Message from the President… TRANSFORM & TRAILBLAZE! December 2014 By: Catie Cook Dennehy, MSCA President www.mtschoolcounselor.org Inside this issue: President Message... 1 National Spotlight 2 ASCA Standards 2 Wheels on the Bus… 3 Afterthoughts on Youth Suicide 4 ASCA Standards (cont.) 5 School Counseling Week 6 Pres. Message (cont.) 6 FAFSA PIN’s 7 MSCA Member Spotlight 8 Advocacy Committee 8 Collaboration 9 Dual Credit 10 Nomination Form 11 Presentation Form 12 MSCA Registration Form 13 Important Dates  MSCA Spring Conference Early Registration Deadline March 31, 2015  MSCA Spring Conference, Bozeman, Apr 16-17, 2015  ASCA National Conference Phoenix, AZ June 28-July 1, 2015 This 2014-2015 school year is one filled with exciting transformation for our organization. Not only are we in the process of planning a great Spring Conference in Bozeman, we are also starting to add new positions, people, and committees to our board, getting new sectionals up and running, and looking at new locations for our spring conference site! In addition we are trailblazing our way through the state with great representation at local and state meetings in order to help demonstrate the importance of school counselors at different levels and in new schools and cities. Let me tell you a little more about these exciting facts! New positions we have added are a Counselor Education Representative from the University of Montana, Lindsey Nichols. We welcome her knowledge and connections that she brings to our table, and will offer this opportunity to other universities in the future. We hope to add a Graduate Student Representative and a Technology Chair position to help us keep up with this always changing world. A special new “Advocacy Committee” has been formed with Renee’ Schoening serving as its chair. Renee’, like Lindsey, has a broad base of school and state community with which she already communicates and this will help with our representation across the state. The other reason this is exciting is that I have been getting e-mails from people around the state that are ready to move forward and encourage their school to have a secure school counseling program. This committee could help us provide support to schools in need. One of the new sectionals that we will be having at the Spring Conference is the Emerging Leaders sectional. We want to tell people about the board and let you talk with members to learn about how you can get involved in your area and become an officer. It is a lot of fun and not nearly as hard as people might believe it to be! This year we will be electing a new Middle School VP to our board and looking for a new President Elect-Elect, so please let us know if you are interested in learning more. We also will be having sessions to teach us how to use play therapy more effectively and to educate us in what two-year colleges can offer to our students. (cont. page 6) MSCA Spring Conference SAVE THE DATE! April 16-17, 2015 M O N T A N A SCHOOL COUNSELORS Transforming & Trailblazing School Counseling Entering the National Spotlight By: Deborah Ostertag, President-Elect In January 2014, the President and First Lady announced that they wanted to improve college opportunity for all Americans. The White House has called college leaders to action and has paired with the Harvard Graduate College of Education in the Reach Higher Initiative. The First Lady spoke at the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) Conference in July and will host a Summit on College Opportunity in December. The Reach Higher Initiative is designed to make sure that students understand what is necessary to complete their education. This includes exposing students to college and career opportunities, understanding financial aid eligibility, encouraging academic planning and summer learning, and supporting high school counselors. In her speech at the ASCA conference, the First Lady pointed out that school counselors are often assigned duties that take away from the tasks that we are highly trained to do and that most professional development provided by the school districts have no relevance to what we do. She also stated that the White House is counting on school counselors to help with the goal of college opportunity for all Americans by 2020. She compared this to the National Defense Education Act, which called for the more training of school counselors to help steer students to math and science careers during the space race. These events are positive for both the profession of school counseling and for us the school counselors. In recognition that effective college counseling increases college opportunity, the Reach Higher Initiative centers on school counselors. The discussion includes; professional development and training for counselors, college counseling tools, and innovative programs for counselors. This is an exciting time to be a school counselor. Our profession is being called on to spearhead a national movement that will allow all students access to higher education. This same movement proposes to offer us greater opportunities of professional development and highlights our profession. The facts for this article were garnered from two White House Press releases: www.whitehouse.gov/thepress-office/2014/07/01/ remarks-first-lady-americanschool-counselor-associationannual-conference www.whitehouse.gov/thepress-office/2014/08/13/factsheet-improving-collegeopportunity ASCA Updates National Standards By: