States Boost School Counseling Corps

Counselors - check out this article from Education Week!
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2016/12/14/states-beef-up-school-counseling-corps.html

ISCA Scholarship

Attached you will find a one page flyer advertising the ISCA scholarship for this year. Please print it out and advertise it as appropriate at your school. Deadline for scholarship submission is January 15, 2017

ISCA Scholarship Announcement.pdf

Webinar:McKinney-Vento School Selection Rights: Changes Under ESSA

McKinney-Vento School Selection Rights: Changes Under ESSA
Monday, November 21, 2016 | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CT 
Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7890072728974722051

Description: In this interactive webinar, presenters will review important changes related to school selection for homeless children and youth under the McKinney-Vento Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Presenters will review:

• ESSA basics, including key implementation dates
• Changes to the definition of "school of origin"
• Changes related to determining the best interest of the child or youth in terms of school selection
• Changes related to the provision of transportation to currently homeless students and formerly homeless students who have become permanently housed
• Changes to the McKinney-Vento dispute resolution process, including disputes about school enrollment and selection

Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with presenters and fellow attendees through polls and discussion periods.
Presenters: NCHE Staff

Universal Screeners for Social-Emotional or Behavioral

The Iowa Department of Education is facilitating a Quality Review Process for universal social

-emotional-behavioral screening tools/processes for preschool through 12th grade. The work is

part of Iowa’s Collaboration forKids (C4K) and Iowa’s Federal School Climate Transformation

Grant. As one component of the process, we need to know what, if any, social-emotional behavioral and/or mental health screeners are being used for all students(universal level) in Iowa school buildings. These may be tools completed by teachers, parents,

and/or students. Principals need to complete a brief survey to assist in identifying tools currently being used in the state as the review process is implemented. Please reply or forward this SEB Screener Survey to the appropriate person by Nov.18.

For questions, contact Kay Augustine at 515-725-1182 or kay.augustine@iowa.gov.

Ambassador Fellows Program Expands to Counselors, Leaders in Schools

The next round of Ambassador Fellows applications, starting with the 2017-18 cohort of Fellows, will broaden to include other school personnel that work with students and other educators. Secretary King announced last week that the Ambassador Fellowship will continue to target teachers and principals, but will also be open to school counselors, assistant principals, and others in the school setting. Fellows have informed wide-ranging policies and have been instrumental in expanding conversations in the field that inform the guidance the Department issues, as well impact ED’s outreach, tools, and products. Including other school personnel will bring important perspectives to discussions of federal policy and programs.  ED plans to open the application process for next year later this month.

HS/College Jobs

I typically do not share job positions, but this one seemed really great for some of our students - feel free to use as you see fit ----

Aerotek recently got positions that work great for college students schedules, as well as candidates looking for a great foot in the door out of high school or that have previous food/retail experience and are looking for an entry level office role.

Positon: Phone Screener
Company: Nationwide
Location: Downtown (1200 Locust Street)
Pay: $10.50
Start Date: 11/2/16
Duration: 6 month contract
Hour Options: Full time or part time – see specific shifts below
         
          Full time:
          8:00 AM – 4:30 PM (This would include a Saturday with whatever weekday and Sunday off)
          12:30 PM – 9 PM (Monday – Friday)

          Part time:
          8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
          12:30 PM – 4:30 PM
          5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
         ** All part time shifts include a mandatory Saturday shift from either 8:00 AM – Noon OR 12:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Job Description:
Phone Screeners are responsible for working down a call list of names/numbers of individuals who have filled out their information on Nationwide’s website to get an insurance quote. They get to a point in the online application process where they need to be connected to a licensed insurance agent. The phone screeners place the call, and upon an answer give a short introduction and transfer the call to the licensed agent on the other line.

Additional Job Duties:
-Handle service and sales inquiries across multiple distribution channels (phone/email/fax/etc.)
-Occasionally answer incoming phone calls
-Make ever attempt to contact each lead (3 times)
-Documentation on the computer

They are scheduling interviews quickly, so if someone has any interest connect them with Aerotek as soon as possible!

