MASCA
Counselor’s Notebook MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION
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Statewide Call for Candidates
f you have a desire to be more involved in MASCA, we definitely have a place for you to serve. Our MASCA volunteers are crucial to our organization and are the driving forces behind many of our important initiatives. We can use your help on a variety of committees or in a more formal leadership role.
The VP Elementary position is still open for this year. Elected positions opening up for the 2016/2017 school year include: • President-Elect • VP Middle/Junior High • VP Administrators • VP Counselor Educators • VP Retirees • Coordinator of Professional Development. Descriptions and additional information about each of the positions can be found in the MASCA Bylaws as well as in the General Policies and Procedures Manual, both of which can be found on MASCA’s website: www.masca.org. Candidates need to collect a minimum of 10 signatures from MASCA members and submit nomination forms and a resume before February 1. If you are interested in taking on a formal leadership role or in helping serve at the committee level, or if you have any questions, please reach out to any MASCA leader or contact Ruth Carrigan at president@masca.org.
Vol. 52, No. 4
December 2015
Helping Students Cope with Grief
By DONNA M. BROWN, MASCA Executive Director
K
athleen McAleer, MSW, LICSW, Bereavement Coordinator of the Cranberry Hospice & Palliative Care presented at Hope Floats, “a non-profit bereavement and educational center for people who are grieving, facing life challenges and seeking to improve their physical and emotional well-being.” McAleer’s primary focus was how to handle the holidays when you are grieving. While much of her presentation dealt with adults, she also offered strategies that would work with teens and children. Although she was talking specifically about dealing with grief at the holidays, she made it clear that her suggestions could be used at any time. A study done in 2012 by the American Federation of Teachers, the New York Life Foundation, Tiller, Inc., and Hart Research Associates found that 70% of teachers reported having at least one grieving child in their classrooms. Most teachers seemed to understand that they could play an important role in helping a child grieve, but many also felt illequipped to do so. As a result, many try to “normalize” the situation by trying to get the student caught up in class. To that end, homework, tests,
and other assignments are piled on a student who may well be suffering from anxiety, panic attacks, and lack of sleep. Often, it is the role of the school counselor to intervene and work with teachers and administration to develop a flexible plan to help the student. McAleer shared many resources. One from the National Alliance for Grieving Children is “10 Things Grieving Children Want You to Know," including: “Grieving children want to be reassured that there will always be someone to take care of them” and “Every child grieves differently.” Many children become anxious that someone else in their life is going to die and they will be left alone. It is important to reassure them that there will always be someone to care for them. This might mean making a plan for the child and sharing it. Some children deal with their grief through play while others might keep it all in. Each is different. According to most experts, one of the best thing caring adults can do when helping a child deal with loss is listen, really listen. Answer questions as honestly as possible and validate how the child is feeling. Often, there will be “grief bursts” (continued on page 6)
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877-TRY-DEAN • dean.edu/masca 2
COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
MASCA
President’s Message
2015 - 2016 OFFICERS
By RUTH CARRIGAN, MASCA President
