This is My Brave

I thought school counselors in the area might be interested to know about an upcoming performance in Des Moines. This is My Brave is a non-profit organization with the mission "to end the stigma surrounding mental illness by sharing personal stories of individuals overcoming mental illness through poetry, essay, and original music, live on stage, through stories submitted and published to our blog, and via our YouTube channel." Des Moines is hosting a production on Friday, March 31st at 7:00p.m. at the Temple for Performing Arts. Sponsors of the event include NAMI and the Iowa Mental Health Counselors Association. Tickets cost $21.50 and can be purchased online. Some of the stories could contain sensitive material, so the show is considered PG-13. Feel free to share the poster or info with anyone you think might be interested!

(As a side note, I personally know the organizer of the Des Moines event, and she has asked me to open their show by singing the Sara Bareilles song, "Brave," which is performed at every This is My Brave production. I'm pretty excited to contribute to a performance with such a great mission!)

Thanks!

Amy

Amy Anderson, Counselor

Willowbrook Elementary

300 - 17th Ave SW

Altoona, IA 50009

515-967-7512

IA Alternative Ed Conference

Hello, friends and colleagues,

I wanted to share an opportunity with you for April 20 and 21.  Ames school district is hosting the annual Iowa Alternative Education Conference. We are looking for presenters who can share expertise in a variety of areas, specifically related to working with students in alternative education settings or programs.  Potential topics could include educational equity, mental health first aid, classroom strategies in working with students with mental health disorders, dual diagnosis, substance abuse treatment, partnering with families, resources for unaccompanied youth, trauma-informed care, student voice and social justice, student engagement, current research in the field of education, etc.  The primary audience at our conference will be educators who work with students in alternative settings or at-risk programming.  I am reaching out to those of you I know who may have specialized interests or areas of focus that may be different than traditional educators.

I am attaching a form if you would like to submit a proposal to present, as well as conference registration form if you are interested in attending.  Please feel free to share this information with other potential interested parties. If you have any questions or would like additional information, do not hesitate to contact me.

Finally, our keynote speaker is Dr. Pedro Noguera.  I am attaching a link to a TED talk he did a few years ago:  https://youtu.be/uSehZPz2NoY .  We are very excited to have him present on his work with equity for all students.

Jennifer

--

Jennifer Haglund

Ames Middle School

Professional School Counselor

515.268.2408

Follow AMS Counselors on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/AMSCounseling

Homeless Liaison Info

Good afternoon Local Homeless Education Liaisons,

The following PDF link is the latest FAQ from the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty. It contains updated information regarding the re-authorization of the McKinney-Vento Act. 

http://www.naehcy.org/sites/default/files/dl/legis/2016-09-16_FAQ_FINAL.pdf

You may be some of the same questions that you run into often as you work with youth experiencing homelessness. I hope it serves as a good resource for you.

As always, feel free to contact me with individual situations when you need assistance. I am happy to give whatever help I can.

Thank you all for the good work you do for our students.

Sandy Johnson

Title I Consultant/ Homeless Education Coordinator

Iowa Department of Education

Des Moines, IA 50319

515-281-3965

Fighting Human Trafficking in Iowa Conference

 Registration Has Opened for “Fighting Human Trafficking in Iowa” Conference

Presented by Teens Against Human Trafficking, the Fighting Human Trafficking in Iowa Conference provides participants with information about the impact of human trafficking in Iowa and how to combat it through prevention and intervention. Topics include:

• Sex Trafficking in Iowa
• Labor Trafficking 101
• Trauma Bonding & Survivor Needs
• Iowa Department of Human Services Response
• School-Based Prevention & Education

Fighting Human Trafficking in Iowa Conference
April 24, 2017
9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Plymouth Church, 4126 Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines, IA
Free registration! To sign up email RSVPHT@gmail.com

Incarcerated Parents

While not always the case, the incarceration of a parent may leave a young person with no safe and stable place to stay and in the physical custody of someone who is not their parent or guardian. These young people may be struggling with a variety of difficult emotions and questions about what has happened to their parent and what will happen to them as a result of their parent's incarceration.

To equip schools and service providers to support these young people, NCHE has created a new Children of Incarcerated Parents (COIP) | Incarceration webpage. Resources include the following new tip sheets from Youth.gov:

• Tip Sheet for Providers: Supporting Children Who Have an Incarcerated Parent
• Tip Sheet for Teachers: Supporting Children Who Have an Incarcerated Parent
• Tip Sheet for Youth: Youth Supporting Fellow Youth Who Have an Incarcerated Parent

The NCHE Children of Incarcerated Parents (COIP) | Incarceration webpage also includes sample caregiver affidavits used for purposes of school enrollment by states and districts across the country.

We hope this new NCHE webpage, available at https://nche.ed.gov/ibt/coip.php, will help you in your work.

Best,

Christina Dukes, Federal Liaison
National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE)

Safe at Home

Safe at Home is a state sponsored address confidentiality program for survivors of domestic violence and other violent crimes. It provides a designated address, mail forwarding and confidential absentee voting for participants. The program allows participants to live an active life without having their actual address listed on public records.

I am trying to get the word out about this program so that those who may need it can be made aware of it. If you know of an organization that could benefit from more information about Safe at Home, whether it be through a presentation, newsletter article, or promotional materials, please let me know.