Thank you,

7545 Ashworth Road Suite 200 West Des Moines, IA 50266 Aerotek.com

Social Media and Being Online: A Useful Guide for Kids and Adults

Children of all ages use the Internet for many things: doing schoolwork, communicating with friends, playing games, and more. That’s why it’s important to help ensure they make good decisions when going online. Check out Living Life Online, a guide from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), to help kids stay safe, use critical thinking skills, and more. Find information about online safety for kids, including tips, games, and videos atKids.gov.

Share this content via:

Counselors instead of Police Officers!

Better Balance in Hiring of Counselors and Police Officers

Attn: highlights the shocking number of school police officers versus the alarmingly low number of counselors in schools. The video shares the skills and strategies that counselors use to deescalate situations with students. The group also points out the long-term impact on students when arrested.

SEL Resources

Social Emotional Learning Resources -
This site is packed with great resources - primarily targeted to teens, but some great stuff!!
https://www.selpractices.org/resources

Reach Higher College Access eSummit

Learn about tools that can help open up opportunities to increase student success

College Access eSummit Invitation Dear Reach Higher Supporters, The Obama administration has worked hard to develop tools to enable every student the opportunity to pursue a postsecondary degree and achieve their fullest potential. To help these tools get into the hands of as many students and student advocates as possible, the First Lady’s Reach Higher Initiative and its Better Make Room campaign are pleased to host a College Access eSummit for its stakeholders to provide the chance to learn more about these student-centered tools and how they open up opportunities to increase student success. WHAT: College Access eSummit WHEN: Wednesday, October 19th from 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET WHERE: Call-in and webinar information will be sent to those who RSVP.  PLEASE RVSP USING THIS LINK. Note there is a maximum capacity for this call/webinar – participants will be allowed to join on a first-come, first-serve basis. The eSummit will provide an overview of the movement to increase college access through the work of Reach Higher and discuss tools including the College Scorecard and “UpNext,” Better Make Room’s new texting tool designed to help keep students on top of important college and financial aid deadlines. There will be time for Q & A. Speakers The Webinar will feature Eric Waldo, Executive Director of the First Lady’s Reach Higher Initiative,Ajita Menon, Special Assistant to the President on Higher Education;  Don Yu, Director of the Better Make Room Campaign and Ben Castleman Assistant Professor of Education and Public Policy at the University of Virginia working on Better Make Room’s UpNext mobile messaging campaign. Background In 2013, First Lady Michelle Obama approached then-Secretary of Education Arne Duncan with the goal of encouraging more young people to attend college. Inspired by her own experience as a first-generation college student, the First Lady wanted to give high school and college students the resources to thrive in their education and in the world. In 2014, she started Reach Higher, an initiative for families, schools, and communities to support all students in pursuing rewarding postsecondary opportunities; and in 2015, she announced the Better Make Room campaign to directly reach underserved, college-aspiring youth. Since then, Better Make Room has launched Up Next, a tool that gives students and families across the country free personalized support on all things college – college search and application, federal student aid, even student loan repayment – all through texting.  Follow us on Twitter @ReachHigher and on Instagram@ReachHigher2020

Free Online Trainings - Military Child

www.MilitaryChild.org

Encouraging a Positive Mindset and Promoting Civil Discourse

Encouraging a Positive Mindset  Teaching can be stressful and all-consuming, so it only makes sense that a teacher’s mindset might take a turn for the worse as the school year progresses. Unfortunately, that can also take a toll on students’ mindsets. Does this situation sound familiar? Take a few minutes to check out some strategies for getting your mindset and classroom on a positive track (Mielke, weareteachers.com).

---

Promoting Civil Discourse The election season often elicits classroom discussions around candidates and issues. This 10-step guide from the New York Times for encouraging civil discourse around challenging topics may help you create a safe and respectful environment for productive discussion of difficult issues. In addition to creating classroom expectations that prioritize respect, students can take a civil discussion pledge. The Times also offers stories to promote discussion about discussion (Schulten, TheNewYorkTimes.com).

