counselor's notebook, june 2014

MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION JUNE 2014VOL. 50, NO. 10

MASCA

A Time for ReflectionBy THERESA A. COOGAN, Ph.D.

MASCA President

Looking BackBy TINA KARIDOYANES

MASCA President

As this academic year quickly drawsto a close, I am saddened that my

experience as president is also ending.Simultaneously, I am very excited as Iconsider the great work that occurredthroughout this year and the implica-tions for the immediate and extendedfuture for MASCA.

This year was an amazing team effortacross so many levels, and I am trulygrateful to the many volunteers whomake this organization what it is. Therewas incredible energy from all aspectsof the MASCA leadership team this year,and I feel privileged to have been a partof this group. Thank you to everyone onthe MASCA leadership team and all ofthe volunteers across the Common-wealth for your time and continued pas-sion and enthusiasm for school counsel-ing and MASCA!

Another piece coming to an end thisspring is MASCA’s incredible partnershipwith the Department of Elementary andSecondary Education. For the past fouryears, the collaborative Race To The TopSummits that took place at MASCAconferences have been key professionaldevelopment opportunities for teamsfrom schools across the Commonwealth.A special thanks to Katie Gray, who orga-

nized and facilitated the professionaldevelopment and trainings over the pastfour years. Katie, a past-president ofMASCA, has been serving as special con-sultant to the organization in recent years.She is an invaluable resource for MASCA,and we are grateful for her contributionsand helping to lead the way for schoolcounselors in Massachusetts.

Also, a special thanks to our friendsat the DESE: Keith Westrich, Director ofCollege and Career Readiness at the

MASCA Awards 2014Counselor of the Year

Linda "Lin" Duame, School CounselorLudlow High School, Ludlow

Leadership AwardGianna Allentuck, School Counselor

Elias Brookings Elementary School, Springfield

Administrative AwardDonna McGarrigle, Principal

Pembroke Community Middle School

Torch Award – Rising StarAshleigh Malinowski, School Counselor

M. Marcus Kiley Middle School, Springfield

George Thompson Memorial ScholarshipJill Serafino, School Counseling Graduate Student

Belchertown High School, Belchertown

(continued on page 6) (continued on page 7)

G rowing up, I always looked for-ward to the end of the school year

and thinking about what I learned thatyear. In first grade, without urging frommy parents, I thought it would be niceto give my teacher a thank you note andshare with her what I learned that year.

I was excited about learning to writesentences and the books we made. AndI literally mean “made.” We wrote thestory, drew the pictures, sewed the book,and designed the cover. My cover was a

2 COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

iPads in School Counseling: An App for Every OccasionBy KATIE KOZAK, Bridgewater State University

MASCA Graduate Student Liaison 2013-2014

According to a survey conducted in2012, over half of American

households own at least one Appleproduct. Are you among those who do?If so, have you considered using yourApple device in your professional role?

One Apple product, in particular, israpidly increasing its prevalence in Amer-ican schools: the iPad. Last year, Applereported having sold over 8 million iPadsto educational institutions worldwide,4.5 million of which were sold to Ameri -can schools.

The iPad is a tablet computer thatoffers a range of utilities in the educa-tional arena for both students and pro-fessionals. School counselors can takeadvantage of the array of available soft-ware applications to aid in their profes-sional responsibilities and work withstudents. Each software application, com-monly referred to as an app, has a uniquefunction and can be downloaded, some-

times for free and sometimes for a cost. Do you need organization solutions

that are portable for meetings in otherparts of your building? Try Notability,an app that allows users to take notes,import and annotate documents, fill outforms, and share files with others. Sim-plify the amount of paperwork and note -pads needed for each meeting by usingthe tools available on this app; then saveyour notes and easily access them againin the future.

If you want to access your iPad fileson other devices, including desktop com-puters or laptops, consider using theDropbox app. Save any type of file intoyour Dropbox and reopen it via Drop-box on another device.

