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Counselor's Notebook, March 2016

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MASCA

Counselor’s Notebook MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION

Vol. 52, No. 7

March 2016

2016 MASCA Conference and MA Reach Higher Convening Holiday Inn, Boxborough

Pre-Conference Program Highlights—Monday, April 4, 2016 Legal Issues for School Counselors by Attorney Gini Tate; President’s Reception Celebrating MASCA’s 55th Birthday; Graduate Student Awards; MASCA Tributes; Swing Dancing & Entertainment Full Day Conference & MA Reach Higher Convening Program Highlights—Tuesday, April 5, 2016 28 Learning Sessions focusing on College & Career Readiness, Social/Emotional, Academic Domains, and a Reach Higher Program Track; Breakfast; MASCA Awards Luncheon; Graduate Student Poster Presentations; Exciting and Relevant Exhibitors, Sponsors, and Vendors Keynote Address - “Helping Students Reach Higher with Individual Learning Plans” Speakers: Keith Westrich – Acting Associate Commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Center for Vocational, Workforce, and College Readiness Programs Dr. V. Scott Solberg – MA Institute of College and Career Readiness Register at https://masca.wildapricot.org/event-2089890 or the MASCA website www.masca.org After April 1, onsite registration will be available for an additional $35. Questions regarding your registration can be directed to Jen Jameson, Conference Registrar, springconference.masca@gmail.com. For general questions email Ruth Carrigan, MASCA President & Conference Chair, president@masca.org.

President’s Message

By RUTH CARRIGAN, MASCA President hope that you had a refreshing first generation college students, work we do as school counselors and rejuvenating February va- the challenges we face are much the makes a difference and the work cation. Over break, my two sons same. Just like you, we are charged we do matters! To that end, I hope and I had an amazing adventure in with helping students navigate the you will take some time to attend Italy. We travelled to Rome, Flor- trials and tribulations of school and the MASCA Conference and Reach ence, Venice, and Torino. Our week also helping them make plans for Higher Convening on April 4 and was filled with wonderful food, in- life after high school. 5. By being part of this annual credible sites, and a visit with two I often think about the quote, program, you will have the opporformer international exchange stu- "Tell me, what is it you plan to do tunity for some great professional dents who we hosted in our home with your one wild and precious development and networking as we in the summers of 2001 and 2002. life?" by Mary Oliver, when I think take time to celebrate you and all On our flight to Rome, I discov- about the work school counselors school counselors from across the ered that my seatmate was a high do. Yes, we help students find an- Commonwealth. school counselor from the Boston swers to this question, but we also As always, thank you for the work area. Although he works in an af- need to remember the important you do and for using your one wild fluent suburb west of Boston and I work we do with our own wild and and precious life to make a differwork in a school district with many precious lives. I truly believe the ence in the lives of your students!

I

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK


School Counselors and School Culture

MASCA 2015 - 2016 OFFICERS 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 E-mail: ashcicero@hotmail.com SECRETARY JENNIFER MATHEWS E-mail: secretary@masca.org MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR KATHERINE GETCHELL E-mail: membership@masca.org 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

MARCH 2016

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By DONNA M. BROWN, MASCA Executive Director

ecently, I asked students in my practicum class to research the school culture at their practicum sites and create a presentation. The results were interesting; all were able to give basic statistics about the demographics, testing and attendance data, however, no one really addressed the culture of the school. So, what is school culture and is it even important? ASCD's A Lexicon of Learning defines school climate and school culture as: "The sum of the values, cultures, safety practices, and organizational structures within a school that cause it to function and react in particular ways." Others have defined it as “the unwritten rules” or “the collective consciousness” or even “the pattern of behavior that distinguish us from them.” Truly, it’s how a school operates as an organization and the face it presents to students, parents, colleagues, and the public. For example, think of the last time you went into a school that was unfamiliar to you. Did you feel welcomed or did you feel like a trespasser? What did the lobby tell you about the school? What was on display? Even if the school was old, was there obvious pride in its condition? It’s likely you didn’t think about any of these at the time, and yet in that initial encounter, you probably formed an opinion about the school’s culture. If you were buzzed in and greeted by a smiling, courteous person, you felt acknowledged and welcomed. When you looked around, if there were displays of students’ work and celebrations of students’ achievements, you may have determined that this was a school that had high expecta-

