MASCA
Counselor’s Notebook
MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION
Vol. 57, No. 8
April 2021
Ethical Endeavors: News From The MASCA Ethics Committee By Melinda Cripps & Kensey Rhodes
MASCA is excited to announce the creation of the Ethics Committee, and we are actively seeking committee members who are passionate about ensuring that our profession operates with the highest ethical integrity. Are you a motivated, enthusiastic individual who enjoys making connections with others in our field? Do you enjoy creating and sharing interesting content that sparks conversation and stretches peoples’ thinking? Have you ever wanted to get involved with MASCA, but didn’t know how? If so, this committee needs you! Contact the committee chair, Melinda Cripps (mcripps@billericak12.com), if you would like more information. In order to best serve the MASCA membership, the Ethics Committee will ensure that MASCA members have access to high quality information regarding counseling ethics and school law pertaining to counseling. To do this, we are seeking input from members regarding what you would like to see from our committee and
Inside this Issue: Ethics.............................................1 Directory........................................2 Retirees..........................................3 Building Inclusivity..........................4 Restorative Practice........................5 Challenging Gender Stereotypes.....6 Retiree Announcements..................9 MASCA Tributes.......................10, 13 College and Career Readiness........11 MA Model.....................................12
how we can best support your work. Please consider taking this quick survey. What can you expect from the Ethics Committee? We will: ● Disseminate information on a regular basis regarding ethics and school counseling through various avenues, including but not limited to, newsletter articles and written communication in the Counselor’s Notebook, presentations at the Annual Conference, and professional development opportunities ● Keep abreast of the membership’s interests, needs, and concerns regarding ethics in an effort to effectively focus the committee’s direction and programming ● Ensure that graduate students and new counselors have access to foundational information on ethics that is vital to success in one’s first years of counseling ● Provide supportive guidance to MASCA members regarding specific ethical questions or dilemmas that may arise Additionally, you’ll find helpful, useful information in each issue of the Counselor’s Notebook, often connected with an ASCA Ethical Standard and usually a real-life situation that’s presented itself recently. Below, you will find our first case study. Names and other identifying information have been changed to protect student confidentiality.
ASCA Ethical Standard: A.1. Supporting Student Development: School counselors have a primary obligation to the students, who are to be treated with dignity and respect as unique individuals. Case Example: Jason is a 10 year old student on the Autism spectrum that has recently come into his mother’s custody after living with his maternal grandmother the entirety of his life. When Jason’s grandmother passed away he and his mother, Michelle, moved into a local shelter where they’ve struggled to connect in the parent/child relationship. This lack of relationship has led to an increase in self-harm statement and suicidal ideation in Jason who is not allowed outside of the shelter due to Michelle’s own mental health challenges and has limited coping skills. Jason’s IQ is very high which causes boredom and frustration with school work as well as impedes his relationship with his mother to the point where he will become physically violent with her. In conversation with Michelle it is clear that her own fears about outside providers and people she is not comfortable with limit her willingness to accept wraparound support and referrals. With the increase in self-harm, suicidal ideation and physicality from Jason at home, how might you ethically care for this student with dignity and respect while keeping past experiences? How frequently do you assess whether what you are doing is part of your primary obligation to your students? How do you balance this tenet with the rest of your work duties?
MASCA 2020-21 DIRECTORY GOVERNING BOARD:
COMMITTEE CHAIRS:
APPOINTED POSITIONS:
Kerry Bartlett, Chair kabartlett@hudson.k12.ma.us School / Career Counselor, Hudson High School
Ruth Carrigan, Conference Committee Ruth.Carrigan@whrsd.k12.ma.us Director of School Counseling Whitman-Hansen Regional High School
Bob Bardwell, Executive Director & Membership Coordinator bardwellr@monsonschools.com Director of School Counseling, Monson Public Schools
Mindy Cripps, Ethics Committee mcripps@billericak12.com Guidance Director, Billerica High School
Julia Cahill-O'Shea, Secretary j.cahill-oshea@hwschools.net School Counselor, Hamilton- Wenham Regional High School
April Megginson, Assistant Chair amegginson@bridgew.edu Assistant Professor of Counselor Education, Bridgewater State University Ed Connor, Board Member econnor@dean.edu Executive Director of Admissions, Dean College
Ed Connor, Fiscal Oversight Committee econnor@dean.edu Executive Director of Admissions, Dean College
Laurie Dickstein-Fischer, Board Member ldicksteinfisc@salemstate.edu Assistant Professor & Program Director for School Counseling, Salem State University
Juliette Coatsworth, Government Relations & Advocacy Committee juliette.nori@gmail.com School Counselor, Foxborough Regional Charter School
Johanna Smith, Board Member smithjoh@lynnschools.org School Counselor, Lynn Vocational Technical Institute
Manjula Karamcheti, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access (IDEA) Committee karamcheti@wwgradschool.org Director of Equity and Student Support Woodrow Wilson Graduate School of Teaching and Learning