An abundance of apps also exist thatcan enhance your work with students.Regardless of the specific objectives youhave with individual students, there islikely a related app available that can add

another dimension to your work. Forexample, you can help students of anyage become engaged in monitoring theirprogress towards counseling goals byusing iEarnedThat. This app allows usersto create a customized virtual jigsawpuzzle, which—when complete—signi-fies that the student is entitled to earn achosen reward. Each time the student per-forms a desired behavior or task, a missingpiece of the puzzle can be added.

For work with younger children, con-sider using an interactive app that helpsfacilitate meaningful conversation. FOCUSOn the Go! offers four distinct tools thathelp students find new words to des cribetheir feelings, talk about coping strategies,and even tell their story using a comicstrip creator. Another app, Feelings withMilo, allows young students to log andjournal about their feelings over time,helping them recognize patterns anddemonstrating that negative emotionsare temporary.

Older students, too, can benefit fromthe incorporation of technology into timewith their school counselor. Teach stu-dents relaxation breathing exercises usingBreathe 2 Relax, which verbally guidesusers through deep breathing cycles usingstudent-customized inhale and exhalein tervals. Or, assist with postsecondaryplanning with Mytonomy, which houseshundreds of peer-created advice videos tohelp students plan ahead. Students canbrowse videos by category, such as whatto expect each year in high school, fi -nan cial aid, or choosing a college major.Videos pertaining to specific colleges arealso available, grouped by state and thenby school.

The apps included here are merely sug-gestions. To find one that suits your spe-cific needs, search in the Apple App Store,use an online search engine to find rec-ommendations from other educators, orask colleagues if they have successfullyintegrated iPad technology into theirpractice. With iPads becoming increas-ingly common in American schools, usingthis device in your professional practiceis an excellent way to appeal to today’stech-savvy students and stay current withadvancing technology. ■

2013– 2014 OFFICERS

PRESIDENTTHERESA A. COOGAN, Ph.D.Bridgewater State UniversityBridgewater, MA 02325Tel. 508-531-2640E-mail: [email protected]

PAST PRESIDENTJENNIFER LISKMedway High School, Medway, MA 02053Tel. 508-533-3228 x5107 • Fax 508-533-3246E-mail: [email protected]

PRESIDENT-ELECTTINA KARIDOYANESMansfield High School250 East Street, Mansfield, MA 02048Tel. 508-261-7540 x3122 • Fax 508-339-0259E-mail: [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT ELEMENTARYVERONICA KNIGHTLowell Elementary School175 Orchard Street, Watertown, MA 02472Tel. 617-926-2666E-mail: [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT MIDDLE / JUNIOR HIGHMARISA CASTELLOE-mail: [email protected] SCOTTE-mail: [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT SECONDARYJOHN S. STEEREWellesley High School50 Rice Street, Wellesley, MA 02481Tel. 781-446-6290 x4653 • Fax 781-446-6308E-mail: [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT ADMINISTRATORSTBA

VICE PRESIDENT POSTSECONDARYJOHN MARCUSDean College99 Main Street, Franklin, MA 02038Tel. 508-541-1509 • Fax 508-541-8726E-mail: [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT COUNSELOR EDUCATORSMEGAN KRELL, Ph.D.E-mail: [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT RETIREESJoseph D. FitzGerald, Ed.D.5 Progress Street, Weymouth, MA 02188Tel. 781-264-3426E-mail: [email protected]

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORDONNA M. BROWNAdjunct Professor, UMass BostonP.O. Box 366, 779 Center StreetBryantville, MA 02327Tel. 781-293-2835E-mail: [email protected]

TREASURERASHLEY CARON25 Belmont Ave., Stoughton, MA 02072Tel. 508-212-0676E-mail: [email protected]

SECRETARYASHLEY J. GUBA30 Brezner Lane, Centerville, MA 02632Tel. 508-367-7774E-mail: [email protected]

MEMBERSHIP COORDINATORTBA

COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK EDITORSALLY ANN CONNOLLY19 Bayberry Road, Danvers, MA 01923Tel. 978-774-8158 • Fax 978-750-8154E-mail: [email protected]

JUNE 2014 3

Data-Driven Conversations for CounselorsBy MAGALY RIVERA, Guidance Counselor

Fuller Middle School, Framingham

Week after week, my school coun-seling team and I meet with

teachers in our school to discuss the aca -demic progress of our students. We discussattendance, performance on assessments,academic engagement, homework output,social/emotional needs, and much more.

