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‌	Oct. 10, 2018

Happy October! I don’t know about you, but this school year feels like it really quickly kicked into high gear! Thank you to all who attended the Equity Symposium last month. What a great two days of learning with some amazing speakers and presenters. The next can’t-miss event is the School Counselor Leadership Conference on Feb. 14. Tell your administrators and get your registration in now. If you have a great practice to share, consider presenting at the conference, too. Get the details below. As we begin to ease into fall, and crazy application and financial aid season, I want to make sure to say thank you for all the hard work you do everyday for students. Special shout out to San Marcos High School, which had one of the highest rates for completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) compared to similar schools in California. More than 79 percent of their seniors completed a FAFSA!

Earlier this month, I dropped off my first born at college. It was a time of high and low emotions. I know many of you have experienced this too. On one hand, I am so proud of the young woman she has become and know she is at the right place to pursue her passions. On the other hand, my house is quieter and we are no longer rushing to practice or some other school activity. I still have my youngest at home, and boy is she missing her sister, but we now have a new normal and must get used to it.

Also, you may or may not see this T-shirt on a future edition of Let’s Make a Deal . Due to confidentiality agreements, I cannot share what the outcome of the show was, but I can tell you that we had the best costumes! Tracy Wilson Counseling Coordinator Learning and Leadership Services 858-568-5459 Join the Network! School Counselors in Action If you are posting any pics of events on your campus, don’t forget to use #sdcounselors and tag @SanDiegoCOE to share your great work with everyone! You can also submit photos to our Google Folder. You may see them in next year’s conference program or slide show. Share your pride and all your hard work!

School Counselor Leadership Conference — Feb. 14 This Valentine’s Day invest in a day of professional development and self-care at the 4th annual School Counselor Leadership Conference . The cost is $125 and covers breakfast, lunch, a T-shirt, and conference materials. Registration is now open! Hundreds of counselors use this event to re-calibrate, destress, and get re-energized for a busy spring. It is the go-to annual event for school counselors, focusing on topics unique to their role and bringing together best practices with quality networking and planning time. We need K-12 counselors sharing what they do best! If you are interested in presenting, please complete this Call For Presenters form and submit your application by Nov. 16. Presenters will be notified in December.

Monthly Study Topics Did you know that October is LGBTQ History Month? And Oct. 23-31 is Red Ribbon week? The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) published a 2018-19 Education and Health Awareness Days Calendar . This handy resource can help with calendar and event planning.

Nominate an Inspirational Student for a Surprise Recognition The San Diego County Office of Education and NBC 7 San Diego invite you to nominate an inspirational student who is an outstanding individual on campus and/or within their community. An Inspirational Student of the Month is a high school junior or senior who not only excels in their curriculum and demonstrates leadership, but who goes above and beyond and takes initiative to improve their school and community's environment through service, philanthropic efforts, personal values, or a positive influence. NBC 7 education reporter Rory Devine will recognize the selected student with a surprise visit to their classroom and interview the recipient for an Inspirational Student of the Month segment that airs during a weekday newscast.

Start Planning Now for Professional Learning Mark your calendar and start the approval process now for some great professional learning opportunities this year. I will continue to share new events in the  Google Folder for Training Flyers  and on our School Counselor website .

Bridging Pathways: From Exploration to Career Conference Bridging Pathways: From Exploration to Career Conference on Dec. 5 is a free day of workshops for K-16 counselors, administrators, and educators. The San Diego Community Colleges and Regional Pathways designed the conference for participants to learn about leveraging Strong Workforce dollars, local career pathways, high-growth industry sectors, best practices, and labor market information. It includes complimentary continental breakfast and lunch. Parking is $10. Registration closes Nov. 23.

New School Counselor Institute If you are a new school counselor or a school counselor who could use a refresh, you will find support and customized learning at the New School Counselor Institute. The first day of learning was Oct. 5, but it is not too late to join! The multi-part series dives into the skills and resources with which every school counselor should be familiar. Topics include understanding ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors (standards), working with unique populations, group and classroom facilitation, college and career readiness, and mental health support/suicide prevention. Registration for the annual School Counselor Leadership Conference in February is included. The institute is supported by both Learning and Leadership Services and Student Services and Programs, two different divisions at SDCOE. Past participants said they enjoyed the activities, learned about new resources, and were grateful to know they are not alone in continuing to learn and grow. Download the flyer and register .

Don't Miss Highlights Day The  CSU/UC Highlights Day   recap event is for those who cannot make it to the   UC Counselor Conference  or  CSU Counselor Conference   in September. The event is Oct. 12 at the SDCOE main campus from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and includes representatives from SDSU and UCSD admissions, as well as a brief presentation about the new California Promise.

CASC Fall Conference The California Association of School Counselors (CASC) fall conference will be Oct. 18 and 19 at the Riverside Convention Center. It attracts around 1,300 attendees and 100 experts from across the nation who provide the latest information, techniques, and strategies related to the school counseling profession. Attendees can choose from more than 70 topics including effective technology integration, social-emotional learning, strategies for student transition, and college and postsecondary training. I will be attending and would love to connect with you up there! Email me at tracy.wilson@sdcoe.net .

College Resources Be sure to bookmark this curated list of websites, resources, best practices, and articles that school counselors and others can use to aid students in exploring college options and selecting post-secondary options. We’re always updating it, so if you have resources you think should be added, please complete this form .

