Office of School Counseling
Friday Sendoff - March 27, 2020 (LATE EDITION:April 1, 2020)
Self-Care: Take a Moment
(Adapted from the Self-Care Institute)
Emotions have fluctuated so much over the past few weeks. One moment we feel anxious and overwhelmed and then brave and strong, and then that turns into frustration, and the cycle keeps going. These ups and downs can be exhausting. SO, it's important to try to be gentle and patient with ourselves as we try to make sense of life in this time.
Here's something we can try together to help us make sense of what we're feeling.
Try these three steps right now:
1. Identify an uncomfortable feeling that you've been experiencing lately and allow it to be there. You might need to take a breath, be still for a few moments and check in with your heart and mind to see what's there without judgment.
(In case you need some ideas, here are some words to explore: worried, disappointed, disconnected, afraid, frustrated, impatient, angry, resentful, jealous, hostile, confused, detached, numb, frozen, aloof, grief, unsettled, tired, exhausted, flustered, heartbroken, lonely, sad, depressed, tense, anxious, distressed, irritated, nervous, overwhelmed, sensitive, vulnerable)
2. Identify what the need is behind that feeling. It can help to ask yourself, "what is this feeling telling me about what I need right now?"
(Here are some examples of needs that we might have: connection, safety, affection, closeness, love, nurturing, soothing, respect, stability, support, to be heard, to be seen, to be understood, trust, rest, movement, touch, security, honesty, play, joy, ease, harmony, order, space, meaning, peace, relaxation, clarity, creativity, hope, mourning, purpose, structure, expression, steadiness, expression, release)
3. Do something to meet that need, even if it's something small or a step you can take to get that need met in the near future.
(For example: texting a friend and telling them how you feel to build connection and to be heard, close your eyes and take a few breaths to feel more steady and in control, roll your shoulders band and drop them down to bring in a little ease, or put one hand over your heart and say something comforting to yourself that's soothing and supportive, or doing something to release your emotions)
Our goal here is not to do this process perfectly and our goal is not to immediately change the uncomfortable feeling. The goal is to be with yourself in the process so that you are not abandoning or pushing away how you are experiencing life right now.
So practice this. If you get stuck at a certain step in this process, be patient with yourself and know that even doing just one of these steps can be useful.
These lists of feeling and needs came from The Center for Non-Violent Communication's feelings inventory and needs inventory. You can find more extensive lists at those links in case that might help you.
Also, it's likely that you'll be communicating with someone who is dealing with an uncomfortable feeling. You can try this process to support them too by listening to them and having them tell you how they are feeling, encouraging them to identify what it is they really need, and supporting them in meeting that need.
Remember, we will get through this one day at a time, one thing at time, and one moment at a time.
Sign up for other self-care resources from the Self-Care Institute
**NEW** Virtual Meeting Recordings
Secondary School Counseling Curriculum - 4/1/20
Elementary School Counseling Curriculum - 4/1/20
Padlet for questions: https://padlet.com/schoolcounselingbcps/virtuallearning
**NEW** CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES
**NEW** Multi-Lingual Coronavirus Resources
**NEW** Face COVID
**NEW** Communication Tools
Other Restricted forms of Communication
Announcements
**NEW** Email Auto Reply (Out of Office message)
**NEW** Xfinity WiFi Hotspot Access Opens Nationwide
Xfinity WiFi hotspots in out-of-home locations will be available for free to anyone who needs them, including non-Xfinity Internet customers, to keep our communities connected with their friends and family. For more information visit:
https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/open-xfinity-wifi-hotspots
**NEW** DSS Referrals
**NEW** To-Go meals
**NEW** PULSE SECURE
**NEW** Shepard Pratt Covid 19 Resources
**NEW**Are you interested in presenting to your colleagues?
We are looking for presenters for the September 3rd Professional Study Day. There will be multiple breakout sessions, so we are looking for a variety of topics. If you would like to present with a team of colleagues, please complete the survey one time and include all of your names. This is a great leadership opportunity and is an excellent way to share your individual areas of expertise. Please complete the survey by May 1st
**NEW** National Board Certification for School Counselors
**NEW** Become a Crisis Text Line Volunteer
High School Counselors
**NEW** Important College Entrance Test updates
For the latest information about:
AP exams: https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/coronavirus-updates
SAT exams: https://pages.collegeboard.org/natural-disasters
ACT exams: https://www.act.org/content/act/en/covid-19.html
If you have any College Board related questions, please contact Heather Wooldridge directly.
