October 2017




 

This is your monthly issue of the Wisconsin School Counselor Association produced WSCAlink

A Message From Your Executive Director…

Agents of Opportunity

By Stacy Eslick, WSCA Executive Director

The WSCA leadership team has thirty school counselors from across the state that volunteer to represent you!  They bring diverse experiences and apply this knowledge to make WSCA meaningful for members.

The WSCA theme for this year is “Agents of Change”. We are excited to continue and expand opportunities for counselors to obtain professional development, network and advocate for the profession.

Some important updates you will want to note! 

  • ASCA Model TrainingTrainings are now scheduled in Racine, Wisconsin Rapids, Fon du Lac, Wausau, Fennimore and Rice Lake! 

This training helps school counselors to:

  • Review ASCA model
  • Effectively utilize data in a school counseling program
  • Develop program goals that align with standards
  • Select competencies that align with classroom lessons, small groups and activities addressing student developmental needs
  • Align with the school’s vision and mission
  • Develop school counseling program resources to complete WSCPAR

More information about the ASCA Model training can be found at https://tinyurl.com/ASCAmodeltraining 

 

Upcoming Events
Fall Summit
October 26, 2017

Annual Conference
February 20-22, 2018

Important Deadlines
WSCPAR
October 15, 2017

Mike Troy (Graduate) Scholarship
November 1, 2017

Career Cruising & Method Test Prep
(High School) Scholarship

November 1, 2017

Great Lakes Conference Scholarship
November 7, 2017

 

 

  • 2017-2018 WSCA Conference Scholarship

We applaud you, and to support the important work you do we’re pleased to sponsor scholarships for 50 high school counselors new to the profession or ACP Coordinators/leaders to attend the 2018 WSCA Conference. Many thanks to Great Lakes Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates for the generous grant to WSCA to make this scholarship possible. The application is now available at www.wscaweb.org

  • WSCA Membership Drive

Due to the positive feedback from last year’s membership drive we will offer a special promotion for new members and renewals this fall.  More information will be shared soon!

  • WSCA & DPI ACP Professional Development Partnership

WSCA is partnering with DPI to offer a special WSCA Preconference on February 20th. ACP Leaders & Key Stakeholders Institute:  Fostering Career Development Heroes! Watch for more details in the WSCA conference mailer in mid-October!

As always, your WSCA leaders are here to support you. Please reach out to our team with any questions, concerns or resources you may need.

Best,
Stacy

Board Chair Message: Are You Coming On Board? 
By Olin Morrison, WSCA Board Chair

Even though the actual WSCA election season is a long ways away, behind-the-scenes things are starting to happen and deadlines are fast approaching.

The deadline for applications for the Wisconsin School Counselor Association Board of Directors is December 1, 2017.  

We ask all Wisconsin School Counselors to consider service themselves, or encourage those around them to serve on the WSCA Coordinator Team or the Board of Directors.  As you consider service to WSCA through the Board of Directors, here are some of the characteristics that make for a high performing board member.

First, and in my mind most important, is humility.  The WSCA Board of Directors is in place to represent member voice.  The nine elected members of the board are in their positions in part because of their ability to hear and represent all Wisconsin School Counselors, not because their individual voice is more important or distinguished than that of membership.  Humility is the key character skill to maintain this perspective.

Beyond humility, the main characteristics of high performing board members can come from a review of the governing style defined in our board policies.

The WSCA Board of Directors governs in a way that:

· Promotes an outward vision rather than internal preoccupation.  High performing board members are able to maintain a “mile-high” perspective on the landscape of school counseling in Wisconsin.

· Encourages diversity in viewpoints.  High performing board members are able to listen, understand, and represent the voices of all WSCA members.  They promote a vision that serves membership as a whole, instead of serving their individual school, level, or region.

· Fosters strategic leadership vs. administrative detail.  High performing board members maintain a “trust but verify” mentality in regards to the internal leadership of the association.

· Ensures adherence to roles.  Policy Governance provides clear definitions of different roles.  High performing board members take time to understand their role and ensure that they are fulfilling their duty.

· Emphasizes collective decision.  High performing board members understand the necessity of “speaking with one voice,” and take time to work productively through disagreement in appropriate ways and settings.

If you are someone who fits this style and has a humble servant leadership approach, please consider service on the WSCA Board of Directors.  Please also note that sometimes people may be interested in taking on a leadership position, but need a little nudge from someone else.  If you know of someone who should serve WSCA, please encourage him/her to apply.

The application process for the WSCA Board of Directors can be found at wscaweb.org .

If you have any questions or reservations about applying for the WSCA Board, please do not hesitate to contact me at olin.morrison@rfsd.k12.wi.us

Walk the Equity Talk:
An Interview with Carri Hale, School Counselor
Verona Area High School

by Tammy Holtan Arnol, WSCA Director

Thanks for sharing your story with us.