tions and valued its students. If the school, regardless of age, was clean and tidy, pride in the facility itself was shown. Does any of that matter? Dr. Kent D. Peterson of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and co-author of Shaping School Culture: The Heart of Leadership, believes school cultures are either positive or toxic. In an article in Education World, Peterson asks, “Is Your School Culture Toxic or Positive?” Schools with a positive culture “celebrate successes; emphasize accomplishment and collaboration; and foster a commitment to staff and student learning.” On the other hand, schools with a toxic school culture “blame students for lack of progress; discourage collaboration; and breed hostility among staff.” Experts including ASCD author and former principal Peter DeWitt emphasize the connection between school culture and student learning. He has said that a school where learning is happening is warm and welcoming—and it starts in the main office. Citing something as simple as saying hello to students as they enter the classroom, DeWitt stresses the idea that if students feel comfortable and valued, they will want to come to school and learn. How does this involve school counselors? It is often said that counselors are the heart of the school. If this indeed is true, then school counselors have an obligation to not only understand school culture, but to work to improve it. Understanding a school’s culture requires observation and immersion. School (continued on page 5) 3


Steps to Success Helps Students Reach Higher

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By WILL ENGLISH, K-12 Advisor for Steps to Success

s school counselors, we are increasingly put in the position of working with enormous caseloads. Reaching higher becomes a challenge when the supports to allow a student to succeed are stretched increasingly thin. These supports are made harder to access as a school day is only so long and there are only so many opportunities to meet with a counselor. Steps to Success (STS) is a comprehensive achievement program that seeks to bridge the gap between school and family. Working with low-income students in Brookline, MA in grades 4-12, STS seeks to bridge the achievement gap and help our students break the cycle of poverty. STS recognizes that school can only support a student to a certain degree. With this in mind, STS runs after-school and summer programs to keep students engaged and focused on the future even when they are outside of school. From a young age, programming seeks to get students focused on higher education. Several STS middle school programs feature frequent visits to college campuses. Our Invest N’ Kids (INK) Program is a partnership with Boston College Carrol School of Management that pairs graduate students with 7th and 8th grade students. These adults help students with homework and provide mentorship through enrichments geared toward business management. Parent/guardian engagement is a key part of the STS model. If a parent/guardian is engaged, a student does better in school and the communication between school and home becomes cohesive. An 4

advisor meets parents/guardians on their own terms at a location of their preference. Building a relationship with parents/guardians and students is key to helping a student and their family when they face obstacles. Our advising model has proven itself as a successful way to help

start the process in trying to close the achievement gap. If you want to learn more about how Steps to Success is reaching higher, please come to our workshop at MASCA on April 5th. We are a growing organization and anticipate recruiting new advisors in the coming months!

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK


Future Ready Massachusetts Introduces Mentor Toolkit

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By JACKNEY PRIOLY JOSEPH, Director, Future Ready Massachusetts

espite an 85% high school graduation rate, only 3-4 out of every ten students entering the 9th grade will complete college and earn their bachelor’s degree. 38% of students entering Massachusetts public colleges and universities are enrolled in at least one remedial course. And by 2020, 72% of the jobs in Massachusetts will require a career certificate or college degree. The bar for students has been set higher than ever and the only way to prepare them for a globally competitive world is to ensure they have the knowledge and skills for success in college, career, and life. Future Ready Massachusetts provides students, families, and educators of the Commonwealth with the essential resources and information they need to understand what it means to be college and career ready and how students can prepare to meet those expectations. Future Ready works to ensure that every child in Massachusetts is ready for college, career, and citizenship upon high school graduation.

Future Ready’s latest resource is the Mentor Toolkit, a digital collection of highly targeted materials and

information that enable influential adults such as school counselors, mentors, parents, and teachers to guide students in preparing for a successful future. Future Ready is proud to have MASCA as a Toolkit Partner in the effort to distribute the Mentor Toolkit to school counselors. School counselors serve as the link for students to college and career readiness by helping them access resources and opportunities

and providing critical guidance to students on how to prepare for success after high school. The Mentor Toolkit includes information such as Massachusetts’ curriculum requirements, middle and high school checklists, financial literacy activities, and information regarding career exploration, college planning, and financial aid. Toolkit Partners like MASCA help Future Ready distribute the Mentor Toolkit the students and families who need it most. Toolkit Partners commit to integrating the Mentor Toolkit and the Future Ready messaging—Start Now, Aim High, and Look Beyond—into their college and career readiness programs and curriculum. To learn more about becoming a Mentor Toolkit Partner or how to integrate the Mentor Toolkit into programming or curriculum, contact Jackney Prioly Joseph, Director, Future Ready Massachusetts at JPJoseph@mbae.org. The Mentor Toolkit is easily accessible via the Future Ready website: FutureReadyMA.org/Toolkit.