Middle School Department Chairs
**NEW** April College & Career Newsletter
Here is the link to the April College and Career Newsletter that can be shared with students and families.
Secondary Department Chairs
**NEW** FREE Naviance Curriculum
Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, Naviance has provided a free curriculum for student use through June 30, 2020. The default lessons for students are activated in your account by grade level. Students should now see the Curriculum lessons at the bottom of their Naviance Student homepage, and counselors should see it on the left hand side of the Naviance homepage upon login. Here are a few additional resources (you’ll need to be logged in to Naviance):
- Curriculum Overview
- Homepage for Curriculum in the Help Network
- Preparing to use Curriculum
- There are sections here on communicating with students, updating staff user roles to support curriculum, and how to engage students and staff in the process
- This is also where you’ll find directions for turning on Default Sequences (click Configure Naviance Curriculum> Manage Default Sequences for Naviance Curriculum (Schools and Districts)
- Monitor Student Progress
- Learn about how to track report on student activities
- Lesson Topics
- Lesson topics by grade and CCLR competency alignment
They also have a series of webinars over the next few weeks regarding how to use this Curriculum. If you run into any technical issues, you can reach out to Support (support@naviance.com).
High School Department Chairs
**NEW** Senior Survey
**NEW** Guaranteed Access Grant - UPDATE
The Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) within the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC), would like to inform you that due to the extended closure of all Maryland schools, the deadline date for the 2020-2021 Guaranteed Access (GAG) Grant program has been extended to June 1, 2020.
MHEC is in the process of notifying all potentially eligible GA Grant recipients that the deadline has been extended. The new deadline of June 1, 2020, will also be updated on our website and on the applicants’ To-Do List in the Maryland College Aid Processing System (MDCAPS) in the coming days.
Effective immediately, MHEC will accept documentation for the GA Grant program by email or mail. All required documentation must be submitted by June 1, 2020:
By Email: ga.mhec@maryland.gov
Or
By Mail: Maryland Higher Education Commission
Ground Floor Suite
Office of Student Financial Assistance
6 N. Liberty Street, Ground Suite
Baltimore, MD 21201
Finally, please note the deadline for students to submit documentation for the Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship program will remain June 15, 2020.
For more information, pertaining to the GA Grant, Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship Program, and other state scholarships and grants available to Maryland students, please visit www.mhec.maryland.gov and click on State Scholarships and Grants under Quick Links.
**NEW** ECAP Students Taking On-Location Courses
On March 30, CCBC begins offering classes via remote and alternative teaching methods. The college is not closed, but will operate in a restricted operational mode with limited on-site staff and other employees working remotely.
There will be limited areas accessible to students (libraries, computer labs, testing centers, etc.), with no access to the general public. Strict social distancing guidelines will be followed within all buildings.
In-person instruction for classes at high schools will not resume until Baltimore County Public Schools reopen. However, this situation is very fluid and subject to change. Please continue to monitor CCBC’s COVID-19 web page for updates.
If you have questions, please contact the coordinator for the Early College Program Guernica Williams at gwillilams2@ccbcmd.edu or the director for the Early College Access Programs at bhammond2@ccbcmd.edu.
**NEW** NCAA
College Counselors
**NEW** Senior Survey
**NEW** FAFSA Completion
**NEW** GPA Promise Outreach Events Rescheduled
The Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) within the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC), would like to inform you that due to the recent closures of all Maryland schools the deadline date for the 2020-2021 Guaranteed Access (GAG) Grant program has been extended to April 17, 2020.
MHEC is in the process of notifying all potentially eligible GA Grant recipients that the deadline has been extended. The new deadline of April 17, 2020, will also be updated on our website and on the applicants’ To-Do List in the Maryland College Aid Processing System (MDCAPS) in the coming days.