Megan Krell, Board Member mkrell@fitchburgstate.edu Associate Professor, Fitchburg State University Jeremie Bateman, Board Member jbateman@lexingtonma.org School Counselor, Lexington High School Jennifer McGuire, Board Member jmcguire@uppercapetech.org School Counselor/Teacher Leader for Guidance Upper Cape Cod Technical School Barbara Meyer, Board Member b_meyer@stoughtonschools.org School Counselor, Stoughton High School
Tyeshia Weir, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access (IDEA) Committee weirt@springfieldpublicschools.com School Counselor, RISE Academy Helen O'Donnell, MA Model Committee helenod@att.net Retired School Counselor Kerry Bartlett , Member Services Committee kabartlett@hudson.k12.ma.us School / Career Counselor, Hudson High School Barbara Meyer Member Services Committee b_meyer@stoughtonschools.org School Counselor, Stoughton High School Megan Krell, Nomination and Bylaws Committee mkrell@fitchburgstate.edu Associate Professor, Fitchburg State University Dina Sibilia, Professional Development Committee sibilia@wsps.org School Counselor, West Springfield High School Jeremie Bateman, Professional Recognition Committee jbateman@lexingtonma.org School Counselor, Lexington High School
Find out how you can become a MASCA leader. Go to: https://masca.wildapricot.org/ How-to-Get-Involved
Gloria Rubilar, Publicity Committee gloriarubilar@bpsma.org School Counselor, Brockton High School Christine Shaw, Research and Evaluation Committee shawc@merrimack.edu Associate Professor of Practice, Education & Community Studies, Merrimack College Jennifer McGuire. Technology Committee jmcguire@uppercapetech.org School Counselor/Teacher Leader for Guidance Upper Cape Cod Technical School
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Jean Atwater Williams, Counselors Notebook Editor & Web Administrator atwaterwilliams@gmail.com Dina Sibilia, Professional Development Coordinator sibilia@wsps.org School Counselor, West Springfield High School LIAISONS: Laurie Dickstein-Fischer, Counselor Educator Liaison ldicksteinfisc@salemstate.edu Assistant Professor & Program Director for School Counseling, Salem State University Lisa Harney, DESE Liaison LHarney@doe.mass.edu MA Dept of Elem & Sec Education Megan Krell, Emerging Leader Liaison mkrell@fitchburgstate.edu Associate Professor, Fitchburg State University Zac Songer, Graduate Student Liaison Zacchary.Songer001@umb.edu Graduate Student, UMASS Boston Julia Stone, Graduate Student Liaison jstone10@springfieldcollege.edu Graduate Student, Springfield College Helen O'Donnell, Retirees Liaison helenod@att.net Retired School Counselor Jennifer Just McGuire, Social Media Liaison jmcguire@uppercapetech.org School Counselor/Teacher Leader for Guidance Upper Cape Cod Technical School EMERGING LEADERS April Brunelle abrunelle@bostonpublicschools.org School Counselor, ech Boston Academy Dan Goldsbury danielgoldsbury@gmail.com School Counselor, Edwards Middle School Maria Maloney maloneym@monsonschools.com School Counselor, Granite Valley Middle School Kayla Schutte kschutte@tewksbury.k12.ma.us School Counselor, Tewksbury Memorial High School
COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
Calling all Retirees... By Bob Bardwell, MASCA Executive Director
Leaving your legacy – What do you want to leave to whom and in what format?
/While on the surface, some of you may not think that this column is for not for you with the word retirees in the title of this column but rest assured, this is for all members – graduate students, young professionals, mid-career professionals, soon to be retirees and yes, our already retired members. Let me be clear. The retirees are back – bigger and stronger than ever and that is super exciting. This is good for our organization. It is good for our members. And it will be really good for those who will retire down the road, either in the next year or two or in the next decade. So, what’s a benefit of being a retired MASCA member? First off you do get access to membership and professional development at much reduced rates compared to professional members. But beyond that we can do much more. Clearly one of the challenges of retirees, particularly during the pandemic, is to stay connected. Zoom no doubt makes this easier than in the days of in-person meetings only. No travel is required and as long as you have internet and a device, then it is fairly easy to connect. To be honest, I do not believe that MASCA has ever really catered to the retiree population or done well to engage that population. This is not really anyone’s fault, but we have clearly not been focusing on our retired members’ needs. While I never said we should not have retired members, neither did I do anything to promote their membership.
Technology tools – Can’t quite figure out how to zoom with your family or record a video? Then a tech session can help learn the skills you need to stay current.
Robert Bardwell Executive Director, MASCA
CA can be to our retired colleagues. Seeing the retirees come together as part of our National School Counseling Week celebration and specifically the joy and networking connections, was really cool and exciting. They showed me that despite being retired, there is still a need and place for this group in the MASCA membership. We have to do better, and we can do more for this group. Retired does not mean unimportant and no longer relevant.
That all changed this year.
Enter Anne Thidemann French and Helen O’Donnell, who agreed to colead our newly formed Retirees Special Interest Group (SIG). Beyond networking and connecting, Anne and Helen have some other ideas. The current plan is for future SIG meetings to consist of fun and networking along with timely topic sessions that will be of interest to retirees. Possible discussion topics include:
I am sure it is partly due to the pandemic but likely not having seen many folks outside of their families and household members for almost a year, showed me just how important MAS-
Travel tips and planning – Where in the world have you gone, or would you want to go? Share your experiences or ask questions of others who have gone before you.
