Office of School Counseling
Friday Sendoff - January 17, 2020
MUST DO ITEMS - Please read this section carefully
**NEW** The Semester 1 Use of Time survey is due on January 31st.
Please read the instructions carefully before completing the survey:
- Each Counselor will need to individually complete the survey.
- If you are split between 2 schools, you will need to complete the survey twice.
- It must be completed no later than January 31st.
- College Counselors were sent a separate Use of Time Survey (via email).
- Please note that the day after you enter your semester 1 Use of Time data, you should begin collecting for the spring survey. For example, if I enter all of my contacts and data from September 2nd through January 21st, then I should begin tracking my use of time for the spring on January 22nd.
- We attached a PDF version of the survey for you to print out and take notes before submitting, if you wish to do so. (see attachment below)
- All Use of Time data must be submitted electronically using the form in the link below.
If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please be sure to reach out to your Specialist for assistance and allow yourself time for support so that you are still able to complete it on time.
Click on the link below to complete the survey:
Upcoming Meetings
Elementary Counselors Meeting
https://registration.bcps.org/Event.aspx?Event_DetailID=29405
This is a mandatory meeting for all elementary school counselors, which includes schools with more than one elementary counselor.
Wednesday, Feb 19, 2020, 09:00 AM
Sollers Point Branch of the Baltimore County Public Library, Sollers Point Road, Dundalk, MD, USA
High School Chairs Meeting
This is a mandatory meting for all high school department chairs.
Thursday, Feb 27, 2020, 08:00 AM
Crossroads Center, Crossroads Circle, Middle River, MD, USA
Middle School Chairs Meeting
This is a mandatory meeting for all middle school department chairs.
Thursday, Feb 27, 2020, 12:00 PM
Crossroads Center, Crossroads Circle, Middle River, MD, USA
Announcements
**NEW** Substitute Counselor Positions - With several counselors going out on leave, we're in need of qualified subs to support students until their counselor returns. We experienced challenges with assignments so we're asking that if you have a great intern, refer them to our office and not directly to a school. We will contact the appropriate office based on whether they have been screened.
**NEW** Certification Renewal - If you are within one year of your certificate expiring, you should touch base with the certification office to ensure you have what you need to remain employed. The certification office sends a letter to you and your principal alerting you to your pending expiration date. They can provide you with a growth chart so you know what's on file leading to your renewal. This is a great opportunity to utilize the certification worksheet in your school counseling program plan. It is your responsibility to maintain CEU's after our PD's and submit all information before certification. The Office of School Counseling we will not be able to research old CEU forms beyond 2018.
**NEW** Stella Maris Grief Day Camp for kids ages 6-12 Saturday, February 1 at 10:00 - 3:00 a the Senior Day Center on the Stella Maris campus in Timonium (see flyer and registration form attached below).
**NEW** How long to maintain copies of DSS reports in Principal's confidential file? Policy and Rule 4103 states the following: The school principal will ensure that all abuse and/or neglect referrals or reports are kept in a separate, confidential file in the school principal’s office and maintained by the school until such time as the student turns 24 years of age. (View Rule 4103.)
SELF-CARE: We need your creative ideas!
The Office of School Counseling is tasked with creating activities for the Mind Over Matters campaign for the month of March. The focus for that month will be self-care. We will need to have activities for both staff and students (and their families) that are easily implemented both at home and at school. If you have anything you've done/shared with your school community and are willing to share it with us, please email Jen. We appreciate anything you're willing to share with us!
Maryland School Counselor Association wants to highlight the amazing work school counselors are doing in the state of Maryland. Be creative,use powerpont, Youtube, etc to highlight school counselors who have made a significant contribution to the school counseling profession through advocacy, leadership, collaboration and/or systemic change. Examples of Hometown Heroes are school counselors who are applying for RAMP, started a new and innovative program at their school or in their community, created an outreach or after school program for at risk students, attend board meetings to advocate for school counselors, presents at conferences, uses data to show how their comprehensive school counseling program helped to achieve SIP goals, etc. The information you share will be presented at the School Counselor of the Year Gala on Friday, February 7, 2020. The deadline to submit your nomination is January 17th. See attached flyer below.