Katie DiBerardinis, President Elect-Elect ASCA Updates National Standards with New Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success: K-12 College-and Career-Readiness Standards for Every Student. If you haven’t done so already, set aside some time to check out the American School Counselor Association’s new Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success. Replacing the original ASCA National Standards that were released in 1997, the next generation of standards helps our profession continue to evolve, as student needs change, schools progress, and new Common Core State Standards are implemented. The new Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success help define what students will achieve as a result of a comprehensive school-counseling program through newly acquired knowledge, attitudes, and skills. The new standards include two categories – Mindset and Behavior standards. Mindset standards include standards related to the psychosocial attitudes or beliefs one has about oneself in relation to academic work. These make up the student’s belief system as exhibited in behaviors. Behavior standards include behaviors commonly associated with being a successful student – learning strategies, self-management skills, and social skills. Both Mindset and Behavior standards can and should be applied to all three domains – academic, career, and social/emotional based on your individual school and student needs. In addition to the Mindset and Behavior standards, new Competencies help operationalize the standards. The Competencies are directly aligned to the Common Core English Language Arts standards and broadly aligned with the Math standards. Consider the Competencies as a bridge to the Common Core State Standards adopted by Montana. The ASCA competencies convert the Common Core examples to the ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors at each grade level. ASCA has created a Mindsets & Behaviors database to help navigate the competencies and align them to your students needs. Please visit the ASCA website at http://www.schoolcounselor.org/school-counselors-members/about-asca/mindsetsbehaviors for more information on the ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors and to access the Competencies database. This article is based on the ASCA Webinar ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success that was presented on October 29, 2014. View this webinar at http://youtu.be/7VMdfT3fRTM. (Cont. Page 5) Page 2 www.mtschoolcounselor.org The Wheels on the Bus... By: Tina Boone, High School VP The wheels on the bus went round and round as 25 counselors from around the state did a three and a half day, jam packed tour of two year colleges. We began our adventure at Helena College where we learned about programs like fire and rescue, health science, pre-pharmacy and aviation mechanics. Our poor bus tried to get to our next stop of Great Falls College, but broke down 10 miles out of Helena. So... we made lemonade out of lemons while we waited for the next 5 hours. Some people went hiking, others engaged in great conversation, and some played “name that tune”. Great Falls was nice enough to hold our dinner and give us a brief overview of their programs. We got up early the next morning for a beautiful drive to Kalispell. Flathead Valley Community College was beautiful and showcased their impressive culinary program, surveying, jewelry, and parks and tourism programs. We high-tailed it to Missoula College and were treated to another amazing culinary program (they fed us twice!), met local business people, and saw the large “sandbox” where heavy equipment operators are trained. We finished the tour at Gallatin College where we were wowed with information about the interior design program and the design drafting program. What a busy but amazing trip! In addition to seeing some of the most beautiful parts of the state and the beautiful 2 years colleges; I think the biggest bonus was the networking and camaraderie that occurred from being “stuck” together for over three days! I learned so much from my colleagues around the state. This tour will happen again thanks to RPOS and MSCA! We will make some tweeks to improve it, but this is one bus you definitely want to jump on next year! 2014 Montana College Application Week Guest Article: Amy Berg, GEAR UP Seniors from over 125 high schools across the state filed 2736 college applications to Montana postsecondary institutions with the fee either deferred or waived during Montana College Application Week November 3-7, 2014. To the benefit of students, all Montana University System institutions, private, and tribal colleges participated in the initiative. Montana College Application Week is a collaborative statewide initiative in its third year. It is designed to support high school seniors navigate the complex college admissions process with a focus on low income students and those who might not otherwise apply, and it appears to be doing just that. Of the students completing the survey, 74% reported participating in the Free & Reduced-Price Lunch Program and 19% reported being the first in their family to attend college. Submitting an application is just one of the first steps to attending college. In preparation for Montana College Application Week, seniors participated in college readiness activities, such as college fairs, college visits, research, and counselor advising. Along with receiving a