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This doesn’t mean that SIG participants cannot talk about school counselor topics or attend our conference or professional development activities, but my guess is that more general topics might sound a bit more fun, exciting and relevant to our retired colleagues. It is my hope that taking a broader view of what retirees may want, which is different from what they would have needed prior to retirement, will help provide some energy and excitement for this new focus of retiree engagement. I am also happy to report that during the month of April, any non-current retiree can join or rejoin MASCA for free. That means that the regular $15 annual dues will be waived for someone who was a member and is no longer or was never a member. We currently have 28 active retired members with another 32 contacts in our database who were members at one time. Please do your part in spreading the word that MASCA is now open for business for our retired friends and colleagues and we warmly welcome them into our membership. I invite all of our retired and soon to be retirees to join us for the next SIG meeting on Friday, April 16 from 3:30 – 5:00 via zoom. You should pre-register here. Be sure to bring a refreshment or cocktail to enjoy. Here’s to new, exciting and stimulating retiree experience that you don’t want to miss. And if you are a few years from retirement, by then the SIG will be well established and ready for you.
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Making our Language and Communities More Inclusive Part 2: Building an Action Plan by Anne-Marie Sklarwitz, SEL Coordination and Remote Student Support, Westwood HighSchool Part 1 of this series addressed some misconceptions about gender, common practices that are accidentally harmful, and suggestions for a better understanding of sex assigned at birth, gender identity and expression, and pronoun usage. Here, in Part 2, are some actions to create a more inclusive environment. Words Matter A person’s gender identity and pronoun usage might not line up with society’s rigid norms about gender expression. We must retrain ourselves to stop making assumptions about gender and pronouns based on things like name, clothing, hairstyle, voice, or mannerisms. Language choices signal inclusivity and you can practice during everyday interactions. See the table below for word replacement examples to avoid binary and gendered terms. Materials It is important to check forms, paperwork, and websites. Schools have been updating “mother/father” to say “parent/ guardian” which is inclusive of different types of families and living situations, and also leaves room for nonbinary people. See the table for other important changes. Include your own pronouns in
your email signature and Zoom display name to normalize pronoun disclosure without requiring students to out themselves. Ask for students’ pronouns on beginning of year surveys and again periodically; pronoun usage can be fluid and/or change over time. Avoid “preferred” when discussing pronouns, which implies that you might choose to use other pronouns if it is easier or makes you more comfortable. Building Culture and Structure As student advocates, we must work at a systemic level. Do all students graduate in one color gown, or are boys assigned one color and girls another? Which color do nonbinary students wear? What about trans students, potentially at risk of being outed to unaccepting family members? At homecoming and prom events, are there binary categories like king/queen, or fashion shows where boys must wear tuxedos and girls must wear gowns? What about yearbooks and superlatives? In working with colleagues across academic departments, focus on representation of LGBTQ+ people to provide mirrors for students to see themselves and windows to see others. Collaborate specifically with Biology and Wellness teachers and take
advantage of the Resource Links from Expand Your Classroom to ensure that trans and nonbinary identities are represented and to avoid harmful erasure and/ or misinformation equating anatomy, hormones, and genetics with gender. Post rainbow pride stickers and Gender Unicorn posters for representation and education. Bathroom accessibility affects trans and nonbinary students multiple times per day. Students are legally able to use bathrooms that align with their gender identities. However, it is important to also consider quantity and location of all-gender bathrooms for any trans and nonbinary students who feel safer there instead. Intervention Strategies Staying silent when we hear homophobic or transphobic remarks implies approval. We must be particularly mindful of heteronormative and cisnormative remarks, which we--and others--might accidentally say and might sound “normal,” but are actually harmful. Heteronormativity is the presumption that everyone is straight or that male/female attractions and relationships are the norm and therefore superior; it is the belief that everyone is or should be straight. Cisnormativity is the presumption that one’s gender identity and expression fit society’s rigid and binary constructions and expectations of what it means to be a girl/woman or boy/man. When you need to intervene, it is okay to acknowledge the issue and signal that you will address it later. This gives you time to formulate a response while ensuring that anyone present understands that you are not ignoring the issue. Practice saying things that you feel comfortable with, are authentic to your role/persona/position, educate students, make students feel seen and valued, and maintain your personal safety. We don’t always know who is LGBTQ+ or who has LGBTQ+ family. It is often the most vulnerable students who are not out to us or their peers; these students need to see and hear us being inclusive, as do their straight and cisgender peers.