Scary Clowns - Deportation Anxiety

Some Great info and Resources from Cheri Lovre!!

Scary Clowns

 

I've had more emails about the Scary Clown phenomenon than perhaps anything since 9/11,  As if life wasn't already bazaar enough already!  Although I do have some thoughts that I hope will be helpful for schools and parents, I also have some thoughts that are very unsettling about this.  This link will take you to that PDF.  

____________________________________________________

 

Deportation Anxiety in Children and Youth

This probably rates second - barely - in numbers of emails and requests for help with a current issue. Part of the difficulty in responding to this is that elections are highly politically charged and have the possibility of creating division among staff.  It is not at all our intent to address sentiments on the politics of this.  This is a response to requests for discussion guidelines to help those who work with children whose families or close friends or relatives may be illegal immigrants.  This linkprovides some possible talking points and concepts we hope will be helpful. 

Bullying Prevention Month Resources

Here are some additional resources for students, teachers & families for this month from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network

 

http://www.nctsn.org/resources/public-awareness/bullying-prevention-awareness-month

Homeless Info - ESSA

As of Saturday, October 1, 2016, the McKinney-Vento amendments enacted through the Every Student Succeeds Act are now in effect.

The education subtitle of the McKinney-Vento Act now includes, among other things, new or changed requirements focused on:

• Professional development and technical assistance at both the State and local levels, including a requirement to ensure that State Coordinators and local liaisons have sufficient capacity to carry out their duties as described in the law;
• Identification of homeless children and youths;
• Removing barriers to school enrollment and retention, including barriers related to missed application or enrollment deadlines, fines, or fees; records required for enrollment, including immunization or other required health records, proof of residency, or other documentation; or academic records, including documentation for credit transfer;
• School stability, including the expansion of school of origin to include public preschools and receiving schools and the provision of transportation until the end of the school year, even if a student becomes permanently housed;
• Preschool-aged homeless children, including clarification that local liaisons must ensure that these children and their families have access to and receive services, if eligible, under LEA-administered preschool programs;
• Homeless youths in secondary school, including the provision of supports to help these youth be college- and career-ready;
• Collaboration and coordination with other service providers, including public and private child welfare and social services agencies; law enforcement agencies; juvenile and family courts; agencies providing mental health services; domestic violence agencies; child care providers; runaway and homeless youth centers; providers of services and programs funded under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act; and providers of emergency, transitional, and permanent housing, including public housing agencies, shelter operators, and operators of transitional housing facilities
• Privacy of student records, including information about a homeless child or youth’s living situation; and
• The dispute resolution process.

In addition, ESSA removes "awaiting foster care placement" from the definition of "homeless children and youths", effective for most states on December 10, 2016 (the sole exception to the Oct 1, 2016, implementation date).

NCHE is ready to provide needed supports to the field for understanding and implementing the new statute. For more information, join NCHE in an upcoming ESSA webinar by visiting http://nche.ed.gov/web/group.php, or contact the NCHE helpline at 800.308.2145 or homeless@serve.org.

High school students - change and stress

High-school students who participate in classroom exercises focused on the idea that people can change may be better able to cope with stress, according to a study published in Psychological Science. Data from two small-scale trials show students taking part in such exercises reported lower stress levels.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/30/health/teenagers-stress-coping-skills.html?WT.mc_id=SmartBriefs-Newsletter&WT.mc_ev=click&ad-keywords=smartbriefsnl&_r=0

Resilience Info - Site and Resources

http://www.nationalresilienceinstitute.org/resiliency-matters-tv/

 

Fourth Annual Iowa School Mental Health Conference

The Fourth Annual Iowa School Mental Health Conference, hosted by Please Pass the Love and sponsored by NAMI GDM. Our conference is on Thursday, October 13, 2016 at The Holiday Inn-Airport in Des Moines, Iowa. As the board for the Iowa School Counselor Association, it is our hope that this information could be distributed to school counselors across the state. As you are aware, mental health is a very important issue in our state and in our schools. We have a very exciting conference lined up with some wonderful breakout sessions regarding all aspects of mental health. Attached is our flyer with more information. The registration fee is $75. The registration does close on October 6th. You can register online at www.regonline.com/iowasmhc 

We would greatly appreciate you passing along this information on this important conference. You can find more information about our agency and the conference at www.pleasepassthelove.org. 