This invaluable 45-minute weekly teammeeting is often filled with passionateconversations about how to help studentssucceed and overcome a myriad of barri-ers to learning. At the end of every meet-ing, however, we are left trying to decideappropriate interventions for the present-ing problem.

I don’t know about you, but sometimesthese meetings are punctuated by awk-ward silences because there is an expec-tation for us, as school counselors, to finda cure for the presenting problem. Whatis often missing is the ability to move for-ward from the problem-focused modelto the solution-focused model.

Our role is vital for setting the tone ofthese meetings. Structure is everything.Every member of the team plays a rolein defining the area of need and indesigning targeted interventions to sup-port student learning in the classroom.We have to try and limit the blame gameand help our colleagues see beyond thegrade book and look more closely at thedata available to them every day.

Every member of the team needs totake part in the hunt for data, the syn-thesis of this data, operationalizing thearea of need, and designing interventions.We need to move away from surface levelconversations, such as only discussinghomework and test/quiz averages. Rather,we should dig deep into each assignment,locating skill deficits as well as areas ofstrength to build upon. We should askwhy assignments weren’t completed.Which areas were completed correctly?Which areas were performed poorly?What does that tell us about the student’sstrengths and weaknesses? Did the stu-dent lack the skills needed to indepen-dently complete the assignment?

Here are some helpful tips you canuse to help structure team meetings for

more data-driven conversations. Prior toa team meeting:

1. Ask each member of the team tobring work samples (i.e., essay, quiz/test,homework) that highlight areas of needand areas of strength.

2. Ask one member of the team tolook at the cumulative folder and high-light relevant background information(i.e., previous report card grades and com-ments, registration information, namesand dates of other schools attended, etc.)

3. Ask another team member to locatestatewide assessment scores and other in-district measures of academic progress.

Our role can be to locate attendanceand disciplinary information and otherrelevant background information thatwe are privy to share. The day of themeeting can be spent actively discussingthe information gathered, looking forpatterns, reporting on background in -formation, and determining areas ofstrength and weakness.

Once the team has identified an areaof need and has come to an agreement,the next and most important step is de -signing classroom-based interventions.This step can often be challenging, butseveral building-based resources canfacilitate the process. For example, if anarea of need falls in the math domain,the math specialists can be invited to dis -cuss possible interventions. Once inter-ventions are generated, put them intoplace and track progress. Set a follow-up meeting to discuss progress madeand determine next steps.

Each member of a team is a stake-holder in the academic success of ourstudents. Developing data-driven conver-sations facilitates our objective of sup-porting student learning. It also allowsus to move away from the blame gameand to become focused on solutions.These conversations, albeit difficult, arenecessary to ensure that we properlyfocus our energy in order to maximizelearning. Every second matters, so let’smake them count. ■


FOCUS ON HEALTH

Stress in teenagers affectstheir brains A study of 468 teenagers found changesin the brains of those in dividuals whohad experienced “trauma histories frombirth to age 16 (e.g., sexual or severe phys-ical abuse)” or “elevated rates of stressfullife events during the teenage years (e.g.,family divorce).”

This suggests that “clinicians should

in quire about chronic stresses that par-ents and offspring may be less aware of,such as when adolescents’ capabilities donot fit their academic and extracurricu-lar ac tivities. Almost all of the ‘poor fits’will be teens with IQs not commensuratewith getting A’s in families that expectno less or adolescents with poor athleticability who are expected to make theteam. Psy chotherapy should be used to

address these producers of environmen-tal stress.”

— Barbara Geller, MD, reviewing van derKnaap LJ et al., Translational Psychiatry (April 8,2014) in New England Journal Watch, http://www.jwatch.org/na34375/2014/04/23/stress-teenagers-affects-their-brains, April 23, 2014.