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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
Restorative Practice is a Lot More than Circles By Daniel Goldsbury, MASCA Emerging Leader
I was talking with a colleague (or a student, I honestly cannot recall) a few weeks ago and we had a realization it had been exactly one year since we left the school building. As I reflected back on the last year, it really has been a blur. I say this from a position of privilege - I own a home, I have heat, food security and plenty of sick days to spare. As I try to put myself in the shoes of a student who has been isolated, scared, depressed, or worse, I find it hard to put myself in that place. Perhaps it is my own privilege talking, but I actually think it’s more than that. I think my biggest struggle is that as a counselor I am used to basing interventions on what I can see, observe, and discuss with my coworkers. This pandemic has blocked out the sun for us we do not have daily contact, informal check-in’s, or even actual in-person human interactions on most days. And then one day, just like that, we are back! Students in front of us, shellshocked and there physically but really not fully there emotionally. We have expectations from Principals, districts, and the state to play “catch up”, and while MCAS is delayed, it is lurking just around the corner. It feels like we are moving full steam ahead on a train without having done all the safety checks. How do we support students in coping with this “new normal” when we are still processing it all ourselves? The answer, at least partially, can be found in Restorative Practices (RP). Similar to “social emotional learning”, it has become a buzzword bandied about by well-intentioned educators in the hopes of improving school culture. RP is also frequently tapped as an alternative to traditional school discipline. While there is considerable evidence to support its use in restoring harm, that is not what am I proposing here. What we need to restore in our schools are our relationships and relational skills. No, we are not restoring them APRIL 2021
because they have been damaged by gossip or a physical confrontation. Rather, we need to restore basic social skills that have been ravaged by months and months of staring into screens all day. We also owe it to them to help them process the range of emotions that have and are still experiencing. This pandemic has made a lasting effect on all of us. The problem is that students will not just volunteer this information - it will require care, structure, and life’s most precious resource - trust. As my students returned to in person learning in February, our school was filled with small, quiet groups of students in our classrooms. All of them had been identified by the district as “high needs”, and many have communication and processing limitations. This was all the more reason to host a series of restorative circles. It took
some time, some trust, and a lot of patience, but slowly these students opened up. We practiced using “affective statements”, we learned about the idea of ambivalence, and we elaborated to say more about how we felt. Inevitably, some students chose to pass. I think this piece is critical to trust-building - never coercing anyone who is not ready to share or making them feel guilt or shame for choosing to step back. We owe it to ourselves to restore. We owe it to our spouses, children, friends, and neighbors to restore. And yes, of course, we owe it to our students. Let us remember that before we ever have a discipline conversation, launch into test prep, or return to “normal” when we all know nothing is the same.
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Girls Can Be Plumbers Too: Using Bibliotherapy To Challenge Gender Stereotypes in Careers By Laurie Dickstein-Fischer, Ph.D. & Jacquelyn Saunders
What do you want to be when you grow up? We have all been asked this question when we were children and continue to ask the same question to young children today. Sadly, gender biases still exist when children answer this question. As early as preschool, children formulate ideas on what roles males and females should have for career exploration. My son Matty is 5 years old and I started noticing that at age 3 he had already begun to formulate his own ideas about career based on gender. Children’s ideas can be demonstrated through their conversations with others, their make-believe play, and artistic drawings. A 2018 study in the UK found that this gendered way of thinking can be seen in students in elementary school. (Chambers, Rehill, Kashefpakdel, & Percy, 2018). A group of students were asked to draw what they wanted to be when they grew up and patterns of boys wanting to do traditionally masculine jobs and girls wanting to do traditionally feminine jobs were seen. These ideas have lasting real world effects. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 80% of elementary school teachers in the US are women (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020). 92% of hairdressers are women. Likewise, men make up 94% of all mechanical engineers in the US and 98% of plumbers. As gender role theory postulates, parenting, peer groups, the educational system, and media alike tend to reinforce children’s belief in gender stereotypes – including children’s views of the culturally proscribed possibilities and limitations for people according to gender or sex. Gender Schema Theory (Bem,1981) theorizes that once children form a gender identity, 6
they being to form gender schemas, that is beliefs about gender that influence behaviors, through observations of their environment and greater culture. Gender schemas are a way for children to organize information they take in and form their gender role. However, these gender schemas can be changed and challenged. This is where school counselors can play a critical role in changing these perceptions. Classroom guidance lessons are the perfect opportunity for school counselors to challenge gender career stereotypes. For example, counselors can select developmentally appropriate storybooks that challenge gender stereotypes and empower young students to explore their career interest and passions without bias. Additionally, school counselors can also counter gender stereotypes by using gender neutral language around professions. Reflect for a moment. Do you say “policeman” or “police officer”? “Firefighter” or “Fireman?” “Postal Worker?” or “Mailman”. Our language, like the media we consume, influences our career choices. Working to use more gender-neutral language, and encouraging our students to do so as well, we can help our students break ingrained gender stereotypes. Below is a list of books for a variety of grade levels that features a character that challenges gender norms. These books can be paired with a drawing activity, a discussion around gender stereotypes, or to highlight famous men and women who broke gender norms. Use these books to inspire your students to be whatever they want to be! • Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty (Gr K – 2)
• Ballerino Nate by Kimberly Brubraker Bradley (Preschool- Gr 2) • Mae Among The Stars by Roda Ahmed (Preschool – Gr 3) • Max, the Stubborn Little Wolf by Marie-Odile Judes (Preschool – Gr 3) • Princesses Can Be Pirates Too! By Christi Zellerhoff (Gr 1 -2)
• Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood (Preschool – Kindergarten) • Madam President by Lane Smith (Preschool – Gr 3) • When the Bees Fly Home by Andrea Chang (Gr 2 -7) • Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist by Jess Keating (Gr 1 -3) (continued next page) COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
Girls Can Be ...