locker magnet that outlined the next steps to college enrollment, counselors and volunteers reminded students of the importance of submitting the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Of the student survey respondents, 73% said they planned to complete it; however, 61% said they do not currently have an understanding of how to complete it accurately and on-time. Montana GEAR UP, Student Assistance Foundation, and Graduation Matters Montana continue to collaborate on efforts to improve FAFSA completion rates, financial literacy, and support college and career readiness activities such as free ACT testing for all public high school juniors, dual enrollment opportunities, and College Goal Montana. OPI Support Staff CAW Students from Hardin High School CAW Event at Roundup High School Thank you to all the high schools, site coordinators, postsecondary institutions, and students for making 2014 Montana College Application Week a huge success! December 2014 Page 3 Afterthoughts About Youth Suicide By: Chad Kinnett, Elementary VP If you work in this profession long enough, you can pretty much count on having to work through the tragedy of a student suicide. No matter how much you mentally prepare, build in supports, set up contracts, and all the other steps you take to support a student in crisis, these events sometimes fall upon us with enormous difficulty. commit any such act. They likely weren’t regarded as a “youth with mental health issues”. There were no clues or indications that an event would transpire later that day. But as it was, after what many of us would consider a “normal” disagreement between a parent and child, a rash, impulsive, and reckless decision resulted in a very tragic and likely unintended act. My district, just as most other Montana communities, has had its unfortunate share of events that have resulted in a young life ending too soon. The most recent suicide events I have been involved with have challenged my thinking about the way we conceptualize suicidality as a school and mental health community. We often think of it as a planned, deliberate act with lots of warning signs. We hear that the person is depressed and isolated. We think it follows a common path that all suicidal persons follow. Though certainly valid points and identifiers, they don’t always fit. The following risk factors are published in a manual titled Working with the Suicidal Person by the Australian government. Not that any suicide is easy to process, but the dynamics in these cases has made me question the ways we approach suicide. In speaking with parents, teachers, and peers during the aftermath of these events, I felt like the mental script we typically use to conceptualize suicide didn’t adequately recognize or respond well to the risk factors that were involved in these situations. The message I took away from these events is that we need to speak and educate more to the rash or impulsive nature that suicide can follow. I personally am going to be more vocal in telling parents about safeguarding a situation after an argument or disagreement with their child occurs, even if “the other signs” aren’t necessarily present. I will also be more purposeful in telling students and teachers to be aware of what their friends or students say that may indicate significant levels of discord at home and the stress it is causing. I realize these revelations really aren’t unique or fall outside of what most of us already do. I also realize that my experiences may be atypical. But I as I think about the conflictprone parent-child relationship and the emotionality/ impulsivity that occurs in adolescent development, I certainly see these as noteworthy “risk factors” and would argue they need to be a more prominent part of our dialogue about suicide and the risk factors that occur in adolescence. Risk factors for adolescent suicide: • Past or present mental illness (for example, mood and anxiety disorders, substance use disorders or both concurrently) • Previous suicide attempt(s) • Male gender • Previous self-harm • Social skills deficits • Hostility, aggression and impulsivity • Homosexuality/bisexuality • Current suicidal thoughts • Interpersonal conflict or loss • Ongoing physical or sexual abuse, or emotional stress (for example, bullying) • Parent-child discord • Recent commencement of antidepressant therapy • Feeling of isolation • Availability of firearms or lethal means • Close friends who have died by suicide All identifiers we have some familiarity with. But I’d like to highlight two of them: Hostility, aggression, and impulsivity, and parent-child discord (italics added). These were the common elements I observed in the recent episodes of suicide in my district. The “warning signs” we often attribute to a suicidal person were not pronounced. The students attended school the day of the event with no reported plan, ideation, or intent to Page 4 www.mtschoolcounselor.org ASCA Updates National Standards (cont.) By: Katie DiBerardinis, President Elect-Elect December 2014 Page 5 National School Counseling Week 2015 By: Lisa Held, K-12 VP February 2-6, 2015 is National School Counseling Week. It is a time to celebrate the unique role of school counselors across the nation. The American School Counselors Association sponsors this week to highlight the “tremendous impact” school counselors have on our students. This year’s theme is “Building Magical Futures”. Richard Wong, ASCA Executive