Elementary Counselors
Secondary Counselors
**NEW** Congrats to the following teams for their hard work on the trail to 100% 6 year plan completion:
Chesapeake High (87% completion)
Dulaney High (72% completion)
Kenwood High (85% completion)
Loch Raven High (80% completion)
Towson High (83% completion)
Catonsville Middle (77% completion)
Hereford Middle (70% completion)
Middle River Middle (83% completion)
Thank you for making these conversations with students a priority! We truly appreciate your hard work to accomplish this goal!
**NEW** Baltimore County Youth Employment Summit for Baltimore County youth ages 14-21. There are two summits to help kids prepare for applying to the program. (flyer attached below) Attendance at the summit is not required in order to apply for the summer employment program. Registration is required for the summits, and space is limited.
**NEW** Ice Cream University is an opportunity for college-bound students with an interest in science or marketing to learn about the science of food. This is a great opportunity for kids who are interested in chemistry or culinary-related careers. Students also learn marketing and presentation skills. (flyer attached below)
**NEW** 5th Annual Teen Job Fair Students will have an opportunity to meet recruiters, employers and hiring managers. Potential interviews and onsite hiring. Learn about businesses that are hiring and what their needs are, get immediate feedback and maybe even a job offer! March 14, 2020 @ 11:00 pm to 1:00 pm at Woodlawn High School. Interested students should contact 410.887.1336 or woodlawn@bcpl.net
Build Your Path Presents: Building Connections HR Panel- 2/27/20 at 3:30 - 6:00
Built environment industry employers are looking for talent at all levels. As an industry that is based on relationships, we are bringing these two very important groups (educators and employers) together to better understand each other, build relationships, and create talent pipelines. Please join us for a lively panel discussion from Human Resource Managers as they outline their efforts to hire the right people and what skills they look for in candidates.
Secondary Department Chairs
Middle School Counselors
Please share with students, staff, parents, and stakeholders!
ESSA-at-a-Glance
**NEW** Well Rounded Curriculum: The ASVAB assessment
MSDE recommends a cut score of 31 for ASVAB
If you're scheduling an ASVAB event, please use the newest form with the reporting option of OPTION 8
High School Counselors
**NEW** Construction Internship for current seniors who are successfully graduating in 2020. The Internship is for graduates who are interested in a career in construction with a focus on several of our divisions-Paving, Excavating, Utilities, Stone/Concrete, and Maintenance of Traffic Flagging. Interns will have a full week of training and field visits before working in the field. This Internship has great potential to turn into a permanent position with the company after 90 days. (flyer attached below)
**NEW** Cadet Information Night for students interested in careers in law enforcement on 2/5 at 6:00 at Patapsco High School (flyer attached below)
High School Department Chairs
FAFSA Frenzy
Online Transcript, Diploma and Graduation Verification Process BCPS has implemented an exclusively online process for former students to request graduation verifications, duplicate diplomas, and transcripts. Additional information is available on the Official Transcripts, Duplicate Diplomas and Graduation Verifications page. This process is exclusively online, there are no longer walk-in services. High School staff may continue to serve graduates throughout their first year after graduation with transcript requests.
College Counselors
**NEW** FAFSA Completion list
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liO5RKKNrhE
**NEW** Post-Secondary Decision Day 2020
https://www.bettermakeroom.org/collegesigningday/
https://ctcl.org/national-college-decision-day-and-next-steps/
https://www.fastweb.com/college-search/articles/gear-up-for-national-decision-day
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
Recently Added/Updated Scholarships in Naviance
"No Essay" Scholarship (given out monthly - students can apply every month)
Nitro Scholarship (given out monthly - students can apply every month)
TeenDrive365 Video Challenge
Maureen L. and Howard N. Blitman, P.E., Scholarship
Project Yellow Light Scholarship
Society of Exploration Geophysicists Scholarship
Que Llueva Cafe Scholarship
Relevant Bulletin Items
January 17, 2020 BCPS News Hub
BCPS News Hub is the new format for all superintendent bulletins. Staff will receive an e-mail each week with the link to the BCPS News Hub, which is a dynamic news feed powered by Microsoft SharePoint. Moving forward, staff will be able to visit the BCPS News Hub during the week for news that will be posted as soon as it is approved, thus making the BCPS News Hub a daily stop for information about BCPS.