(continued from previous page)
• Violet the Pilot by Steve Breen (Gr 1 -3) • Phoebe and the Digger by Tricia Springstubb (Preschool – Gr 2) • Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love (Preschool – Gr 2) • Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman (Preschool – Gr 3) • Dara’s Clever Trap by Liz Flanagan and Martina Peluso (Gr 3 - 5) • The House That Lou Built by Mae Respicio (Gr 3 – 6) • My Daddy is an Amazing Nurse! By Donald Jacobsen (Gr K – 2)
• My Mom is a Firefighter by Lois G. Grambling and Jane Manning (Gr K – 2)
• Sadie Sprocket Builds a Rocket by Sue Fliess (Preschool – Gr 1) Akgun, E.& Gokce, K.B. (2019). Bibliotherapy with Preschool Children: A Case Study. Current A p proaches to Psychiatry. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/ A571680388/AONE?u=mlin_n_ state&sid=AONE&xid= 301e43 Bem, S. (1981). Gender Schema Theory: A Cognitive Account of Sex Typing. Psychological R e view, 88(4), pp. 354-364. Chambers, N., Rehill, J., Kashefpakdel, E., & Percy, C. (2018). Drawing the Future. Education a n d Employers. https://www.educationandemployers.org/wp content/uploads/2018/01/DrawingTheFuture. pdf Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. School and District P r o f i l e s : Lynn Vocational Technical Institute. (2020). Retrieved February 6, 2020 from https://profiles.doe. mass.edu/students/classsizebygenderpopulation.aspx?orgcode=0163 6 0 5 & f y c o d e = 2 0 2 1 & o rg t y p e code=6& U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employed persons by detailed occupation, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. (2020, January 22). Retrieved November 27, 2020, from h t t p s : / / w w w. b l s . gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm Laurie Dickstein-Fisher is a MASCA Board Member & Program Director for Salem State University’s School Counseling/School Adjustment Counseling Program. Jacquelyn Saunders is a MEd in School Counseling Candidate ‘21, School of Education, Salem State University
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April 2021 Awareness Dates Alcohol Awareness Month Child Abuse Prevention Month Community Service Month Counseling Awareness Month D.E.A.R. Drop Everything and Read Month Keep America Beautiful Month Mathematics Awareness Month Month of the Military Child National Autism Awareness Month National STD Awareness Month National Youth Sports Safety Month School Library Month Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month 1 Sexual Assault Awareness Day of Action 2 World Autism Awareness Day 4 10 National Library Week 7 World Health Day 8 Holocaust Remembrance Day 8 National Alcohol Screening Day 10-16 Week of the Young Child 12-16 National Youth Violence Prevention Week 18-24 National Volunteer Week 22 Administrative Professionals Day 22 Earth Day 22 Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day 23-25 Global Youth Service Days 23 Day of Silence 30 Children’s Day/Book Day
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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
MASCA’s Archives Restoration, MASCA’s Diamond Jubilee 60th Birthday Year (April 2021-April 2022) and MASCA Retiree SIG By Helen C. O’Donnell, EdD, MASCA’s Retiree Liaison Newsflash: FREE MASCA RETIREE membership in April 2021. This is for non-members only and not renewals. IF your MASCA membership has lapsed, this is the perfect opportunity to rejoin MASCA. See MASCA website for details. Please help the Archive committee restore MASCA archives OR consider joining the Retiree SIG and 60th birthday planning committees to suggest activities, plan events, and celebrate together. Monthly updates will be included in in MASCA emails, website postings, and monthly CN articles. MASCA O.S.C.A.R‘s Developing MASCA Archives. (1961-2021) MASCA is hunting for MASCA Archives: Do you have 20th century CN’s or MASCA memorabilia? IF you have issues of the Counselors Notebook prior to 2000, were honored with a MASCA Award, or want to contribute stories or information, contact Mary Westcott westcottm7@ gmail.com MASCA archive files (1961-1990) created by Louise Forsyth, MASCA’s first archivist, AND MASCA’ CN’s prior to 1999 were lost. Therefore, MASCA’s O.S.C.A.R honorees are spearheading the restoration of MASCA’s archives. A recently discovered Policy Manual: MSCA 1961-1982; edited by Louise Forsyth, MASCA’s 3rd O.S.C. A. R honoree, highlights MASCA’s founding year and growth during our early decades. It is now posted on the MASCA website The archive committee’s goals include filling in the gap years from 1982-2000 (when our electronic CN’s begin) by locating past Counselor Notebooks, reconstructing MASCA early Award History prior to 2000,, and capturing voices and memories of 20th century MSCA Presidents and leaders for cameo CN articles or interviews Who are MASCA O.S.C.A.R’s? Since MASCA.s 25th birthday, only 16 MA school counselors have been recognized and honored with an Outstanding Service Counselor Award of Recognized (O.S.C.A.R).for a professional lifetime of service to MASCA and the school counseling profession, Posted with MASCA’s other Award history is a cameo list of the 16 O.S.C.A.R Honor-
