LCPS School Counseling News
June 2018
RED NOSE DAY
May this photo remind you and put a smile on your face of why we do the work we do...for students and their families. You ALL make the difference in students lives each and every day....from the smile and listening ear you provide to the gentle reminder to get the last form completed.
You ARE the difference!
Thank you for ALL YOU do!
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
June Events(2017-2018 ASCA Awareness Calendar)
Fireworks Safety Month (1–July 4)
National Hunger Awareness Month
National Safety Month
1 International Children’s Day
5 World Environment Day
14 Flag Day
SCHOOL COUNSELING SERVICES MEETINGS/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
JUNE/JULY
6/7/18: ES Facilitators Retreat
6/15/18 & 6/18/18: RAMP Camp; 8:30 am-4 pm; Room 420
6/20/18: MS Leads Retreat 8:30 am-12 pm; Room 102 A/B
7/30/18: HS Directors Meeting 8:30 am- 12;30 pm; Place TBD
June/July Professional Development/Work Group
ES & MS Curriculum Work Group
6/25/18-6/26/18
7/9/18-7/10/18
7/23/18-7/24/18
7/25/18-7/26/18: RAMP Camp; 8:30- 4 pm
August 2018
High School Counselors return 8/1/18
Middle School Counselors return 8/8/18
Elementary School Counselor return 8/15/18
Middle & High School Counselors Unified Mental Health Team Training 8/20/18 at Administration Building
Elementary School Counselors Training 8/20/18 at Briarwoods High School
2018-2019 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
New School Counselor Meetings for the 2018-2019 School Year:
August 14, 2018: 8:30 am- 4 pm; Room 420 at LCPS Administration Building
December 6, 2018: 8:30-10:30 am; Room 420
April 4, 2019: 8:30-10:30 am; Room 420
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
Virginia Counselor Association (VCA)
Online Training: VCA has set up a partnership with Mental Health Academy so that you can take courses any time and any where you have Internet access. You can save time and travel expense and have a wide choice of course work right at your computer.
Access Mental Health Academy at https://www.mentalhealthacademy.net/index.php
NACAC: 11/6/18
LCPS SCS full-day NACAC School Counselor Professional Development Conference on November 6, 2018 at Dominion High School. The topics will address K-12 college and career readiness. More information will be forthcoming. Please check out the link below for more information. Thank you.
https://www.nacacnet.org/professional-development/school-counselor-professional-development/
RAMP Camp
RAMP Camp is back! Session 1: June 15th & 18th and Session 2: July 25-26th. This is a two day training that reviews the 12 components of a comprehensive school counseling program. Sign up on MLP for one of the sessions. You will learn details about the how to develop a comprehensive school counseling program and jump start your planning for the 2018-2019 school year! You can also earn re-certification points!
Objectives/Goals of Summer Training: Upon completion of this hands-on workshop, participants should be able to (based on ASCA National Model Workshop, “RAMP: Putting It All Together”):
- Explain the 12 components of the Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) application
- Examine their school counseling program to assess if it's RAMP-ready.
- Communicate the benefits to the school counseling program – and the school or district – of achieving RAMP status.
- Understand the scoring rubric, and know what the RAMP reviewers look for in an application.
- Utilize online resources ASCA has available for completing the RAMP application.
- Evaluate a sample completed application, and know how to apply it to your application.
VSCA Fall Conference
School Counselors Recognized
CONGRATULATIONS to you and your programs for the outstanding services you provide to your students and school! You are Phenomenal School Counselors!
Elementary School News
Balls Bluff- Michelle Pickney
I have been collaborating with a kindergarten teacher at Ball’s Bluff to provide character education lessons once a week. Each week, we have been focusing on a different character trait. We call it “Character Circles” and run it similar to a restorative circle. The kids have “agreements” on the behavior that is expected during circle time and are given a talking piece. Typically, we read a story or do an activity and discuss what the word means to them. This particular teacher, also uses the app Bloomz to communicate with his parents. He has given me access to this app and I can post weekly about our lessons. Students also sign the word each week to acknowledge that they will strive to use that trait. They then get a character tag for their name tag. I have attached several pictures to show what we have been working on. It has been really great for the students and the parents as well for follow up.
Leesburg-Bess Romberg
The School Counseling Office at Leesburg Elementary hosted the 2nd annual Wellness Week at the beginning of May – a weeklong series of themes, activities ,and events related to mental and physical health, with an emphasis on stress relief. Among our many activities of the week, students learned an easy way to make their own stress balls using everyday household items, shared their favorite memories that make them laugh out loud, wore PJs to promote relaxation, and showed off their favorite method of exercise. Staff shared their favorite healthy snacks, were treated to an in-house yoga session with a certified yoga instructor who selected tension-relief moves specifically for stressed and overworked teachers, and attended a stress relief workshop during which they made their own mindfulness jars to use in their classroom (for students and themselves!). Our school community truly came together to raise awareness about overall wellness during one of the most stressful times of the year, and everyone (parents included) learned at least a handful of strategies for practicing wellness!
High School News
Loudoun Valley Paul Hall
The topics covered were some basic Admissions Office information and a Financial Aid Presentation. The focus of the admissions office section was to simply explain the important factors (transcripts, essays, deadlines, etc.), describe demonstrated interest, and show them how to access admissions websites from Family Connections. This portion of the evening was very brief, as I will be doing another presentation in early June to cover the actual nuts and bolts of the process (sending transcripts, requesting teacher recs, and filling out the applications with deadlines).
Jack Zegeer, NOVA Financial Aid Office Manager, was invited to present the financial aid information and resources. The focus was to help families understand the process and provide resources during the process. The PowerPoint presentation is attached.
Senior Signing Day 2018 was a great event at THS. It was wonderful watching the excitement of the day and spending time with our seniors. Members of the THS school counseling team joined in the fun as well.
CAMPUS- Chris Clarke
Senior
LCHS CAMPUS program student Thabo Kubeka volunteering his time to teach these ladies how to program their new devices at the Leesburg Senior Center.
Tech
LCPS CAMPUS Program Manager Mr. Chris Clarke & LCHS CAMPUS Facilitator Mr. Rick Ricci taking a break from helping solve a few device issues at the Leesburg Senior Center.
Time
LCHS CAMPUS program student Isabel Craun volunteering her time to teach this person how to organize pictures in her I-Pad device at the Leesburg Senior Center.
CAMPUS
Senior
Event!
Parent/Guardian/Community News & Workshops
School Counseling Resources & Information
School Counseling Poem- Created For ALL of YOU!
Students, Staff and Families wonder
where your secret lies.
You're not a super hero or an action star
But when I start to tell them
They think I'm telling lies
I say...
It's in their advocacy skills
The smile on their face
Their listening ear
The compassion in their heart
Their a School Counselor
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal School Counselor
That's YOU!
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