Director, proclaimed, “School counselors work with all students to remove barriers to learning by addressing students’ academic concerns, career awareness in post-secondary options and personal/social skills. Comprehensive school counseling programs help to increase student achievement and provide a much needed resource for students, parents, teachers, and administrators. School counselors are integral to student success.” In our rural state, many of us are the only counselor in our school or district. Sometimes it gets discouraging to be the one who always has to “toot our own horns.” It is also easy to get so busy doing the day-to-day work that we forget to celebrate our impact. National School Counseling Week is a reminder that we must take time to remind both ourselves and others of our important role. As I become more acutely aware of the need to show that the students in my schools are different because of school counseling, I know that I must be the voice singing the praises of comprehensive school counseling. I plan to celebrate in my K-12 district by using the ASCA resources available at www.schoolcounselor.org. I will put up posters in all of the buildings, hand out pencils, stickers, and bookmarks to all of the students and staff, and make morning announcements. I also plan to put up bulletin boards. I strongly encourage you to look at these resources and plan a celebration in your school. There are hundreds of other great ideas to recognize the week. You could have a contest, write a press release, or provide dessert to staff with a sign saying “Stressed spelled backwards is Desserts. Let your school counselor help.” Bulletin board ideas include a mirror – “School counselors help us see the positive side”, a light bulb – “Counselors light the way,” a CD – “Need someone to listen? See your school counselor,” an umbrella – “Find shelter under the school counseling umbrella,” a hand – “Counselors lend us a helping hand,” or a telephone – “Need someone to talk to? Call on your school counselor today.” The internet is a veritable treasure trove of ideas to get you inspired. As we prepare to celebrate National School Counseling Week, I would like to be the first to thank you for all that you do for Montana’s children. You make a difference each and every day. Have a very happy School Counseling Week! Message from the President… TRANSFORM & TRAILBLAZE! (cont.) By: Catie Cook Dennehy, MSCA President We love the Holiday Inn in Bozeman, but it would be fun to mix things up a little. We have someone working for us through a group called Global Synergies to help us find a new site for the Spring Conference in 2016 (please note this would be 2 years from now). The best part is that she helps us for FREE! So, cross your fingers that as we continue to grow in membership, we may be able to find a site that can accommodate us without crowded sectionals! It will be exciting to see what she comes up with. School Counseling is an exciting field to be a part of right now as people all the way up to the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, are recognizing the importance that school counselors play in our students’ success in our nation. We are building support at the local and national levels, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Thank you for being a part of this wonderful organization, and I hope to meet each and every one of you giving people soon. Page 6 www.mtschoolcounselor.org It’s Time for Students and Parents to Get FAFSA PINs Guest Article: Carolynn Bright, Student Assistance Foundation Students and parents can’t complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) until Jan. 1, but they don’t need to wait to get their federal student aid personal identification number, or PIN. dependent until age 24.  Individuals will need information including name, date of birth, Social Security number, and address. plete the important form. 2015 will mark the 10th year that SAF has organized the effort for Montana. For more information about the FAFSA, visit www.SmartAboutCollege.org and Individuals need a PIN to sign docuThe PIN website can automatically — and click on the “College Goal Montana” ments, like the FAFSA, online, according immediately — create a PIN for students banner. to Student Assistance Foundation’s Rhon- and parents. Or, they will be given the da Safford, statewide coordinator of Col- option of choosing their own using a pro- Student Assistance Foundation is a lege Goal Montana. In addition, it is used cess that involves receiving an email that 501(c)(3) nonprofit Montana corporation will provide the link to a site where that that provides students with knowledge and to access websites including FAFSA on PIN can be accessed. tools to pursue and fund their postsecondthe Web (fafsa.gov), National Student Parents and students will use the same ary education. Funds generated by SAF Loan Data System (NSLDS – are returned to Montanans in the form of PINs to complete the FAFSA annually, nslds.ed.gov), and more. along with access student aid records, so education grants and public benefit programs - to date more than $29.6 million. they should be stored in an accessible For more information, visHere’s how to get one: location. However, individuals should not it www.safmt.org or share their PIN with anyone — it is perwww.SmartAboutCollege.org.  