It’s my pleasure. This is a simple story of a white girl from Wisconsin who’s a descendent of The Fortune, the ship that landed at Plymouth Rock after the Mayflower, grew up on fish fries and the northwoods, and attended UW universities. I’m no equity expert, but I’m happy to share this equity journey that I’m on. I’m continuing to learn and grow and am happy to lend my voice in an effort to inspire other school counselors in Wisconsin.

What is meant by walking the equity walk?

For me, walking the equity walk starts with trying to understand my own cultural perspective, from its lightest levels, like what I like eat & celebrate, to the deepest level that encompases things like my concept of spirituality and how I like to interact around time. As I have sought to understand what I value and how I came to value those things, I’ve realized that some things that I used to think, “just are”, are really mostly like that for me and the people who’ve lived a life similar to mine. This has been valuable to my interactions with colleagues and students because when someone does things differently than I’m used to, I can notice my internal reaction and pause before reacting.

 

An example involves the value that we place on quiet. Traditionally in schools, we value quiet. I used to think that quiet “just was” as it should be in a school. I’ve come to learn that the white, middle class culture that I grew up in values quiet, so it feels right to me that schools would be quiet places.  I’ve also learned that some traditions and cultures our students come from value conversation, laughter and connection in their relationships, and that they actually have developed strong neural pathways reinforcing this learning through interaction. As I grow in my understanding of many cultures, I’ve been able to see ways that the traditional old, quiet way of doing school can feel unwelcoming to those students, and that they can’t learn if they don’t feel welcome. So, in our school, we’ve sought to find ways of making students and staff feel welcome in a variety of settings and at a variety of volumes.

 

How would a school counselor start their equity walk?

Seek places where people are having conversations about their equity walks. Read texts that help you to understand other perspectives. I suggest Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain by Zaretta Hammond as an excellent place to start. Seek out equity and social justice sectionals at WSCA & ASCA conferences. While you’re doing these things, set the intention to better understand your worldview and be willing to understand another truth.

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8th Annual Fall Summit October 26, 2017 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Register now!
Online | Paper

Cardinal Stritch University
6801 N. Yates Rd.
Milwaukee, WI 53217
Directions

Parking: Free
Box Lunch Included

Registration Fees:

  • Early Bird: $10 discount (does not apply to student fee; ends September 30)
  • Fees: Member $65; Non-Member $75; Student Member $40
    *On the day of the event, any unpaid registrants will be required to pay before entry.
Two Options to choose from:

Title: “Resiliency: Promoting Mental Health in the Schools

Presenter: Tammy Scheidegger
-or-
Title: “Practical Application of the ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors to Your Existing School Counseling Program

Presenter: Mark Kuranz

For more information and to sign up for this day professional development opportunity click here

Wanda Williams, Board Director

My name is Wanda (Melton) Williams. I was recently married this past summer of 2017 to my loving husband and best friend. I have a beautiful daughter who will be turning 14 years old soon and who loves to sing and draw.

While attending graduate school at Mount Mary University in Milwaukee, I received an “Aha” moment. That moment happened after having to present a poster board at one of the WSCA conferences for the School Counseling program. As an introvert, it was a challenge for me to face other professionals and present my research to them.

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Katie Nechodem, Professional Recognition & Scholarship Coordinator

My name is Katie Nechodem and I am the Professional Recognition & Scholarship Coordinator. I work as the school counselor at New London Middle School.

I got involved in WSCA as a graduate student to get connected with school counselors, learn more about the profession and to be a leader within our state. I learned so much being a coordinator as a graduate student and had a lot of fun, so I decided to stay on the WSCA coordinator team as the Professional Recognition & Scholarship Coordinator.

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Conference Committee

Wisconsin School Counselor Association Annual Conference
February 20-22, 2018     
Madison, WI

The WSCA Conference Committee would like to welcome you to the 2017-2018 school year. May this be the best year yet as you embark on the journey of the important work school counseling professionals do with students and families.

With a new school year comes new ideas and sometimes new responsibilities. Right now you are likely being asked to do many things, but we didn’t want to miss this opportunity to solicit your ideas for informative sectional proposals for the 2018 conference.

If you’ve attended the WSCA Annual Conference in the past, then you know how much the engaging, timely and educational sectionals play a part in a rewarding conference experience. These sectionals enrich the conference with amazing school professionals just like yourself committed to sharing a promising practice or successful strategy.

Sectionals Update

AGENTS OF CHANGE: YOU HAVE A MISSION…

As you know, the 2018 WSCA Annual Conference theme is Agents of Change. It’s time to take a look at the change agents in your practice. What ideas have you seen making a difference in your school or district? Consider a practice you’ve implemented or one that you’ve admired from a colleague and encourage those school professionals who are making positive changes through their work with students to consider sharing those ideas as a sectional presenter at this year’s conference.