CULTURE (cont'd from page 3) counselors can do this in a variety of ways. If you are new to your school, interview everyone — the custodian, the lunch lady, the school nurse, coaches, teachers, and the principal. Go to both school-sponsored events and some outside events like Scouts or 4-H or Little League games. Ride around the district and see what the neighborhoods are like. Read the local newspaper (many are free). Talk with everyone at the school including colleagues, students, and parents. Learn what is positive, supMARCH 2016

portive, and good about the school as well as what may be toxic. Work to change the toxic, recognizing this may take quite a bit of time. Remember that when the first Mass Model was rolled out, emphasis was on answering the question, “How are students different as a result of what counselors do?” If school culture is a major factor in student learning, school counselors must strive to make that school culture as positive and supportive as possible.

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. 5


Massachusetts DESE, Office of College and Career Readiness Blog

any counselors are talking these days about how to make sure that students are ready for the workplace when they finish their education, whether they get a B.A., a PhD, an A.D., or some other postsecondary credential. This important conversation goes to the core of our work at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE). Our mantra here is “Success after High School,” and we are proud of the many ways we support our districts to help them get all students “future ready” for life after high school. In that spirit, we’d like to highlight ESE’s Connecting Activities (CA) initiative, designed to link the worlds of education and workforce development. Connecting Activities establishes public-private partnerships through our state’s 16 local workforce investment boards (WIBs). Its purpose is to connect school districts with businesses for a wide range of career development education (CDE) experiences for students, with an emphasis on internships and other work-based learning experiences. We have identified three stages of CDE that help students get ready for their futures: career awareness, career exploration, and career immersion. To learn more about these stages, read ESE’s Career Development Education Guide and Glossary. Connecting Activities helps promote a multi-year sequence of activities in these three realms for students, which we recommend start no later than middle school. These CDE experiences lay the ground6

work for informed choices by our students about their postsecondary education, and their ultimate career choices. We don’t want students to flounder through an expensive college experience that leaves them without the skills they need for economically viable careers that would suit them, nor do we want them to opt out of postsecondary education because they don’t understand its value. The experiences and activities offered by Connecting Activities will help our students choose a path that matches their abilities and interests, and will help them map out the steps they need to take to get where they want to go. Connecting Activities is a key part of ESE’s

work to make sure that our students are Future Ready. Thousands of students over the years have received career development education opportunities through Connecting Activities. To learn more about the work of Connecting Activities throughout the Commonwealth, review the FY14 Connecting Activities Report. Connecting Activities has a very active network of several hundred dedicated field practitioners who support this work all across the state. To learn more, you’re invited to participate in an ESE sponsored webinar on Connecting Activities and Career Development Education scheduled for March 8, 2016 from 3:00 – 4:00PM.

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Honor a Colleague with a MASCA Tribute Recognize and thank a mentor, colleague, professor, affiliate leader, etc. with a MASCA Tribute. Continuing a tradition started for the MASCA 50th birthday, for $50/tribute, the honoree’s picture and 50 word tribute will be posted in the TRIBUTE library accessed from the MASCA homepage. A colored, framed copy of the tribute will be presented at the MASCA Awards Reception. Click on the green Tribute link on the MASCA home page to review posted tributes and follow the recognition process to submit your tribute. Follow these easy steps: 1) Individually or as a group identify your honoree/s; 2) Write and input a 50 word tribute; 3) Upload a jpg photo; 4) Mail a $50 check to Helen O’Donnell, MASCA, 10 Maplewood Terr., Hadley MA 01035.