Thank you!

Melanie Shellenberger

Safe at Home Program Administrator

Office of Iowa Secretary of State Paul D. Pate

(515) 725-7233

melanie.shellenberger@sos.iowa.gov

Web Portal - student transfer

Iowa’s Regent universities and community colleges have joined to create a web portal dedicated to assisting students with the transfer process. The site serves as a one-stop resource for students planning their future.

www.transferiniowa.org

Future Ready Iowa Website

A new resource is available to help Iowans review and evaluate different career opportunities in the state and plan their paths to landing rewarding jobs. Launched last month by Gov. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, the new Future Ready Iowa website is a result of the collaborative efforts between many state agencies, including Iowa Workforce Development, Iowa Economic Development Authority, Iowa Department of Education, and the Iowa College Student Aid Commission. The Future Ready Iowa website is a mobile-friendly, one-stop shop where students and adults can find high-demand career opportunities in Iowa, identify education and training needed as well as financial resources that may be available. It features career exploration resources using information on high-demand jobs as well as labor market Information to identify the number of jobs, the average median income and what training is necessary. More information about career pathways will be added in coming months.

DATA!!!!

We all know how important data is in our work - are you aware of the big three data sources the Iowa Department of Education released in the last few weeks?

the annual Condition of Education report,

Iowa’s Postsecondary Readiness Report, and the latest edition of the

Iowa School Report Card. 

These are great sources of data for our work!!!

Summit on School Climate

Des Moines Schools to Host 2nd Annual Summit on School Climate, Aug. 8-9, 2017

Des Moines Public Schools is hosting its second annual Summit on School Climate and Culture, Aug. 7-8, 2017 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. This event is designed to improve school climate and culture through professional development, skill building and application of the best practices and research. Well-known national experts including Sir Ken Robinson, Chris Emdin, Principal Kafele and Anthony Muhammad will be featured speakers. The summit will have a series of workshops, speeches and breakout sessions focusing on best practices in improving student behavior, MTSS, cultural proficiency, social and emotional health, stakeholder engagement and more. For more information about the event, including online registration, visit the event website.

Visit the Hill!!!

Visit the Hill Registration open!

www.iowaacac.org/visit-the-hill

March 9^th at the Embassy Suites in Des Moines

From budget cuts to issues of preparation, access, and degree completion, the students we work with face difficult decisions as they consider their postsecondary options. Meeting with elected officials is an important way to make your opinions heard on these and other issues.

During Visit the Hill, participants will be provided the necessary training and information to help lobby for issues critical to the interests of students transitioning from high school to college. Participants will then go to the state capitol to meet with their representative and senator.

There is no cost to participate in the Visit the Hill program. Travel scholarships are available. To RSVP please visit, www.iowaacac.org/visit-the-hill  

If you are interested in staying in Des Moines please contact the Embassy Suites or other area hotels soon.    

Please contact Josh D’Amico, Iowa ACAC Chair of Government Relations, at jdamico@mtmercy.edu, with any questions.

We look forward to seeing you in Des Moines!

Joshua D’Amico

Iowa ACAC Chair of Government Relations

 

 Susan Langan

Cedar Falls High School Counselor

susan.langan@cfschools.org

1015 Division Street

Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613

319-553-2515 ext. 2632

Transition Talk

Wednesday, February 8th, from 1:30 - 3:00 will be the final Transition Talk for the 2016-17 school year. This month I will be sharing the updated 4+ guidance which was released in January. Please keep in mind that this webinar will cover only the updated guidance. Any specific, student-related questions will need to be directed to the local school district or AEA. 

The link for this Zoom meeting is:  https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/532825433. The webinar will offer closed captioning for anyone who needs that option. As always, the webinar will be recorded and posted. Once that link is available, I will share it with the group.

The updated guidance is now posted on the DE website at the following location:  https://www.educateiowa.gov/documents/special-education/2017/02/guidance-4-services. It might be helpful for you to review this document prior to the webinar so you will have time to consider any questions you might have.

Elevate Scholarship

Elevate Advanced Manufacturing Scholarship February 2017  Dear Susen, The 2017 Elevate Advanced Manufacturing Scholarship application is now available! Please encourage high school seniors to apply for one of 15 $500 scholarships that can be applied to tuition at one of Iowa's Community Colleges.  The application is simple! Click here to download the Elevate Iowa Scholarship or find it on the Elevate Iowa website and social media channels. The students can mail or email their scholarship application to Alexandra Monaghan. Applications are due on March 31st. Alexandra Monaghan Measured Intentions 8510 New York Avenue Urbandale, Iowa 50322 amonaghan@measuredintentions.com Thank you! Alexandra Monaghan Elevate Iowa Program Coordinator Submit Your News & Events! Do you have an upcoming event or recent news that you would like highlighted on our website and to our followers? Visit our website to submit and we'll get them posted! Connect with Elevate! Follow us to keep posted on upcoming events, news, and more! Facebook Twitter YouTube

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PSEO Guidance

Please review the attached document entitled, "Memo PSEO eligible courses 1-27-2017" from Director Wise regarding recent concurrent enrollment legislation and share with your stakeholders as appropriate.

If you have questions about the memo, please contact Eric St. Clair at eric.stclair@iowa.gov