Students and one parent or guardian sonal information and could be used in (for dependent students), will each need identity theft. Keep it safe! to get a PIN at pin.ed.gov prior to completing the FAFSA. Go to pin.ed.gov to College Goal Montana is an annual camget started. For purposes of the FAFSA, paign to encourage FAFSA awareness students are generally considered to be and to help students and families com- FREE ACT Online Prep! Guest Article: Sara Berg, GEAR UP Montana GEAR UP and the Office of Public Instruction are pleased to continue providing free licenses for ACT Online Prep. These licenses are available to Montana public high schools for students grades 9-12, and will continue through August 2015. Students will have access to: Practice tests with real ACT test questions Practice essays for the ACT Writing Test, with real-time scoring Comprehensive content review for each of the ACT’s four required tests-English, Math, Reading, and Science Diagnostic skill level test A personalized study path ACT test coordinators received administrator and login information in November from OPI. High school counselors or GEAR UP liaisons who would like access can contact Ashley Makowski at 444-3511 or amakowki@mt.gov . STATEWIDE ACT TESTING FOR PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS IS TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015. December 2014 Page 7 MSCA Member Spotlight By: Teresa Majerus, Middle School VP I am thrilled to publish yet another Counselor Spotlight for our MSCA Newsletter! Our winter Counselor Spot light shines on Amy Schye from Malta. Hope you enjoy learning about another dynamic school counselor from the great state of Montana! Spotlight on… AMY SCHYE My formal education began at Jamestown College in North Dakota in 1984. While playing basketball and running track, I completed a double major in English and History/Political Science. But since there wasn’t a logical career path with that, I went on for more school the next year at Moorhead State University in Minnesota to pick up a degree in Mass Communications. I worked for a year in Anaconda, MT, at the newspaper and while there, decided that I liked kids and coaching. So I went back to pick up a degree in education at Valley City State University in North Dakota. In the fall of 1991, I was hired by Malta Public Schools to teach high school English, grades 9 and 11. After about 10 years in the classroom, I concluded that it was time to work on a master’s degree at MSU-Northern. My choices there were either a secondary education master’s or school counseling master’s. Counseling sounded much more interesting and at the time I was looking for a change. It took me 6-7 years of summer and weekend work to finish it up, but it certainly was worth it! I enjoy working with kids of different ages and I really like the day to day variety that the job brings. Now, I’ve been the 6-12 counselor here for almost ten 10 years. This is my 24th year in education and I’m surprised at how quickly it has gone. My husband is Tad Schye and he started out as a Math and History teacher here before moving to the elementary school, where he is now the principal. We have three children who are involved in athletics and activities, so finding an event to attend is never a problem. Tucker is a redshirt freshman linebacker at the University of Montana, who is majoring in Business. Go Griz! Darby is a senior who is trying to decide on a college and Ella is a freshman here at MHS. We typically put 30,000 miles on our vehicle every year, but we could certainly exceed that this year! My hobbies include reading (I never go anywhere without a book), running, and any outdoor activities. I’ve found that exercise is how I stay mentally healthy. Also, I like to snow ski and hike the “M” when I get to Missoula and, in the summer, we like to get out on Nelson Reservoir with our wave-runner. I’m looking for a good used paddleboard for next season. JUST IN!! New MCSA Advocacy Committee By: Renee’ Schoening, Advocacy Committee Chair The MSCA Board recently decided to create an Advocacy Committee and to appoint a Chair who would sit on the Board. This is an effort to formalize work that has already been occurring by members who are building bridges and networking with important entities within our state. Catie Dennehy has asked if would serve as the Chair of this committee and I am very excited to do so! I see this as an opportunity to continue efforts to work with OPI, the School Mental Health Coordinator, MBI, and the university system and to make sure that there is a voice for school counseling. One of the challenges we face as an organization is that we have leadership that is continuously changing, therefore limiting our ability to have sustaining and effective relationships with people and other stakeholder groups that impact our profession. I am very hopeful that this committee will serve to fill this need and provide more permanency where it is desperately needed. My first step will be to find members who are interested in serving on this committee and representing MSCA with a professional and passionate presence. It would be ideal to have geographical representation across the state so that we can be “at the table” when necessary. Please contact me if you are interested in serving in this way. I look forward to hearing from you! My e-mail is: rschoening@deerlodgeschool.org Page 8 Renee’ Schoening, ACC www.mtschoolcounselor.org All Roads Lead to Collaboration By: Lindsey Nichols, Counselor Education Representative "It’s not the years, it’s the