities for PD
Recorded Webinars:
Upcoming Webinar:
IDOE Webinar: Building Belonging & Connectedness for Students
A Journey of Radical Innovation - Carving Our Own Path
This webinar will appeal to leaders & community members who are working to revitalize neglected and marginalized urban neighborhoods with the intent to reestablish hope, prosperity, and peace. School leaders from Thomas Gregg Neighborhood School (TGNS) and faculty from the University of Indianapolis will address the nuts and bolts of this journey and provide a model for other leaders and community advocates to consider. TGNS operates as an Innovation School, bringing an entrepreneurial spirit to school reform within the IPS district.
Please use this link to join the webinar: https://tinyurl.com/rpt9lno
Peace Learning Center- Train the Trainer (FREE)
“Have you been interested in implementing Restorative Practices in your school to:
-align your discipline to best practices in neuroscience and trauma-informed care?
-reduce the disproportionality in your discipline?
-create more positive, welcoming culture in your school?
To help your school tap into these transformative practices, Peace Learning Center, in partnership with DMHA, has created a FREE train-the-trainer program for schools across the state of Indiana*.
In the fall of 2020, the module for the southern region of Indiana will begin. If you are in Central or Northern Indiana, there will be sessions held near you in the spring of 2021 or fall of 2021.
Each participating school will send a small team who will:
- Receive 5 days of training and will emerge as trainers, capable of training the rest of your staff
- Receive all training materials and resources
- Create a restorative discipline plan to help move your practices from punitive to restorative
- Be connected to a cohort of other schools to learn from and share resources
- Receive support and consultation from Peace Learning Center
*If in-person trainings are not an option, we will offer online trainings, certification, and resource distribution!
It is also important to note that starting school year 2019-2020 school districts need to ensure that they are continuing to meet the letter and intent of HEA 1421. This train the trainer opportunity and creation of restorative discipline plan would meet these statutory requirements!
The Fall 2020 Cohort will be trained in southern Indiana at the Carriage House at the Howard Steamboat Museum.
1101 E. Market St, Jeffersonville, IN 47130
Cost of training, lodging and a per diem for each participant are covered. Cost of travel and substitutes are not covered.
Apply: tiny.cc/applyRP
Counselor Spotlight
"One way I am staying connected with my students is by recording daily announcements (I do the announcements daily when we are at school) on our E-learning days and posting them on our Facebook page. I've been trying to include a link for parents such as our ABC mouse account information, go noodle resources, Food bank & pantry information, Brain-Pop Corona virus video, and ways for them to reach me. My students are pk-4 and are not 1:1, so its been a little complicated. I did do a KCES KINDNESS challenge and then had them submit to me through email. Right now we are on spring break, so we are doing some virtual spirit days... Today is a pet parade:) Our Facebook page is Knox Community Elementary School, if you want to check it out❤️ "
Tara Nantz
School Counselor
Knox Community Elementary School
"DeKalb Central Elementary Counselors are hosting Google Meets, posting inspirational videos, read alouds, promoting self-care and posting easy activities/strategies to practice. We are joining classrooms who have scheduled Google Meets and have created Google Forms for students to complete if they need us complete with ways to stay in touch (email, phone calls, etc.)."
Ashley Sparkman
DeKalb Central Elementary
Avon School District is creating weekly lessons with a different theme each week!
Check it out here!
Check out the Virtual Educator Survival Guide
Stephanie Austin from the Indiana Connections Academy helps educators all over connect to students virtually!
Are you doing something you would like to share? Send me an email at mclarke@doe.in.gov.
Project AWARE
As part of the Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education) grant initiative, Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) collaborated with Indiana University School of Social work (IUSSW) to identify the range of practices, programs, and implementation strategies each Indiana public school district employs to promote student wellness. The guiding research question was: “How do Indiana public schools address student wellness within their district settings?”. The term “student wellness” is used throughout the report to represent social, emotional, and behavioral wellness. Out of the 401 possible respondents (public school districts), 206 respondents participated in the study. If your public school district is not represented in the database, which can be searched here, please contact Sheila Dennis at dennis2@iupui.edu.
A two-page summary offering an emerging snapshot of Indiana public school districts’ approaches to supporting student wellness can be found here.
The full report, summary, and analysis can be accessed here.
What Are You Reading & Listening to?
Indiana School Counselor Directory
Add your name to the Directory HERE.
SEBW Newsletter
Michelle Clarke
Email: mclarke@doe.in.gov
Website: doe.in.gov/sebw/school-counseling-guidance
Location: 115 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Phone: 3172325164
Twitter: @CounselorClarke