Thank you in advance! 

Emmalee Bowlin

Operations Director

www.pleasepassthelove.org 

There are two major changes coming to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process this year.

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. Reach Higher Newsletter #2 First Lady Michelle Obama is getting the word out about Up Next, a new free text-messaging tool that supports students by providing useful tips about postsecondary education and financial aid. Find out more below! FAFSA Launch There are two major changes coming to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process this year.  First, the 2017-18FAFSA will be available to students and families earlier.  Students can file on October 1, 2016, rather than on January 1, 2017.  Second, starting with the 2017-18 FAFSA, students will use previous income and tax information.  For example, students – and their parents, as appropriate – will report their 2015 income and tax information, rather than their 2016 income and tax information.  How will these changes benefit students?  On the front end, students will no longer have to use estimates or log in later to update their FAFSA after filing taxes, and they may be able to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to automatically import tax information into their FAFSA.  On the back end, students will have additional time to meet most deadlines and explore and understand their financial aid options. Students can already obtain their FSA ID, which you can learn more about in this video. Department officials have been answering back-to-school comments and questions about the FAFSA via social media platforms – here is a sampling of some of the most popular tweets with agency responses. Also, the Department’s partners have advice for counselors as they organize events and prepare to help students and parents through the financial aid process. Here are creative ways to make the process fun. Students can also text "COLLEGE" to 44044 to receive important reminders about financial aid and FAFSA filing. For more federal student aid information and outreach tools, register for a FAFSA webinar, join the FAFSA email distribution list, and check out the Department's Financial Aid Toolkit. Reach Higher App Challenge Winner Last month, the First Lady announced ThinkZone Games as the grand prize winner of the Reach Higher Career App Challenge. The Reach Higher Initiative and the Department of Education launched the Challenge last fall, calling on innovators to develop mobile app solutions that will help students navigate education and career pathways, including career and technical education. ThinkZone Games will receive $100,000 and additional sponsor prizes for their career exploration mobile app Hats & Ladders. Hats & Ladders engages middle and high school students with swipe-to-choose self-assessments, connected activities, and mini-challenges. By providing repeat exposure to a broad spectrum of careers, it enables students to draw connections between their personal attributes and multiple pathways to career success. Learn more about the Challenge and winning team here. The winning Hats & Ladders team, from left to right: Benjamin Galynker, Scott Brewster, Michelle King, David Langendoen Up Next Day of Action First Lady Michelle Obama recently launched Up Next, Better Make Room's new tool that gives students, their parents, and school counselors free personalized support on all things college – college search and application, federal student aid, even student loan repayment – all through texting. Research has shown that these texts can significantly increase students’ college enrollment and persistence – IF students sign up. This is where you come in.  On September 30th, schools, communities, and organizations across the country are taking action to get students signed up for Up Next and to celebrate the road to a postsecondary degree. Find out how your school or organization can get involved by checking out theUp Next Day of Action Toolkit.  Thanks for getting YOUR students engaged with the First Lady's new tool! Find out more about Up Next here. White House Report on Next Gen High Schools  The White House recently released a progress report on Next Generation High Schools, which you can find here. Next Generation High Schools (NGHS) are schools that use evidence-based strategies to make high schools more engaging and help better prepare students for college. NGHS specialize in providing personalized coursework and hands-on experience that align with college and career standards and expectations. The purpose of NGHS are to improve high school completion and readiness for college and careers. NGHS have educators who are strong in all subjects, including STEM. NGHS use six evidence-based strategies to improve U.S. high schools for the next generation: 1)      Participation in rigorous curriculum: 2)      Small learning communities/small schools of choice: 3)      Career academics 4)      Dual enrollment: 5)      Early college high schools 6)      College and career counseling: In the coming months the Department will release a series of briefs about specific high school strategies in order to improve graduation rates, based on its survey of 2,142 public high schools. Counselors in Action With a goal to strengthen, align, and expand the college-going pipeline at the local, state, and national level through school counselor leadership and collaborative partnerships, 42 states have committed to contributing to Reach Higher's mission, many by setting long-term goals such as increasing FAFSA completion rates, the percentage of students who visit college campuses, and student exposure to work-based learning opportunities.  