PRESIDENT RUTH CARRIGAN Whitman-Hanson Regional High School 600 Franklin Street, Whitman, MA 02382 Tel. 781-618-7434 • Fax 781-618-7098 Email: Ruth.Carrigan@whrhs.org PAST PRESIDENT TINA KARIDOYANES Mansfield High School 250 East Street, Mansfield, MA 02048 E-mail: pastpresident@masca.org PRESIDENT-ELECT KATE SALAS, Ed.D. Mattacheese Middle School West Yarmouth, MA E-mail: presidentelect@masca.org VICE PRESIDENT ELEMENTARY TBA VICE PRESIDENT MIDDLE / JUNIOR HIGH KATHLEEN SCOTT E-mail: scottk@amesburyma.gov VICE PRESIDENT SECONDARY JOHN S. STEERE Wellesley High School 50 Rice Street, Wellesley, MA 02481 Tel. 781-446-6290 x4653 • Fax 781-446-6308 E-mail: john_steere@wellesley.k12.ma.us VICE PRESIDENT ADMINISTRATORS MELANIE SHAW Rockland High School 52 Mackinlay Way, Rockland, MA 02370 E-mail: mshaw@rocklandschools.org VICE PRESIDENT POSTSECONDARY IRIS GODES Dean College 99 Main Street, Franklin, MA 02038 Tel. 508-541-1509 • Fax 508-541-8726 E-mail: igodes@dean.edu VICE PRESIDENT COUNSELOR EDUCATORS MEGAN KRELL, Ph.D.; AMY L. COOK, Ph.D. E-mail: vpcounselored@masca.org VICE PRESIDENT RETIREES HELEN O’DONNELL, Ed.D. E-mail: vpretirees@masca.org EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DONNA M. BROWN Adjunct Professor, UMass Boston P.O. Box 366, 779 Center Street Bryantville, MA 02327 Tel. 781-293-2835 E-mail: executivedirector@masca.org TREASURER ASHLEY CARON 25 Belmont Ave., Stoughton, MA 02072 Tel. 508-212-0676 E-mail: ashcicero@hotmail.com SECRETARY JENNIFER MATHEWS E-mail: secretary@masca.org MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR KATHERINE GETCHELL E-mail: membership@masca.org
T
he November 6th Reach Higher Professional Development Day sponsored by MASCA and NEACAC was a great success. Hosted concurrently on the campuses of Stonehill College and University of Massachusetts Lowell, nearly 200 counselors across the Commonwealth gathered to learn how to promote college and career readiness for all students in Massachusetts. The programs included excellent keynote speakers from UMass Lowell, Bridgewater State University, and the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Workshops sessions included: College Admissions Application Review Exercise; What HS Counselors Need to Know – Recommendations, Transcripts & Essays; Early College Awareness; College Financing; and School Counseling Curriculum College and Career Readiness. If you missed these excellent programs or if you attended, but would like to learn more, I encourage you to join us for the MASCA Annual Conference and MA Reach Higher Convening. Our full day conference
on April 5th will include our first annual MA Reach Higher Convening. Programming throughout the day will include sessions addressing the career, social/emotional, and academic domains as well as program choices specifically designated as a “Reach Higher,” which will be focused on preparing all of our students to “Reach Higher” for education and training post high school. If you are able to join us for the Pre-conference on April 4th, programming on that day will feature an excellent afternoon session on Legal Issues for school counselors followed by our President’s Reception. Activities for the program include Graduate Student Awards, MASCA Tributes, and some fun entertainment. Please check the MASCA website for registration information. If you have any questions regarding the 2016 MASCA Conference and MA Reach Higher Convening, please feel free to contact me at president@masca.org. I thank you the work you do, and I wish you the happiest of holiday seasons!
WEBMASTER/TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR JEAN ATWATER-WILLIAMS E-mail: webmaster@masca.org COORDINATOR OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TBA COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK EDITOR AMY WHEELER Conservatory Lab Charter School 320 Washington St. Boston, MA 02135 E-mail: cn@masca.org
DECEMBER 2015
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Taco Bell Foundation Supports MA High Schools
The Taco Bell Foundation’s mission is to stand with teens and ignite their full potential through high school graduation. For the last two decades, they have worked to reach teens when they enter high school to help them stay on track and graduate through Graduate for Más programming, partnerships and direct financial support. In Massachusetts alone, the Foundation offers several funding opportunities and programs for local high schools. Below are a few ways they can help your students #ReachHigher:
Live Más Scholarship Fund: The Taco Bell Foundation is awarding $1 million in scholarships to the next generation of innovators, creators and dreamers who have the passion to pursue their unique dreams. They will grant 220 scholarships to
young adults (ages 16-24), ranging from $2,500 to $25,000. To enter, students need to create and submit a 2-minute video sharing the story of their life’s passion. To learn more, visit livemasscholarship.com
along with microgrants and prizes for students.