Federal Student Aid The 2019-20 FAFSA is available as of Oct. 1.  Both new and returning students who plan to attend college between July 1, 2019, and June 30, 2020, should complete the FAFSA as soon as possible . To assist students and parents in the process, the federal Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) is penning informative blog posts, starting with 7 Things You’ll Need Before You Fill Out the FAFSA Form and 3 Types of FAFSA Deadlines You Should Pay Attention To .  The IRS Data Retrieval Tool returns with the new FAFSA, allowing students to import tax information directly into the FAFSA form.

Upcoming College Fairs The Cal SOAP College Fair is on Oct. 24 at the Scottish Rite Center. The San Diego NACAC is April 18 at the San Diego Convention Center. The Historically Black College Fair will be in January.

Career Resources California Community College Resources — Career Pathways The California Community Colleges launched a new campaign to help students explore, locate, and apply to any of the 114 community colleges with more than 200 career pathway programs in California. They have created a new free app for students called Here to Career that allows students to take a quiz to get their RIASEC results. They can then save them or share them and explore salaries, the educational pathway, and colleges where those courses are offered.  Free Career Resources for Grades 5 to 12 My Next Move offers free O*NET OnLine interest profiler and career search. Virtual Job Shadow empowers individuals to discover, plan, and pursue their dreams with a unique video-based, career planning platform. The interactive tools help students and job seekers develop career paths based on choice, not chance. The California Career Resource Network is a program within the California Department of Education that provides free career development information and resources. Students can create accounts and take assessments, and there are lesson plans for grades 5 to 12. The CalCRN Resource Handbook is a great place to start and learn all the valuable resources available. The San Diego County e-Portal provides teachers and students with tools and resources to help explore potential careers. Connect with the SDCOE CTE team to gain access to the portal and begin scheduling guest speakers and site visits.

Workforce and College Guidance Resources Available The  San Diego Workforce Partnership website   has great resources for educators and students such as current labor market information, links to offered majors at community colleges, and assessments students can take to understand their passions.

Career Pathways Professional Learning Opportunities and More You can find great resources for counselors a the   SDCOE CTE webpage .  There are links to past workshops and resources to help you support students to find their right path

Social/Emotional Resources The CDE Project Cal-Well has put together a guide to help schools and districts expand school-based mental health services. CSEC Recommended Protocols for Schools Human trafficking in San Diego County accounts for about $810 million of the underground commercial sex economy each year. Locally, 110 gangs are involved in the commercial exploitation of people. There are at least 8,000 human trafficking survivors each year, and the average age they became victims is 16. More than 80 percent of survivors are U.S. citizens, and many are recruited from our middle and high schools. By taking a proactive approach to address the commercial sexual exploitation of children, we are more likely to reduce the incidents of human trafficking in our schools. Critical to this is the adoption of districtwide protocols. SDCOE staff members worked closely with key stakeholders to create the CSEC Recommended Protocols for Schools . This document provides information on: Risk factors and recommended protocol for those students who meet the criteria Recommended protocol for suspected CSEC recruitment or exploitation of students Recommended protocol for suspected victims of CSEC Recommended protocol for confirmed victims of CSEC Mandated reporting for CSEC (effective Jan. 1, 2016) School/district partner contacts Glossary of terms Student Mental Health Trainings Access this   Google folder  to view and download flyers for the professional learning opportunities on the topics below or visit the Student Support Services Website: Youth Mental Health First Aid Adult Mental Health First Aid PBIS — Jeff Sprague BEST training Assessing Suicidal Students ASSET training for youth and families

General Articles and Resources Doing it for the College Resume, US News and World Report July, 2018 New Friendlier Look Coming for California Dashboard, Edsource, 2018 Shmoop: Access free resources for students, counselors and parents at Shmoop. There are learning guides on academics, career planning, and financial literacy.

Online School Counselor Connections  Hatching Results — Podcasts, a blog, and online learning courses for school counselors Counselor Clique — Stories, resources, creative endeavors of a high school counselor Middle School Counselor — Helping students reach for the stars The Counseling Geek — All things school counseling, 21st-century tech, and more Counselor Up! — Productive, organized, and effective ideas from an elementary counselor Savvy School Counselor — Making a difference one child at a time Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) — Free and paid resources created by educators who understand what works in the classroom and in schools Facebook Groups: Caught In The Middle School Counselors, Elementary School Counselor Exchange, and High School Counselor Connection   If you have a blog, social media page, or other resource you think other school counselors would like, please share them with me! This list will be updated on the SDCOE School Counselor website .

Foster Youth Education The California Foster Care Education Law Fact Sheets is an incredible resource to bookmark for any questions you have in supporting your students who are in foster care. You can also find great resources from our SDCOE Foster Youth Services Coordinating Program webpage .

Teachable Moment Videos SDCOE’s Teachable Moment video series covers a different topic of interest to parents in each video. Topics include how to be more involved in your child's school, the role of school counselors, scholarship searches, the difference between SAT/ACT, how to keep kids safe in school, and what to do if you think your child is being bullied. There are more being added every month!

Professional Organizations ASCA CASC Western Association of College Admission Counseling (WACAC)

If you have any questions or comments on the Counselor Network newsletter, please contact  Tracy Wilson .

Get up-to-the-minute information about what's happening at SDCOE and in our districts across the county.

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