At this time MHEC will only accept documentation for the GA Grant program by mail. All required documentation must be submitted by April 17, 2020, to the following address:
Maryland Higher Education Commission
Ground Floor Suite
Office of Student Financial Assistance
6 N. Liberty Street, Ground Suite
Baltimore, MD 21201
Finally, please note the deadline for students to submit documentation for the Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship program will remain as June 15, 2020.
For more information, pertaining to the GA Grant, Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship Program, and other state scholarships and grants available to Maryland students, please visit www.mhec.maryland.gov and click on State Scholarships and Grants under Quick Links.
Scholarships
**NEW** Updating Local Scholarships
Transcripts - If seniors are need copies of their transcripts for scholarship opportunities, please upload them to their individual document page in Naviance so the student can access it from home.
**NEW**Maryland College Application Campaign (MCAC)
Maryland College Application Campaign (MCAC) – MSDE will offer the Maryland college Application Campaign for the 2020-2021 school year. The goal of the MCAC is to increase the number of first-generation students, low-income students, and others who are underrepresented in higher education. Students will be encouraged to pursue a postsecondary education and each participant will be required to submit at least one admission application.
Please be advised that all schools participating in the 2020 Maryland College Application Campaign (MCAC) must complete the 2020 MCAC registration form. The form provides updated information about your school. You may register online at https://forms.gle/UNYcp9myPbykRwb69. If there are any questions, do not hesitate to contact Michelle Daley at michelle.daley@maryland.gov.
Our district will ensure the following tasks:
· Underrepresented students will complete at least one college application
· MCAC survey
· College Planning Event**
· FAFSA Information Event**
· FAFSA Completion support**
· Decision Day (for college and career decision)
Dr. Joe A. Hairston Scholarship
Text, Talk, Set to Go.
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.
BCPS Hub Information
Recently added Hub items
STAFF FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – PAY/LEAVE/STAFFING
MOVING FILES FROM H:\ DRIVE TO ONEDRIVE
Professional Development
**NEW** Teachers and counselors must engage in a minimum of two hours of virtual professional learning each week during the closure. Please document your participation in your Outlook calendar.
**NEW** Dance Place: Virtual Presentation Series
This series consists of performance events and conversations with artists in Dance Place’s 2019-2020 Presentation Series whose work has been postponed. Our website will have the links to the Zoom or Facebook Live that you can tune into and we will continue to keep updating that page as we confirm more details about each virtual event.
DANCE PLACE: VIRTUAL DANCE CLASSES
On weekday evenings, and on Saturdays at 9:30am and 11:15am EST, one of our adult class teachers will lead a live streamed dance class on Facebook. Our Studio Manager, Kevin White, will be part of the live stream each day to answer any questions and provide support and encouragement.
Let's get moving! Virtual Class Schedule:
Mondays at 6:30pm: Modern with Sarah Beth Oppenheim
Tuesdays at 6:30pm: Tap/Body Percussion with SOLE Defined
Wednesdays at 6:00pm: Beginner Hip-Hop with Culture Shock
Wednesdays at 7:00pm: Intermediate Hip-Hop with Culture Shock
Thursdays at 6:30pm: African with Mama Sylvia Soumah/Coyaba Dance Theater
Saturdays at 9:30am: Modern with Carla Perlo
Saturdays at 11:15am: Modern with Deborah Riley
DANCE PLACE: VIRTUAL YOUTH PROGRAMMING
Dance Place is thrilled to share our virtual kids dance classes with you! Every week, starting this Wednesday, two new video classes will be added to our website. Our dance videos will feature our teaching artists from Dance Place’s Education team, each teaching different styles of dance.
Along with these kid specific classes, we will also be sharing our Family Fun classes! Each class will be streamed live on Facebook on Fridays at 11am. Our Family Fun classes are specifically designed for kids and adults to take together; we invite you to get the whole family involved.
Family Fun Class Schedule:
April 3rd: Get Moving with Shannon Quinn
April 10th: African with Mama Sylvia
April 17th: Step with Princess
April 24th: Party Moves with Anastasia Johnson
Websites
Traitify: https://bcps.traitify.com/
Other career-related websites:
https://www.bls.gov/k12/content/students/careers/career-exploration.htm
https://www.careeronestop.org/Videos/CareerVideos/career-videos.aspx?frd=true
https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs.html
https://www.cacareerzone.org/budget/
http://www.careersinthemilitary.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