Below are some highlights from the most recent Reach Higher Convenings, which focus on this work. A big thanks to all who made these convenings such a huge success, and a special thanks to The National Consortium for School Counseling and Postsecondary Success for its support!  We look forward to continuing this important work with everyone in the days ahead. New England Convening Better Make Room Director Don Yu spoke at the New England Reach Higher Convening about Up Next, the First Lady's new college support text-messaging tool. On August 16, 2016, 250 school counselors and college access, financial aid, and higher education professionals from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont gathered at Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts, for the New England Reach Higher convening to learn more about about the Reach Higher Initiative and how to collaborate to inspire more young people throughout New England to reach higher beyond high school. Speakers included Josh Steckel, Senior College and Career Planning Manager for New York City’s College Access for All Initiative, New York Dept of Education; Francesco Cesareo, Assumption College President; Mitchell Chester, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; and Carlos Santiago, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.  The convening provided the opportunity for three states to begin their Reach Higher efforts and for the other three to continue their initiatives. DC National Reach Higher Convening The final National Reach Higher convening of the Obama Administration will take place October 28 - 30 at the American University Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C. This event is for the Reach Higher State Team school counselors community. The convening is entitled, "Connecting the Dots: Cultural Competence, Counseling, and Career Readiness of Underserved Youth." Thanks to Dr. Cheryl Holcom-McCoy for her leadership in planning this event. If you are part of this coalition, please reach out to your state team lead for more information about this event. Thank you for the life-changing work you do every day, and for equipping and encouraging students to Reach Higher! “College was the most impactful thing I've done in my life other than being the First Lady and having kids and marrying Barack Obama. College did everything for me. It built my confidence. It taught me that I could leave home and be successful away from home. It taught me how to open up, how to try new things that are scary, how to buck expectations and beat the odds.”  - Mrs. Obama, on a surprise visit to college freshmen at Howard University, 9/1/2016. Table of Contents FAFSA Launch Reach Higher App Challenge Winner Up Next Day of Action White House Report on Next Gen High Schools Counselors in Action College Scorecard 1 Year of Better Make Room! #CollegeFriday Surprise! First Lady on Campus Previously on Reach Higher College Scorecard The College Scorecard is an interactive website that provides the clearest, most accessible, and most reliable national data on college costs, graduation rates, typical debt levels, and post-college earnings so that students can make the most informed choice possible in selecting a good-value college. See this how-to-guide and video for how to best utilize the Scorecard, this toolkitfor spreading the word about the Scorecard, and this flyer for more information about the College Scorecard and the FAFSA. 1 Year of Better Make Room! October 19th is the one-year anniversary of Better Make Room, the First Lady's campaign to directly reach underserved, college-aspiring students! Watch this PSA featuring celebs (including Robert DeNiro!), andlearn more about Better Make Room. #CollegeFriday Better Make Room is hosting #CollegeFridays. Have your students wear college t-shirts to school, and get them signed up for free college support through text-messages by texting COLLEGE to 44044! Surprise! First Lady on Campus On September 1st, the First Lady surprised freshmen at Howard University, giving them advice and speaking about her own experience as a first-generation college student with Late Night host Seth Myers and actor and current Howard freshman Nick Cannon. Check out the video! Previously on Reach Higher Check out previous editions of the Reach Higher Newsletter: RH Newsletter #1 Reach Higher is the First Lady's effort to inspire every student in America to take charge of their future by completing their education past high school, whether at a professional training program, a community college, or a four-year college or university.  To learn more follow us on Twitter@ReachHigher and Instagram @ReachHigher2020.