Some highlights from the past week...
MIND OVER MATTERS: HEALTH MATTERS – JANUARY 2020
YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING
SPECIAL EDUCATION - BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT AT HOME
SPECIAL EDUCATION - BUILDING CONNECTIONS AND SOCIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS AND CHILDREN
BLACK HISTORY MONTH SERIES
Leadership Development
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT FOR PROSPECTIVE DEPARTMENT CHAIRS
ORIENTATION AND TRAINING – SPRING 2020
Staff in the Department of Organizational Development, the Division of Curriculum and
Instruction Secondary Curriculum Offices, and the Division of Human Resources is offering a
spring orientation and training to acting and interested prospective department chairs. Acting department chairs who have not already completed these required sessions must
register for this professional learning opportunity.
Sessions will be held at the George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology on
Thursday evenings from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. on the dates below:
• January 30, 2020
• February 13, 2020
• March 5, 2020
• March 26, 2020
• April 2, 2020
Interested participants must register by Monday, January 20, 2020, for the workshop by logging into BCPS One
Professional Development
**NEW** Supervision Training for LCPC's looking to become Board Approved Supervisors 18 CEU's available on 3/19 and 3/20
Identifying Students in Crisis 1.5 CEU's (Lauryn's Law) at Ridgely Middle School on 1/28 at 4:45 - 6:15. (flyer attached below) RSVP to hstackus@bcps.org.
Best Approaches in Trauma Treatment 6 CEU's on 1/30/20 in Dundalk
Ethical Obligations in Providing Trauma Based Services to African-Americans and Other Minority Groups 3 CEU's on 2/18/20 in Pikesville
Ethics: Choosing Humility in Work with Diverse Populations 3 CEU's on 2/18/20 in Pikesville
Lost in Translation: Mental Health Perspectives on Immigration and Acculturation (Live Webinar) 2 CEU's on 2/23/20
A Closer Look at the Narrative Therapy (Live Webinar) 2 CEU's on 2/27/20
Remember the Children: Effective Treatment for Children & Adolescents Diagnosed with PTSD, (Live Webinar) 2 CEU's on 3/11/20
Through Grief and Through Growth: Promoting Support and Healing for Children and Adolescents in the Face of Loss (Live Webinar) 2 CEU's on 3/26/20
Resource Roundup
Lending Library Items of the Week
Stopping the Pain: A Workbook for Teens Who Cut and Self Injure The exercises in will help students explore why they self-injure and provide ideas how they can stop. The book will help students learn new skills for dealing with issues, reduce stress, and reach out to others for help. Work through the book, or just check out the sections that speak to them the most.
The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook for Teens: CBT Skills to Help You Deal with Worry and Anxiety Teens will learn to understand the underlying causes of stress. They’ll discover practical mindfulness and breathing techniques to help calm their mind and body in moments of worry and anxiety. They’ll also find tips for moving past “what ifs” and “shoulds,” strategies for managing negative thoughts and emotions, and tools to help them develop their own personalized plan for dealing with stress.
Don't Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens offers easy techniques to help students: stay calm and mindful in difficult situations, effectively manage out-of-control emotions, reduce the pain of intense emotions, and get along with family and friends
Office of School Counseling Lending Library
Email Sharon Holter to borrow any items from our Lending Library.
Inspiration and Good News
The Perry Hall High counseling team has Purple Pride!
Websites
Traitify: https://bcps.traitify.com/
MD CAPS (MHEC): https://mdcaps.mhec.state.md.us/MDCAPS/login.aspx?c=-8586295899786270826&ReturnUrl=/MDCAPS/int/FinAid
College Covered resources for school counselors https://www.collegecovered.com/resources-for-counselors/
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