Young marijuana users showbrain changes “Young adults who occasionally smokemarijuana show abnormalities in two keyareas of their brain related to emotion,motivation, and decision making, raisingconcerns that they could be damagingtheir developing minds at a critical time,according to a new study by Bostonresearchers.”

— Kay Lazar, “Study finds brain changes inyoung marijuana users,” The Boston Globe,April 15, 2014, p. A1.

College-educated brainsrecover faster “A college education may do a lot morethan provide better job opportunities—it may also make brains more resilient totrauma, a new study suggests.

The more years of education peoplehave, the more likely they will recoverfrom a traumatic brain injury, accordingto the study published Wednesday inNeurology.

In fact, one year after a traumatic braininjury, people with a college educationwere nearly four times as likely as thosewho hadn’t finished high school to returnto work or school with no disability.”

— Linda Carroll, “College-Educated BrainsRecover Better From Injury, Study Suggests,” http://www.nbcnews.com/health/mental-health/college-educated-brains-recover-better-injury-study-suggests-n88011, April 23, 2014.

MASCA offers concussionaction plans As members of a school’s educationalleadership team, counselors must stay in -formed about the impact of concussionson student behavior and achievement andsteps to protect and promote student well-being. On MASCA’s website, www.masca.org, you can find the ConcussionEvaluation (ACE) Care Plan from the CDCand information about writing a 504 planfor your student. Click on Re sources tab,then look for Concussion Informationunder Counselor Resources. ■

JUNE 2014 5

MA Model Implementation Institutes 2014-2015• Introductory Institute• Institute 2.0: Next Steps

45 MASCA PDPs or 3 Graduate Credits(Fitchburg State University)

Instructor: Helen O’Donnell, Ed.D.For information, go to www.masca.org

PD UpdateBy HELEN O’DONNELL, Ed.D.

MASCA Professional DevelopmentCoordinator

Two MA Model Institutes are plannedfor the coming year: Introductory

MA Model Institute and Institute 2.0-Next Steps. Both will offer either 45MASCA PDPs or three Fitchburg StateUniversity graduate credits, and sessionswill be held at various locations aroundthe state. The July training dates at DeanCollege are July 15-16 for the Introduc-tory Institute and July 16-17 for Institute2.0. Check MASCA’s website for updatedinformation. If you have a question orwould like to recommend host sites ortraining dates, please contact me [email protected].

MASCA President-Elect Tina Karidoy -anes has announced that there will be nofall conference. Rather, a fall workshopis being planned. Tina says, also, that inthe spring a one-day conference will beheld and that continued MASCA/DESEpartnerships for professional develop-ment training are being discussed.

RTTT 4C SummitKatie Gray (Unique Consulting), KeithWestrich, and Nyles Fuentes (both ofDESE) have been outstanding leaders,trainers, advocates, and mentors forMassachusetts school counselors to pro-mote the success of all students throughimplementation of the MA Model. Con-gratulations, also, to Race To The Topschool teams for their hard work for thepast four years in designing, implement-ing, and documenting results of MAModel implementation initiatives.

SMART Goals and DDMsOn MASCA’s webpage you can find linksto the SMART Goals Library and a Dis-trict Determined Measures Library. Shar-ing your goals and DDMs is a wonder-ful way to collaborate with colleagues.

On September 15, names of thosewho have posted SMART Goals and/orDDMs will be entered in a drawing towin a MASCA membership.

Happy summer! ■


COOGAN (continued from page 1)Department, his team, and, especially, toNyal Fuentes and Jenny Curtin for facil-itating several data-driven workshopsevery year.

The 2014 MASCA Spring Conferencewas amazing. The conference planningteam did a great job, especially as thiswas the first time on the committee formore than half of the team. Althoughmoments of pure chaos always occurwith conference planning, this group keptits “eyes on the prize” and delivered apractical and energetic professional dev -elopment opportunity for all participants.We hope to see everyone join us againnext year. Stay tuned to the MASCA web -site on the “Events” tab for informationabout the 2015 Spring Conference.