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ee profiles citing their tradition of service: Oscar Kritchmar, Marilou Cashman, Louise Forsyth, Dr. Mary Mullin Burke, Carol Ryan Tarka, Mary Choinard, Ralph Sennott, Dr. Helen O’Donnell, Donna Brown, John Gould, Jan Tkaczyk, Mary Westcott, Ron Miller, Robert Bardwell, Janice Parsons, Joe Fitzgerald. MASCA Colleague Tributes. MASCA tributes are again available to acknowledge and thank school counseling colleagues and administrators for their support of school counseling. Search the MASCA website to read past 50th and 55th birthday tributes. They are now offered to celebrate MASCA’s diamond jubilee. Cost is $50 for a 50-word tribute citation in the CN and posted on the MASCA website plus a personalized MASCA Tribute Recognition certificate. Start identifying who you, your department, your administrators, and your affiliate want to nominate and honor. Tribute nomination details in a separate article and posted on the MASCA website. The Fredrickson Family is tributed in a separate article in this CN issue. MASCA appreciates Patricia and Anne Fredrickson for their continued support of MA School Counselors by establishment and continued funding support for the Ronald Fredrickson Professional Development Endowment Fund that has awarded annual PD scholarship awards for three years. They have also donated a gift to celebrate MASCA’s Diamond Jubilee. THANK YOU!!!\ MASCA’s Diamond Jubilee: 60th Birthday Celebration April 2021-April 2011 Join the Diamond Jubilee planning team and suggest ideas. Contact helenod@att.net Curently planned initiatives include: Affiliate Cameo Stories - An email is going out to affiliate leaders requesting they share their affiliate’s history. Hopefully, voices of proud present and past affiliate members and leaders will share their affiliate history and promote memberships. The 1982 MASCA Policy Manual lists the following 12 MASCA affiliates. Many affiliates have changed their names. Some are no longer active. New affiliates have been established. Send your Affiliate’s story during MASCA’s 60th birthday year to the CN editor at cn@masca.org Berkshire County Guidance Association
Cape and Islands Guidance Association Catholic School Counselors Association Franklin Hampshire Guidance Association Greater Boston Guidance Association North Central Guidance Association North East Guidance Directors Association South Central Guidance Association South Shore Guidance Association West Suburban Guidance Association Western MA Personnel and Guidance Assoc. Worcester County Personnel and Guidance Association
Peek at MASCA’s Past: MASCA Through the Decades Each month, beginning in the MAY CN articles will feature MSCA’s founding decade, progress and achievements through the late 20th century, and MASCA in the first two decades of the 21st century. Note organization’s initial change and find out why. IF you want to get a jump start on MSCA’s founding, read Oscar Krichmar’s history posted on the website. He was part of MSCA’s founding team, served in all leadership roles, and recognized as MASCA’s first O.S.C.A.R in 1986 at MASCA’s 25th birthday celebration The article was published in the CN for MASCA’s 50th birthday. MASCA’s Retiree SIG: Reconnect and Reengage Co-Chairs: Anne Thidemann French and Helen O’Donnell, MASCA Retiree Liaison* The Retiree SIG has been established. Retirees SIG website page. All retirees and “wanna be” retirees are invited to join the Retiree SIG to virtually reconnect and network with MASCA friends and colleagues for Zoom social gatherings and PD of interest.
More Announcements: FREE MASCA RETIREE membership in April 2021!! This is for non-members only and not renewals. IF your MASCA membership has lapsed, this is the perfect opportunity to rejoin MASCA. If you have retired MASCA colleagues who have not received outreach MASCA emails, please encourage them take advantage of
(For more announcements see bottom of page 10)
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MASCA 60th BIRTHDAY TRIBUTES Honor School Counselors, affiliate and MASCA leaders, colleagues and/or counselor educators for only $50. Includes a website posting of a 50 word tribute and photo. • Did you have a school counselor, past MASCA leader, colleague and/or counselor educator you admired and who encouraged you to achieve your goals and follow your dreams? • Do you know a school counselor, past MASCA leader, colleague and/or counselor educator that made a positive difference in their students’ lives? • Do you want to express your appreciation to that special person? • Submissions welcome from all counselors, residents, school
Announcements (continued from page 9)
the FREE membership month so MASCA can keep them informed. See MASCA website for details. From MASCA Archives Committee: Do you have 20th century CN’s or MASCA memorabilia? Donations welcome. contact Mary Westcott westcottm7@gmail. com SAVE THE DATE: RETIREE SOCIAL April 16th 3:30-5:00. Join this ZOOM social gathering. BYO favorite beverage and snacks. Bring your ideas for future event planning. April 16th Agenda Topics: 1.Meet and Greet all the smiling faces of retirees and retiree “dreamers”. 2.Sharing retirement adventures including activities, work and travel. 3.Catchup on MASCA news: (Ex: GB no longer has affiliate trustees and VP positions as voting members. The Board Chair is now the title of the MASCA President.) 4. What is MASCA’s Retiree Liaison* position? -Appointed annually by the Board Chair. -Regularly communicates with the retiree members of the MASCA membership, sharing important resources and appropriate information
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systems, MASCA affiliates, students, past graduates, families, administrators, etc. Here is your chance to pay tribute to their work. NOMINATION PROCEDURE • Write a 50 word or less tribute about the person’s impact on your life or their students’ -Encourages retired members to maintain their membership status even after retirement. -Works with other retirees to plan special celebrations (e.g.: Anniversary) and events -Plans appropriate educational and social events that would be of interest to retired members. 5.CN now only virtual and posted on the MASCA website www.masca.wildapricot.org 6. Dr. Ronald Fredrickson’s estate has established a MASCA professional development endowment to provide MA School Counselors annual PD scholarships. The family continues to provide funding support for annual scholarships. This year the Fredrickson Family has made a generous donation to MASCA’s 60th birthday event planning. 7.Call for MASCA’s Diamond Jubilee event planners for this yearlong 60th birthday celebration (April 2020=April 2021). Ex: Hosting a past president’s and retiree reception at the 2022 conference? Contribute articles to the CN 60th birthday news? Join planner team: helenod@att.net 8. Join the Retiree SIG Program Committee and plan events. We have access to MASCA’s ZOOM platform for our virtual