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vice teachers, current teachers, and other professionals in their appreciation of the depth and scope of various issues of multiculturalism affecting English language learners, public schools, and literacy in the United States today. The course will facilitate personal growth and

understanding in the areas of equity, bias, and multicultural issues. The course is offered as 15 PDPs or 1 grad credit and several start dates are planned throughout the year. Contact Helen O'Donnell at helenod@att.net for more information. 7


How Do You Know? Questions and Answers

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By KATE SALAS, Ed.D., MASCA President-Elect

ow do you know if you are an effective school counsel-

tion and school counseling is Trish Hatch’s book The Use of Data in or? School Counseling: Hatching ReYou use data. Perception data and sults for Students, Programs and results data will help you to dis- the Profession (2014). According cover how your students are differ- to Hatch, perception data is what ent as a result of your intervention. the student has learned during the A good resource for data collec- lesson. Perception data tells us

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what the student thinks, knows, or can do as a result of the lesson. You can think of this as the skill you want the student to demonstrate. Results data is the “so what” data. These are the big-ticket items such as attendance, behavior, and graduation rates. This is also known as achievement and achievement-related data. The skills that the student attains during the classroom lesson that are measured by perception data can lead to an impact on results data. An example of how perception data leads to an impact on results data is a study skills unit. You have spent three weeks working with your sophomores on improving their study skills. Some of the learning experiences included GPA calculation, goal setting, and time management. The perception data measured the student’s ability to calculate their GPA and create an action plan for improvement. The results data is measured during the next term report card. Students increased their GPA from term one progress reports to term two grades by 24%. By looking at the perception and results data, you will know what areas to target and to what extent your interventions had an impact on your students. How do you know what areas to target? If you are not sure what areas to target then you need to look at the data. Are you starting to see a pattern here? You can look at your district’s data via DART (District Analysis Review Tools (continued on page 10)

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK


MA Model Updates

By HELEN C. O'DONNELL, Ed.D, MASCA VP Retirees

Six Year Career Plan Advisory Committee Being Formed

By direction of the MA Legislature, an advisory committee is being formed that will investigate a development and implementation process for a 6-year career plan to be coordinated by school counselors for all grade 6-12 students. Secretary of Education Jim Peyser has designated the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA) as chair of the Committee. Katie Gray, past president of MASCA, has been appointed to represent MASCA. We will keep MASCA members updated on this process. More information at: https://malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/ Acts/2014/Chapter449. MARCH 2016

Agenda posted March 1st https:// masca.wildapricot.org.Inquiries: mamodel@masca.org or helenod@ att.net. A draft of MA Model 2.0, MA Model for Accountable, Comprehensive School Counseling Programs, is in process. The target date for Model 2.0 draft review is at the MASCA Spring Conference. Guided by Katie Gray, Unique Potential, a team of practitioners has been hard at work this year writing the next version of the MA Model. Mentored by the MA Model 1.0 writing team, the draft Model 2.0 integrates MA ESE goals of “All Student College and Career Ready” and is aligned with ASCA Model 3.0.

Delayed due to transitions to a new website platform, the MA Model Resources Tab is now live on the MASCA Website and formatted as a Table of Contents with sub headings and links. This library includes calendars, mission/vision statements, lesson plans*, and MARC/MARC Jr. submitted by your MA Model Institute colleagues. *Please note the lesson plans are organized by legend notations: Grade level: HS, MS, E and content designations A=academic, C=career, P/S=personal social. Thank you Maria Paoletti, MM Tab Librarian. If you would like to suggest additional resources for posting, email the name of the resource and item links to helenod@ att.net or mamodel@masca.org.

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QUESTIONS (cont'd from page 8) http://www.mass.gov/edu/government/departments-and-boards/ ese/programs/accountability/ tools-and-resources/district-analysis-review-and-assistance/dartfor-districts-and-dart-for-schools. html) and send out a needs assessment to the stakeholders in your building. Depending on who you send the needs assessment to (teachers or the students themselves), the results will be reflective of the perception of the group that you ask. Teachers may see a need for study skills, organization, and work ethic whereas students may see the greatest need is being able to deal with social issues or stress management.

Brain dump: a three-minute pairshare gives students a chance to stop and reflect about what they've just been introduced to. This also lets them make connections to prior knowledge and experiences and to seek clarification. You can have students talk to a partner or write ideas down.

Hand signals: ask students to display thumbs up or thumbs down if they understand or you can have them show fingers on a scale of 1 to 5 based on their understanding. Exit tickets: (my personal favorite!) exit tickets are written responses that each student must turn in by the end of the activity.

