This spring, SDCOE will offer a new series of virtual, professional learning workshops specifically designed for school counselors. The Spring Refresh Series will provide school counselors with opportunities to refine and refresh their skills to finish out the end of the school year strong, as well as strategies going into summer to reduce summer melt and learning loss. The series will start the last week of April and run four weeks until Memorial Day (three to six workshops a week). 

The series will kick off at 10 a.m. April 21 at our final San Diego County School Counselor Convening with guest speaker Josh Godinez, president of the California Association for School Counselors (CASC). Josh has been fierce advocate for school counselors and will share the work that is happening at the state level and where we are going as a profession in California. He will also touch on mental wellness, the reopening of schools, and embracing our role as school-based mental health professionals. Connect with school counselors across the county in this live webinar. Click here to register for this free event.

Following the convening, participants can attend a variety of professional learning workshops organized by themes: best practices, college and career, mental health, advocating and promoting the role of the school counselor, and equity and social justice. There are over 20 workshops to choose from including: Developing a Comprehensive School Counseling Program, Career Counseling for Elementary and Middle School Students, Sharing Your Work Using Data, and FAFSA Strategies. All workshops are led by passionate school counselors, administrators, and district and county leaders throughout San Diego County. This series is free and open to all who are interested. View the calendar of events and to learn more about workshop offerings, presenters, dates/times, and how to register.

Offered through the San Diego and Los Angeles county offices of education, School Counselor Chat is an an organized chat room that brings together school counselors from across counties to strengthen best practices, connect with fellow grade-level colleagues, share ideas and resources, and simply chat. Registered participants create topics for discussion and attend breakout sessions in an un-conference format. Download the event flyer to learn more.

The next School Counselor Chat will be April 27 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Register today for this free event!

Whether in virtual, hybrid, or face-to-face learning, many students are experiencing trauma, mental/emotional/social wellness, learning loss, academic challenge, and postsecondary planning struggles. Small-group counseling can support positive growth and behavior change in these instances when appropriate, while also supporting the district’s LCAP/LCP priorities. This virtual professional development series is designed to provide school counselors with practical strategies, tools, and resources for supporting students with their social/emotional, academic, and/or postsecondary development through tier 2 small group activities. For registration information and workshop offerings and descriptions, click here.

The purpose of the Elementary School Counseling Institute is to provide a unique professional development opportunity specifically targeting the needs of elementary school counselors. Best-selling authors and experts in the field of elementary school counseling will provide participants with a detailed overview of the use of a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework to create an equitable, effective, efficient, and sustainable comprehensive school counseling program that supports elementary students’ academic, social/emotional, and college and career development. This dynamic, two-day virtual event will allow elementary school counselors (PK-6) from across the nation to learn and share best-practices, take away relevant and meaningful resources and build a network of peers that can continue to support one another. The institute will be held May 6 and 7.

Click to view an updated list of 2020-21 professional development opportunities and workshops.

The second week in May is California Student Mental Health Week, a time dedicated to raising awareness of PreK-12th grade students' mental health needs. During this week, many groups across the state are encouraged to share campaign resources aimed at bringing attention to factors related to mental health and to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. CASC is the sponsoring organization for a legislative action, ACR 68 to commemorate this week and there are a number of activities to draw attention to the pervasive mental health needs of California students. Click the time and date to register.

The ACLU of Southern California and students across California have launched a 2021 student wellness survey. This survey will help gauge student wellness, the impact of COVID-19, and their thoughts on returning to school. Our 2020 student health survey received more than 600 student responses last May. We used the results to advocate for increase student mental health services. We hope to use the results from this survey to do the same.

We face yet another difficult and unacceptable moment in our country's history. Violence towards Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) has drastically increased over the past year. Tied to recent violent events are misogyny and the ongoing marginalization of women. The Black Lives Matter movement has rightfully brought injustices experienced by Black Americans into the spotlight. These acts of violence reinforce the urgency to speak out against injustices towards all minorities, and to dismantle racism and white supremacy.

While society woes are disheartening, as school counselors we can do something to make a difference with the students we serve. School counselors are instrumental in preventing and mitigating violence and racial hatred. We are well positioned to create the change we desire – more compassion, understanding, and empathy.

CASC has created a number of resources for school counselors, including resources for caregivers and administrators. These resources address mental health and race-related trauma. We created the resources to make your work easier by providing model lessons and documents that can be replicated. They can be accessed on our nationally acclaimed website.

Additionally, under the leadership of Dr. Rebecca Pianta, coordinator for counseling and student support in the Capistrano Unified School District and CASC director, a new standing committee was formed: the Social Justice, Equity, and Anti-Racism Committee. This committee provides insight on key issues related to disparity and race, as well as providing resources, and training opportunities. School counselors are uniquely positioned to help students understand the importance of treating all people with dignity. By modeling acceptance, and empathy, we can ensure that our schools are working collectively through a compassionate lens.