lives. • Complete this Google Form including the 50 words and attach a photo of the nominee. • Pay $50 online or send check made out to MASCA to PO Box 351, Hampden, MA 01036. • A sample of the tribute will be emailed to the nominator for final approval before the Tribute Certificate is printed and the tribute is posted on the MASCA website • Submission deadline is ongoing. All tributes will be posted on the MASCA website later this year. For more information contact Helen O’Donnell. events. We can have topic themes: Taming the Technology Tiger (Technology Tricks and Tricks), a Retiree SIG book club or join the MASCA SIG Book Club, sharing travel adventures, host a virtual Retiree antique road show, or just have BYOB Hang Out Chats. Currently several Retirees SIG activities events are being planned. Technology Tips and Trick - Joe Fitzgerald and Ron Miller will discuss submitted tech questions at the beginning of meetings and/or host topic theme tech sessions requested by retirees. Maria Ardito - Leaving Your Handprint Behind - This seminar is motivational and its purpose is to reach out to seniors and help them realize their talents and to create something to leave their legacy behind. Hightly regarded, Marie has several topic themes and often provides a series of presentations. Contributing After Retirement: After Retirement, what? Mary Westcott is willing to organize and host a panel discussion and identify workshop speakers who discuss how the continue to contribute after retirement. This could be a MASCA conference session in 2020. Or, we could have cameo guest speakers at our Retiree SIG events, or entire Retiree SIG sessions on this topic.
COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
College and Career Readiness through MyCAP
By Lisa Harney, Education Specialist · MA Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education
In 2016 two significant reports concerning preparation for post-secondary success were released. The first was the Massachusetts Definition of College and Career Readiness and Civic Preparation that was approved jointly by the Board of Higher Education and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. The Overview of the document begins by stating “Massachusetts students who are college and career ready and prepared for civic life will demonstrate the knowledge, skills and abilities that are necessary to successfully complete entry-level, credit-bearing college courses, participate in certificate or workplace training programs, enter economically viable career pathways, and engage as active and responsible citizens in our democracy.” The cornerstone of this definition is the identification of three domains for development to ensure postsecondary success for our students – Personal, Social; Workplace Readiness, and Academic and Postsecondary Planning. The second report that was released was: Helping Youth Become the Drivers of Their Own College and Career Readiness Success: Nature, Promise and Implementation Recommendations for Supporting District to Adopt Individual Learning Plans. This report, commissioned by the MA Legislature, found that nationally ILPs are being used as a key strategy for increasing engagement in career pathways, selecting rigorous high school courses, and engaging in post-secondary planning. Further, ILPs provide a promising strategy for increasing the number of students who possess the college and career readiness skills needed to enter and successfully complete a two or four-year postsecondary credential/technical program or college degree. One of the recommendations of that report was that the term ILP be changed so not to confuse APRIL 2021
people with the IEP – the Individual Education Plan – for students with disabilities. Hence, we now identify this individual planning process as My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP). Since that time MASCA and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) have worked together to create a College and Career Readiness Framework for the implementation of MyCAP to ensure students graduate college and career ready with an intentional, authentic plan driven by the individual student’s interests, strengths and aspirations. In order to do this, each student must have access to opportunities for personal and social skill building, a rigorous course of study including advanced coursework such as AP and dual enrollment/early college courses, and career development education beginning with career awareness and carried through to experiential job opportunities such as internships, apprenticeships and/or capstone projects. The MyCAP process should not be just “another initiative;” rather it would be best embedded in the school culture. Initially it will take a school leadership team (administrator, counselor, gen ed teacher, special education or El teacher, nurse, etc.) to create a four-year scope and sequence to implement MyCAP. By working together the team will identify key learning objectives for each domain for each grade along with the MyCAP artifacts that will document the attainment of those objectives. Once the objectives are defined, the team identifies the places where activities and lessons may need to happen or where they may be happening already -– some in the classroom, some online, some through a counseling curriculum and some independent projects that students may do on their own.