How do you know if your lessons were effective? This is where the perception data comes in. Formative assessments are administered during the learning activity so that the instructor can modify the lesson to improve student learning. In an instant you will know if your students are grasping the key takeaways. There are several quick and easy formative assessments that school counselors can use while they were are in the classroom. Index cards: give each student an index card and asked them to write on both sides and answer the following: side one - based on our study of ______ list one big idea that you understand. Side two identify something about ______ that you do not fully understand. One minute essay: a one minute essay question is focused with a specific goal they can actually be answered within a minute or two. Specific prompts are usually the most helpful. 10

COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK


These are required before student can exit the class. Prompts may be general (i.e. list one thing you didn't know about the topic before the lesson) or specific (i.e. what does FAFSA stands for?). There are several ways that students can use their devices to complete these assessments. Padlet (https://padlet. com) is a virtual wall that students can add their thoughts to and other students can read them. Socrative (http://www.socrative.com) is similar to Padlet but also has quizzes that you can create, which will give you quantitative data. Kahoot! (getakahoot) is super fun; you create, play, and share learning games.

the learning experiences. Look for how the teachers engage students, how they challenge them, how they handle behavioral issues, how they structure the lesson. Some things you will likely see include the following: Objectives: Objectives are the “must have” takeaways for the lesson. They should be posted and referred to during the beginning, middle, and end of the class. For example, an objective for a career lesson is “Students will be able to identify two careers of interest and know what the income and outlook is for each career.” Waste no time: great teachers waste no time. There will be an acHow do you know your students tivator that students do as they are were engaged? entering the class and then an exit We know that students who are ticket as they leave. The lesson is engaged, learn. We also know that well prepared, it has momentum, students are more engaged when and students are familiar with the they are participating in collabora- routine as well as the expectations. tive activities rather than a lecture type format. One way of determin- How do you know where to go ing if your students are engaged for help? is to take a look around. Are your Seek out your school counselstudents on task? If the students ing colleagues for help! There are are engaged in side conversations several ways to connect with other or distracted by their devices then professionals in the field. chances are they are less than enConferences: Meet school coungaged. If they are asking questions selors from all over Massachuthat go beyond the topic or making setts at the MASCA conference on connections to other things they've April 4th and 5th in Boxborough learned, then they are engaged. (https://masca.wildapricot.org/ You can also look at the bathroom event-2089890). Or perhaps you log for the classroom; students would like to go hang out with who are not engaged tend to take 2,000 colleagues from all over at more breaks! the ASCA conference in New Orleans July 9-12 (http://www.ascaHow do you know how to teach? conferences.org/). This is the most interesting quesMembership: Become an active tion to answer. You need to get in member in MASCA as well as your the classrooms and watch the mas- local affiliate. There is no need to ters. You can observe any class; the reinvent the wheel, your colleagues subject does not matter as much as are your greatest resource. MARCH 2016

Retiree News

By HELEN C. O'DONNELL, Ed.D, MASCA VP Retirees

H

onor a Retiring MASCA Member: Recognize retiring or recently retired MASCA member retirees with a framed certificate from MASCA at the awards reception on April 4th. Requests for recognition must be emailed by March 30th and include the name of the retiree and his/her mailing address. If the honoree is not present at the awards reception or attending the conference, please make arrangements to pick up the framed certificate at the conference. The certificate only will be mailed if it is not picked up. Memorial MASCA Pillar Awards: A retiree committee will be announcing and honoring the inaugural class of this new memorial award at the evening MASCA Awards Reception on April 4th at the Holiday Inn in Boxboro. Details on submission of other candidates for MASCA Pillar recognition will be announced in April. Watch the MASCA website for Pillar Award Highlights after April 5th. Retiree Tasks: • Assist with 55th birthday planning. • Drop into the Retiree hospitality room at the spring conference on April 5th. • Sign into the MASCA retiree database now. • Help us scan and archive 55 years of Counselor's Notebooks for the MASCA archives. Please contact helenod@att.net. vpretirees@masca.org with any questions or if you would like to help out. 11


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.

Seeking MASCA Award Nominations Nominate a deserving colleague at: http://goo.gl/forms/eoS1d8fcyI

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OF RECENT B.A/B.S. GRADS completed their degree in 4 years

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.

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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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