Presenting a sectional is rewarding, helps you grow as a professional and is the heart of our conference! Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to share your expertise with your colleagues. We need quality sectionals for elementary, middle, and high school levels. Just click here to get to the WSCA Sectional Proposal page. Sectional proposals are due by Friday, November 10th. Please consider adding your ideas and energy to the conference by presenting a sectional. It’s what makes the WSCA conference so powerful!

2018 WSCA Conference Links:

●   2018 Conference Home

●   Keynote Speakers

●   Call for 2018 Sectional Proposals

Preconference Committee

2018 WSCA Pre-Conference Highlight:

School Counselors as Leaders and Agents of Change for Social Justice

Heather Lemke & Erin Wood, WSCA Pre-Conference Co-Coordinators

Calling all Agents of Change!!
What are your School Counselor “Super Powers”?
Are you looking for a way to enhance your role as a school counselor?
Do you feel compelled to serve as a leader in your school, but are unsure how to do so?

Are you interested in forging a strong, working relationship with your administration and developing a concrete plan for your role in leadership in your building?

WSCA is thrilled to have Dr. Colette Dollarhide, Associate Professor of Counselor Education from The Ohio State University and former WSCA Board Member, presents a powerful seminar on “School Counselors as Leaders and Agents of Change for Social Justice” for a full day pre-conference at the 2018 WSCA Conference.

 

Dr. Dollarhide describes the sessions as follows: “School counselors are called to provide program leadership by ASCA and called to provide social justice leadership for the school and community by current events. Many school counselors want to respond, but lack the understanding, skills, or confidence to act. In this pre-conference, school counselors are urged to invite their administrator to attend with them, so that the afternoon session of co-constructing a leadership plan will be truly collaborative.

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Professional Development Update

8th Annual Fall Summit

October 26, 2017

9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Register now!

Online | Paper

Cardinal Stritch University

6801 N. Yates Rd.

Milwaukee, WI 53217

Directions

Parking: Free

Box Lunch Included

Registration Fees:

Early Bird: $10 discount (does not apply to student fee; ends September 30)

Fees: Member $65; Non-Member $75; Student Member $40

*On the day of the event, any unpaid registrants will be required to pay before entry.

Two Options to choose from:

Title: “Resiliency: Promoting Mental Health in the Schools”

Presenter: Tammy Scheidegger

-or-

Title: “Practical Application of the ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors to Your Existing School Counseling Program.”

Presenter: Mark Kuranz

For more information and to sign up for this day professional development opportunity go to here.


WSCA Professional Recognition and Scholarship Committee Update

Every year, WSCA awards four high school seniors and two graduate students with $1,000 scholarships! Our applications for scholarships are now open! Applications MUST be submitted by November 1, 2017 to be considered. Follow the links below for more information:

Career Cruising and Method Test Prep High School Scholarship. Click here

Mike Troy Graduate Scholarship. Click here

Additionally, WSCA want to recognize professionals in school counseling and education to honor all of the hard work and dedication put in to support and advocate for students. It is extremely important to us that we are able to recognize deserving professionals for these awards. It is a time to truly celebrate! Please consider nominating a hardworking individual, including yourself, for one of the following awards:

School Counselor of the Year

Mary Gehrke-McAllister Leadership

Supervisor of the Year

Secretary/Support Staff

Friend of School Counseling

School Counseling Team

Research & Professional Writing

Jerome Henning Legislator Award

Please nominate someone by December 1st, 2017 by clicking here

WSCPAR Coordinator Update

Completing a WSCPAR

By Todd Hadler, WSCPAR Coordinator

It’s really an honor to represent the Wisconsin School Counselor Association as coordinator of the Wisconsin School Counseling Program Accountability Report (WSCPAR). The goal of this article is to help answer common questions about the WSCPAR.

What is a WSCPAR?  The WSCPAR is a snapshot of your program that showcases your work.  The WSCPAR highlights your school, your school counseling accomplishments, school counseling goals, and through the use of data, shows how students are different as a result of your school counseling efforts.

How do you start a WSCPAR?  There’s no wrong way to start a WSCPAR.  Some counselors work in a linear way and complete the document from start to finish, some work on a section of the document at a time, some do the easiest parts first and the more intense parts last or vice versa, and some look back at previous award winners to get ideas. It doesn’t really matter where you start but please pay close attention to the current rubric.

When is the due date?  The electronic submission and mailing postmarked dates are October 15th, 2017.  **Please note on the application that you must submit items both electronically and by mail.

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Publications Committee Update

All submissions are due by the 10th of each month to publications@wscaweb.com. Upcoming topics include:

November: Trauma Informed Care
December: Social Media Standards for Success
January: Gearing Up for Conference: What’s in Store!