Dr. Pianta also shares an infographic she created for her school district: How to Support Asian and Asian Americans Amid the Recent Wave of Anti-Asian Violence. It is an excellent example of ways to influence real change and to encourage teachers and others not to stay silent.

The LGBTQIA+ County Collaborative is offering a virtual training series to cultivate a platform for the exchange of information and best practices that support LGBTQIA+ students and create an inclusive, safe, and affirming environment. Download the flyer for more information.  

http://sdcoe.k12oms.org/918-200562 

*Zoom link will be emailed to participants prior to training. Please note that you must be present to receive post-presentation materials. The virtual training series will not be recorded. 

SDCOE's student experience panels are a safe, welcoming place for students in San Diego County to share their experiences while in K-12 schools. Their stories are raw and real, and so powerful. The next panel features LGBTQIA+ students and will be live from 3 to 4 p.m. April 28. Register for this free, virtual event.

The San Diego County Race to Submit campaign for high school seniors completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) will continue through June with top category leaders receiving awards in countywide celebration in September. Each month, we will post our top four schools on the leaderboards as data is updated on the California Race to Submit Dashboard. As a county, last June we ended at a 51% overall FAFSA/CADAA completion rate. We are currently at 47% and still have two months. In comparison to all California public schools we are tied.

There are four categories based on the number of seniors in the class of 2021 who are enrolled at each school. The data for our current leaderboard was updated April 11. Click on the links below to view the top 10 schools on each leaderboard and where your school ranks in the race.

Session A: Commission Updates, Institutional Eligibility, Cal Grant Overview, and CADAA

May 10, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Register here.

Session B: Disbursements and Payments, Payment Scenarios, Navigating WebGrants, Reports and Tools, Reconciliation, and Program Compliance

May 11, 1:30 to 4 p.m. Register here.

Session C: Foster Youth Programs and Middle Class Scholarship

May 12, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Register here.

The California Student Aid Commission has created a series of training videos that feature prerecorded content with voice narration. In addition, all live webinars are being recorded and will be offered as training videos as well. Click here for a list of available videos.

For information on eligibility criteria and the nomination process, please follow the link here. Submit the online nomination form by May 1. For further questions, send inquiries to marmadukeaward@csac.ca.gov.

College: Make It Happen will be hosting a virtual launch party for middle school counselors and educators from 3 to 4 p.m. April 30.

Learn about community colleges throughout San Diego County. Outreach personnel will provide an overview of the college and its programs and services. Then hear from a student/alumni panel. Participants will also have the opportunity to ask questions from all presenters. Download and share this flyer with students, parents, and educators.

Community College and Program Finder

Explore the colleges and programs available in San Diego and Imperial counties. Find the campus and classes that best fit your students college and career aspirations.

Join a national movement to support students on their college journeys and encourage them to take advantage of the clear steps and benefits of the College Board Opportunity Scholarships. This unique program guides students through the college planning process and offers them a chance to earn money for college for each action they complete. More than 7,000 students each year will be able to earn scholarships, ranging from $500 to $40,000, for two- or four-year institutions. Take the pledge to receive a free digital toolkit and start receiving monthly, timely tips and resources to support your students with each scholarship step.

Sponsored by the California Student Aid Commission, CalSOAP, UC San Diego, SDSU, and Bayview Church, Students With Academic Goals (SWAG) is a free, 10-day college-readiness academy. For safety and health, the 2021 SWAG program will take place online via Zoom. Students will be able to hear from experts in college admissions, financial aid, scholarships, careers, athletics, test preparation, etc. They will have a chance to interact online with current college students and find out about majors, classes, and college life. They will also have the opportunity to take virtual tours of local college campuses. Click here to share the SWAG flyer.

Initial-eligibility standards help ensure your student-athletes are prepared to succeed in college. It's vital that your student-athletes plan ahead, take their high school classes seriously, and protect their amateur status. Encourage your student-athletes to use this high school timeline as a way to stay on track for meeting initial-eligibility requirements.

Join this webinar to learn how school and district leaders are leveraging new research-backed well-being measures and data-driven approaches to support student well-being this year and beyond. This webinar will be held at 11 a.m. April 19. Click here to register.

Wellness Together School Mental Health, in partnership with SDCOE and the California Department of Education, is excited to announce Mind Out Loud, a free online event for middle and high school students. The virtual event will be held May 4 to 6 from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

Students join together for a three-day virtual experience to:

Mind Out Loud will inspire students to live transformed lives — to impact local communities and the world knowing that their voice will be heard. Register and attend for free and learn how you can host a sponsored pizza watch party.

The team at Panorama Education curated a list of their most popular social and emotional learning (SEL) resources. From equity-centered SEL, to SEL in reopening schools, there are free resources available to support your work.