As I reflect on this year, I am inspiredby the passion and energy that existsthroughout the Commonwealth support-ing School Counseling across all gradelevels. It has been an absolute pleasureto meet more MASCA members as wellas MASCA supporters who are not mem-bers (yet). I have appreciated our conver-sations and learning about the realitiesof the counselor’s role across Massachu-setts. Our role varies based on commu-nity and grade levels, and it’s importantthat every school counselor has a pro-fessional resource close by. I hope thatMASCA can serve that role for practi-tioners in Massachusetts.

Serving as your president has been anincredible learning experience, and I ammost appreciative. I wish incoming presi -dent, Tina Karidoyanes, all the best. Herplan for providing intentionally-focused,half-day and, possibly, full-day regionalprofessional development workshopsthroughout the fall is an exciting newdirection. She has dedicated a lot of energyto creatively and thoughtfully balancingthe needs and realities of school coun-selors. I’m excited to transition into nextyear and support Tina and the MASCAleadership team as the organization con-tinues ahead, strengthening the voice ofschool counseling in the state across alllevels.

I wish you all a smooth finish to yourschool year and a restful summer break.

With gratitude. ■

Resources from theMASCA Spring Conference are available at

http://masca2014spring.weebly.com/

Included are slideshow presentations:

Selecting a College for Its “Financial” Fit, TooBy Claudia Neithercut and Mark P. Bilotta

Your Professional Learning Network: Using Social MediaBy Ashley Garth and Ross Wolfson

JUNE 2014 7

KARIDOYANES(continued from page 1)pink and white gingham material with apicture of a bowl of ice cream.

That year my Mom and aunt hadtaught me how to make ice cream athome. My story was about the processand my discovery that I preferred home-made ice cream to the ice cream truckversion.

At the end of each following year inelementary school, I wrote my teacher aletter reflecting on my school year. Istopped the letters in middle school butmaintained the practice of reflecting. Itis a practice I continue to this day.

June is the perfect time to reflect onour practices: to applaud our successes,acknowledge our failures, and identifywhat we would like to improve upon. Itis also time to create our goals and plansfor the coming school year, based on ourexperiences of the current year.

As I look back on this year, one ofmy areas of growth was the continuingorganization of my office. Successes in -cluded delivering curriculum to studentsin the classroom setting and the excep-tional job my staff did developing andexecuting the curriculum.

On a personal note, I was given theopportunity to teach a graduate class,working with school counseling studentsin the first phase of their internshipexperience. Learning from my studentswas one of the greatest gifts from thisschool year, and it will certainly informmy practice as a school counselor.

If you have the opportunity to teacha class or have an intern, I strongly en -courage you to take advantage of theopportunity. Not only will you be in vest -ing in the future of school counselors,you will be investing in yourself.

With all the craziness of the end ofthe school year, I encourage you to take15-30 minutes to reflect on your schoolyear. Revel in the successes and identifyyour concerns to help you plan for thefuture.

As I start to plan for the coming year atschool, included in my plans are ways tobest serve MASCA. As incoming MASCApresident, I want to hear from you aboutwhat you need from MASCA and howwe can help support you in your prac-tice as a school counselor. Have a greatsummer! ■

For her continued, outstanding leadershipin the school counseling profession,Western Massachusetts CounselorsAsso ciation honored Helen in March bypresenting her with the Louis CasagrandeLifetime Achievement Award.Congratulations, Helen!

WMCA honors O’Donnell

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAIDNEWBURYPORT, MA

PERMIT NO. 96

Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Inc.COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

Sally Ann Connolly, Editor

IN CASE OF NON-DELIVERY, RETURN TO:Donna M. BrownP.O. Box 366Bryantville, MA 02327

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.

MASCA Thanks Its Sponsors!The Counselor’s Notebook, the official periodical of the MassachusettsSchool Counselors Association, is grateful for the support of its adver-tisers. They enable MASCA to continue its mission of fostering commu-nication among school counselors, providing information that adds valueto their work, and promoting professional development opportunities.

Thank you,

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