Graduation Grants: The Taco Bell Foundation gives grants to teen-serving organizations across the county to support projects or Graduate for Más High School initiatives focused on helping teens Challenge: The Foundation part- graduate from high school. In 2015, ners with Get Schooled, founded the Foundation distributed more by Viacom and the Bill & Melinda than $6.2 million dollars to 300 orGates Foundation, to host a compe- ganizations. In Massachusetts alone, tition among high schools across the the Foundation awarded grants to country. The Challenge reinforces four teen-serving organizations. the importance of making the promise to graduate from high school and To learn more about partnership opprovides over 500 pieces of online portunities, contact your local Taco tips and tools to reinforce this mes- Bell Foundation representative: sage. Schools earn points based on Jennifer Askjaer at jaskjaer@swellpromises and online participation. giving.com/714-235-1097. Participating Massachusetts high schools have the opportunity to earn up to $15,000 in unrestricted funds, Since the Taco Bell Foundation's inception, they have reached more than 3 million teens in more than 6,000 communities nationwide and awarded more than $75 million in scholarships and grants that are focused on education and career readiness. In 2013, the Taco Bell Foundation in collaboration with GetSchooled launched Graduate for Más, a program to encourage teens to make the promise to graduate and provides access to digital tools, resources, scholarships, career planning and educational support – all the ingredients to keep them motivated and make success feel achievable. Since 2013, more than 320,000 teens have made the promise to graduate high school through our Graduate for Más program. To learn more visit http://www.tacobellfoundation.org/
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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
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GRIEF (continued from page 1)
when something or someone triggers a memory and the child will cry or act out. These can happen anytime, and there is no typical or proper end date. Randi Olin writes in “A Child’s Grief,” “Grief doesn’t have an expiration date; it’s not a carton of eggs or a quart of milk.” With that in mind, school counselors have to model how to deal with the grieving children in their buildings and help teachers understand that a child may take a lot longer than an adult to “move on.” Additional resources: • New York Life Foundation (www.
AChildinGrief.com) • National Center for School Crisis & Bereavement (www.schoolcrisiscenter.org) • Coalition to Support Grieving Children (www.grievingstudents. org)
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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
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Reminder to Participants of Dr. Trish Hatch’s “Hatching Results” Workshop
Attendees wishing to expand their Certificate of Attendance into 10 Professional Development Points should contact helenod@att.net for details about the Independent Study Project. DECEMBER 2015
School Counselor Professional Development Opportunity Legal and Ethical Issues and Professional Practice 5 Saturdays: Late January - April Instructor: Helen O’Donnell, Ed.D, helenod@att.net Fitchburg State Grad Credit and PDP's
MASCA Retiree News
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By HELEN C. O'DONNELL, Ed.D, MASCA VP Retirees
n partnership with former MASCA VP Retirees, Joe Fitzgerald and other retirees, we are using technology to establishing a network to allow us to reconnect with MASCA colleagues with a “Staying Connected” campaign. Please email Helen at helenod@att.net to confirm your email and interest to stay connected. Initiatives for the 2015-16 year include: 1) A sustainable memorial tribute, tentatively called MASCA Pillars, to celebrate colleagues that have been “pillars” of both MASCA and their affiliate. A committee met to review proposal language and the nomination process. Details will be sent to connected retirees. When approved by the MASCA Governing Board, details will be posted on the MASCA website. 2) MASCA’s 55th birthday is in April. If you want to join the birthday planning committee, please contact Helen. The April 4th President’s Reception and Awards Ceremony will be the primary birthday party, but the celebration will continue during the conference on April 5th. 3) The MASCA Tribute announced for MASCA's 50th Birthday Celebration continues. Click on the Tributes logo on the right sidebar of the MASCA website www.masca.org to review posted tributes. Consider recognizing a colleague or mentor with a tribute. Income generated will fund retiree projects related to the 55th birthday celebration. All tribute honorees will be recognized at the MASCA President’s Reception and Awards Ceremony on April 4th. 7
Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Inc. COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK Amy Wheeler, Editor IN CASE OF NON-DELIVERY, RETURN TO: Donna M. Brown P.O. Box 366 Bryantville, MA 02327
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID NEWBURYPORT, MA PERMIT NO. 96
Your membership renewal date is indicated by year and month on your address label above. To renew your membership, go to MASCA’s website, www.masca.org. MASCA is excited to announce that starting in Jan. 2016, we will partner with ASCA to provide members with the State Association Newsletter. Published 3 times per year, it will serve as a supplement to our Counselor’s Notebook and provide MASCA members with research-based articles and resources. The State Association Newsletter will be emailed to you and will be available on the MASCA website.
The Mission of MASCA The mission of MASCA is to advocate for school counselors in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by providing leadership, collaboration, and professional development. Stay informed by visiting MASCA’s website regularly. You can share your views with fellow MASCA members by joining in the Forum. www.MASCA.org
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