mileage" – Indi- need for information on various topics ana Jones, Raiders of the Lost Ark pertinent to school counselors. Some ideas overlapped with those our department Although we are sometimes has explored and started to develop as caught up in the demands of our different professional development workshops. worlds, there is a mutual benefit for P-12 and post-secondary education to work In addition to face-to-face traintogether. It can be challenging to find the ings that are offered across the state by time to cultivate collaborations, but revarious institutions and organizations, gardless of how long it takes to get there, UM’s Department of Counselor Education the relationships developed are typically has started working with the emerging well worth the energy. I saw that firsthand Montana Digital Professional Learning in 2001, when I attended my first EducaNetwork (MDPLN) to serve beyond the tors’ conference in Connecticut and again Missoula area. An online version of our several years later, at my first School recent Psychopharmacology workshop Counseling conference in North Carolina. will be launched in spring 2015 to give Despite my apparent need to test the educators more awareness of prescripbenefits of my AAA membership, no mat- tion drugs and their potential effects on ter what state or district I was in, the imthe students taking them to cope with portance of collaboration was abundantly various needs. We have more ideas in the clear. Now, my car has made it 200,000 pipeline. However, those shared at the miles and I have joined the faculty at the UM school counselor meeting last month University of Montana. Although new to are the key to future projects for not just the UM faculty and the Montana education our department, but other universities system, collaboration remains constant and organizations around the state. We and I’m excited for the potential to join know that the skills and knowledge of and create more partnerships. How can school counselors needs to be harnessed; we create more collaboration amongst all what comes to mind for me is the annual the levels of education to best and most MSCA Conference. Particularly, level efficiently serve Montanans? sharing has been one of the most powerful sessions for attendees to discuss the Before the MEA-MFT Educators’ various interventions and resources Conference this year, about 15 school they’ve come to use. counselors came to Missoula to learn more about all that is happening at the While we explore more ways to University of Montana. At the end of an collaborate across P-12 and postafternoon of presentations and tours of secondary settings, the partnership with university programs and labs, the group MDPLN appears to be a golden oppormet with my colleague, Dr. John Sommers tunity, like your principal offering to take -Flanagan and I. Our conversation foover testing coordination. You wouldn’t cused on how we can all better connect to pass that up. Although it might not top a address the needs and issues of students testing intervention, many of us would and ultimately communities around the agree that free or competitively priced state. For example, creating opportuniprofessional development on relevant ties for mentorship between high school topics can also seem similarly out of students and university undergraduate reach. Moreover, being directly connectstudents. Another point raised was the ed to what is being offered, by creating it, is where I hope MSCA and more school counselors will become interested in the organization. MDPLN is seeking experts to develop and facilitate trainings on their online platform to support K-12 Montana educators. You are all experts on your schools. Some of you have also sought out additional training or spent years applying your knowledge and skills related to topics important to other colleagues across the state. Consider how an online training provides accessibility to share information with colleagues in a streamlined format all year, reducing miles on your car, and hours on the road/on your busy lives. At universities, our role is not only to take part in training school counselors, but to research and present on meaningful topics to those in the field. It is you, educators in the schools day-to-day, attesting to the individualized needs of your schools and communities. We all come with a host of experiences and, even if new to the profession, knowledge comes from many sources. I’m excited to learn more from all of you and also share my experience collected over many miles. If you are curious to learn more about presenting to peers across the state through this online platform, please contact MDPLN at curtis.biggs@montanadigitalacademy.org. Curtis Biggs and Michaela Sacra (former Hamilton School Counselor and current Counselor Education doctoral student) are thrilled to connect with and serve Montana School Counselors and their schools. You can also contact my colleague co-organizing our professional development series, Dr. Veronica Johnson at veronica.johnson@umontana.edu or me at lindsey.nichols@umontana.edu. Lindsey Nichols, CEP December 2014 Page 9 Page 10 www.mtschoolcounselor.org Innovations in College Readiness Guest Article: Deb Halliday, Graduation Matters Montana Financial barriers often top the list of reasons why Montana SA coaches, who help counselors stay in touch with students do not go to college. Yet each year, Montanan fami- students and their families, are trained by