While counselors may take a lead in this work, MyCAP is enhanced and becomes part of the fabric of the school when embraced by all staff. Classrooms are not just for content delivery – they are the place where learning is supported by personal, social and emotional development. The design of the learning space, working on team projects, learning to accept feedback, are just a few examples of how teachers impact their students personal, social and emotional development. In the same way, every staff person in a school is a living example of a career development process – how is that shared with students? No one person in the school has a single responsibility in one domain. While each domain is different hey also blend and every student needs development in each domain to achieve success. MyCAP is driven by the individual students self-identified interests, strengths, hopes, and aspirations. When a student sees a future, feels the possibility, and can plan for success, that student is more likely to engage, understand the connection between learning now and future success, and may seek more challenging opportunities for learning and growth. In this pandemic time and the coming years of recovery and re-engagement it is incumbent on us as educators to provide opportunities to give students voice and choice in their learning, in their planning and in their future success. MyCAP is a process to achieve that! For more information on College and Career Readiness, MyCAP, and the Professional Development Training Series contact Lisa Harney, DESE Lisa.M.Harney@mass.gov
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IMPLEMENTING MA MODEL FOR COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAMS: by Helen C. O’Donnell, Ed. D, MA Model Trainer, MASCA MA Model Chair and MA Model 3.0 Co-Chair , Cynthia Esielionis, M.Ed., MA Model 3.0 Co-Chair, School Counseling Coordinator, Ayer Shirley RSD This Counselor’s Notebook (CN) series began in Sept 2017 to inform colleagues about steps and strategies for implementing the MA Model 2.0 and ASCA Model 3.0. With the spring 2020 endorsement of MA Model 3.0 and June 2019 release of ASCA Model 4.0©, previous MA Model resources are being updated. A library of updated CN articles organized by theme will be posted on the MA Model section of the MASCA website soon. .
MA Model 3.0 Implementation Professional Development: Be an informed School Counselor Inquiries: helenod@att.net
FREE resources: Download the FREE MA Model 3.0 document from MASCA Website. Download FREE templates, complete, + submit MARC/ MARC jr. document.
6 webinar sessions and complete/submit the MA Model 3.0 Self-Study Audit (MA Model 3.0 Appendix).Note: If you are registering for a MA Model Institute, access to webinars included in Institute registration fee
Coming soon: Updated MA Action Research and the Model Resources on MASCA Accountable Counselor. Requirement: Summarize the 3 website. recorded components of the Virtual MA Model 10 PDP op- Marchh 24th workshop and portunities for MASCA Mem- complete/submit your MARC bers (inquiries: helenod@att. or MARC Jr. document for net) MASCA recognition. Register Introducing the MAA Mod- on the MASCA website. Cost el 3.0 online webinar series $65 includes opportunity for Registration on MASCA web- guided mentoring and document development support for site you MARC or MARC Jr. PDP’s $25 for MASCA members with will be issued when your MA opportunity to earn *10 PDP’s. Accountability Report Card is (Note: MASCA membership is accepted by the MARC committee for recognition. only $45.) • MA Model 3.0: Hot Off the Press • Words into Action: Define, Assess, Manage, Deliver (4 webinars) • Planning, Delivering and Assessing Multi-Tiered Instruction
Earn Graduate Credit or 45 PDP’s Registration open for spring/ summer 2121 virtual MA Model 3.0 Institutes
$450 registration fee includes *To earn 10 MASCA pdp’s: 45 PDP’a OR 3 Fitchburg State View and briefly summarize University Grad credits (for ad12
ditional $295 and successful completion of coursework). Inquiries /registration. Email helenod@att.net MA Model in subject line MA Model Introductory Institute Model 2: Next Steps Counselors in K-12 Classrooms Virtual coursework offered via GoogleMeet. Course dates set at the convenience of the registrants. Course completion goal summer 2021. Institute goal: assist your program’s MA Model implementation. Assignment sampling includes viewing and submitting summaries of MA Model 3.0 webinars and the MA Model self-study, ASCA 4.0 webinars, development of program mission/ vision statements, annual calendar, standards-based lesson and MARC or MARC Jr. document to highlight the impact of your MA Model implementation course project. Email inquiries and registration for all MA Model 3.0 PD with MA Model in subject line helenod@att.net COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
A MASCA 60th TRIBUTE to the Fredrickson Family Endowed in 2019, the Dr. Ronald H. Fredrickson PD Scholarship Fund for MA School Counselors promotes Career Development Education for ALL students and encourages School Counseling Research. MASCA thanks the Fredrickson family for continued annual scholarship contributions honoring his legacy: Counselor Educator - Visionary - Mentor - Colleague Author - Gentleman - MASCA Friend
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OF BACHELOR’S DEGREE STUDENTS participate in at least one internship before graduation
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The mission of MASCA is to promote excellence in the school counseling profession by advocating for, connecting, supporting, and empowering school counselors in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through leadership, collaboration, and professional development. Visit us on the web at www.MASCA.org APRIL 2021
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