SAF staff to lies leave millions of dollars on the table, due to eligible stu- answer basic questions and to know where to go to dents not applying for the Free Application for Federal Student help families get the answers they need, and who Aid (FAFSA). As many school counselors know, the FAFSA is assist at FAFSA information events, such as College not just about grants and loans, it also opens the door to schol- Goal Montana. arships, work study, and other financial supports. Coordinating FAFSA enrollment with college readi- GMM and SAF is in its third year of partnering through the ness activities Counselors are starting FAFSA prep GMM-SAF College Readiness Fund to provide grants of up to early during College Application Week (in Novem- $4,000 to GMM teams to develop innovative strategies to coun- ber), are working with English, history and govern- ter the under-utilization of FAFSA. Last year’s grantee commu- ment teachers to designate time in class to set up a nities were successful in bringing in an estimated $2.7 million FAFSA PIN, and are coordinating with other college more dollars in federal grant funding for Montana students and prep activities. families for college than they did in 2013. High Schools Receiving Awards from the 2014 GMM-SAF Successful FAFSA completion efforts include: College Readiness Fund: Anaconda ($3,500), Bozeman Micro-targeting rather than macro-messaging GMM ($4,000), Butte ($3,000), Columbia Falls ($1,000), Hamilton communities are focusing on one-on-one outreach to ($3,500), Hardin ($2,500), Libby ($3,500), Livingston ($4,000), seniors and their families, not on school-wide posters Miles City ($3,500), Rocky Boy ($2,570), Ronan ($3,000), Saint and community radio ads, which reach a much broad- Regis ($1,000), Skyview High School in Billings ($4,000), er – and often irrelevant – audience. The GMM web- Thompson Falls ($4,000), and Troy ($3,000). site has a sample student contact sheet under Re- More information about Graduation Matters Montana can sources/Grant Opportunities. be found at: http://graduationmatters.mt.gov. You can also Recruiting & training FAFSA coaches GMM teams are contact Deb Halliday at 444-3559 or dhalliday@mt.gov engaging teachers and community members as FAF- December 2014 Page 11 AWARD NOMINATION FORM Select one: _______ Counselor of the Year _______ Advocate of the Year Name of Nominee: ____________________________________________________________________ School Name and Address: ____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Number of years in profession: ____________ MSCA Member?: Y N Unsure Work Phone: _______________________ Email Address: ___________________________________ Nominator’s Name: ___________________________________________________________________ School Name and Address: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Work Phone: ______________________ Email Address: ____________________________________ Please include a letter of recommendation from the person(s) nominating the individual. If possible, please include his/her educational background; professional employment; academic and/or professional honors; professional, community, or civic contributions; and any other information pertinent to this nomination. For School Counselor or the Year nominees, please describe how the nominee has demonstrated excellence in the following capacities: creative school counseling innovation, effective school counseling programming, leadership skills, and contributions to student enhancement. Please submit all nominations before Friday, March 27, 2015, by mailing a hard copy, fax, or email. Chad Kinnett Big Sky Elementary School 3231 Granger Avenue East, Billings, MT 59102 ckinnettmsca@gmail.com Fax 406-656-0247 Nomination/Award guidelines: For Counselors Annually, we recognize the best professionals in our field. School Counselor of the Year nominees are judged on the following criteria: creative school counseling innovation, effective school counseling programming, leadership skills, and contributions to student enhancement. By nominating a school counselor for this award, you are giving a well-deserved tribute to a colleague. Nominee must have been in current position for at least 3 years and must be an MSCA member. For Advocate The School Counselor Advocate of the Year nominees may be district or building level administrators, school board members, legislators, supervisors of guidance services, or any individuals who have made significant contributions to the implementation and improvement of school counseling programs. The purpose of the Advocate of the Year Award is to recognize persons who have demonstrated their belief in and support of school counseling programs that have had an impact on counselors and their students at the local, state, or national level. Page 12 www.mtschoolcounselor.org M O N T A N A Spring Conference 2015 Transforming & Trailblazing April 16-17 Holiday Inn-Bozeman Proposal for Presentation Form Please return this form by email to Catie Cook Dennehy at cdennehymsca@gmail.com by Friday, January 20, 2015. Presenter(s): ________________________________________________________________ Position: ____________________________________________________________________ Organization:________________________________________________________________ Address:_____________________________________________________________________ Work Phone # : ___________________________________ Email Address: ______________________________________________________________ Presentation Title: ___________________________________________________________ Presentation Description: (30 words or less, as it would appear in the conference program) Presenter Bio: (Add additional pages if necessary.) Rooms will be set up classroom style (tables w/chairs), unless indicated otherwise. Please indicate if you have special set up needs or require audio/visual equipment. Unfortunately not all proposals may be selected based on the number of proposals received. December 2014 Page 13 M O N T A N A April 16, 17, 2015 SCHOOL COUNSELORS Holiday Inn – Bozeman, MT Transforming & Trailblazing Bozeman Holiday Inn Information Reservations: 1-800-366-5101 or 406-587-4561 Book online at www.hibozeman.com Room rate: $83.00, single or double, plus 7% tax A block of rooms has been reserved for conference participants until April 10th. When making reservations ask for group block with the code: MCA REGISTRATION INFORMATION: Name: ______________________________________________________________ Email: ______________________________________________________________ Home Address: _______________________________________________________ Home Phone: ____________________ Cell Phone: ______________________ School: _____________________________________________________________ School Address: ______________________________________________________ School Phone: ___________________ Membership Category: ___ Professional Counselor Level: ___ Elementary Registration Fees: School Fax: ______________________ ___ Student ___ Middle ___ High ___Auxiliary ___ K-12 ___ Retired ___ College ___ Other Postmarked on or before March 24th ____ Professional - $175 ( By March 24th) _____ Professional—$200 (After March 24th) ____ Student & Retired Members - $80 (By March 24th) _____ Student & Retired Members -$105 (After March 24th) T-Shirts: Pre-Order ONLY by March 24th—COST $10 T-Shirt Size: ____ Small ____ Medium ____ Large ____ X-Large ____ XX-Large ___ YES, I will attend the Thursday Annual Meeting and Counselor of the Year Luncheon (No Add’l Charge) ___ YES, I would like to make an additional donation of $ _______ to support MSCA’s purpose & vision. Our GREEN efforts—we will be using USB drives and folders this year instead of binders. METHOD OF PAYMENT: ADDRESS - MAIL TO: ___ Check enclosed ___ Purchase Order enclosed #____ (Include a copy of the PO) Catie Cook Dennehy, President- MSCA, 3030 Flynn Lane, Missoula, MT 59808 Page 14 www.mtschoolcounselor.org MSCA 2014-15 Board Members President Catie Cook Dennehy, Hellgate Elementary 2385 Flynn Lane, Missoula, MT 59808 cdennehy@hellgate.k12.mt.us Ph: 406-532-2087 President Elect President Elect-Elect Deborah Ostertag, Conrad High School 215 S. Maryland, Conrad, MT 59425 deborah.ostertag@conradschools.org Ph:406-278-3285 Katie DiBerardinis, Chief Joseph Middle School 4255 Kimberwicke Street Bozeman, MT 59715 kdiberardinismsca@gmail.com Ph: 406-522-6321 Past-President Advisor Jodi Morgan, Thompson Falls School PO Box 129, Thompson Falls, Mt 59873 jmorgan@blackfoot.net Ph: 406-827-3561 Barbara Holden, East Side Middle School 4040 Central Ave., Great Falls, MT 59405 barb_holden@gfps.k12.mt.us Ph: 406-268-6490 High School Vice-President Elementary School Vice-President Tina Boone, Skyview High School 1775 Sierra Blvd. Billings, MT 59105 boonet@billingsschools.org Ph: 406-281-5200 Chad Kinnett, Big Sky Elementary 3231 Granger Ave. E, Billings, MT 59102 ckinnettmsca@gmail.com Ph: 406-281-6204 Middle School Vice-President Teresa Majerus, Lewistown Junior High 914 West Main, Lewistown, MT 59457 tmajerus@lewistown.k12.mt.us Ph: 406-535-5419 K-12 Vice-President Lisa Held, Shields Valley School PO Box 40, Clyde Park, MT 59018 lheldmsca@gmail.com Ph: 406-686-4621 Treasurer Secretary Erica Zins, Russell Elementary 3216 Russell St., Missoula, MT 59801 ezins@hotmail.com Ph: 406-728-2400 Ext. 4830 TBA Editor Brandi Fox, Powell Co. High School 709 Missouri, Deer Lodge, MT 59722 bfox@pchs.dl.k12.mt.us Ph: 406-846-2757 Ext. 14 The MSCA Newsletter is published three times annually as a service to our members (Sept 15, Dec 15, Mar 15). All issues are sent to members electronically. Board members, except for Treasurer and Secretary, submit articles of interest related to their level of representation. We welcome articles of interest from members or other educational professionals who would like to share information (due 30 days prior to publication). We encourage submissions be written in a friendly, informative, and practical style rather than technical or academic. Articles must be original and references are to be used when appropriate rather than footnotes. Articles must meet the mission of MSCA. No compensation is given for submitted articles. All articles are available on the MSCA website: www.mtschoolcounselor.org. Advertisements may be submitted according to guidelines found on the website. (Full P. 1X=$150, 1/2 P. 1X=$125, 1/4 P. 1X=$75, 1/2 Column 1X=$50; see additional options). We reserve the right to edit copy or reject advertisements that do not meet the mission of MSCA. Disclaimer: Information printed in the MSCA Newsletter does not represent an official MSCA policy or position, and the acceptance of advertising does not constitute an endorsement or approval by MSCA of any advertised service or product. Submit articles and inquiries to: Brandi Fox, bfox@pchs.dl.k12.mt.us or call 406-846-2757 ext. 14 December 2014 Page 15