May Is Mental Health Awareness Month
You are valid. You are important. You are worthy. Your mental health matters. These are messages I want all school counselors to know and truly receive. Remind yourself that you deserve to be healthy. Remind your students, colleagues and school community that they deserve the same thing. Let's #breakthestigma about mental health together.
The Department for Behavioral Health has put some incredible infographs together that are linked below. Please distribute these to your school community. They discuss staying mentally healthy at home, resources and contact information for people enduring domestic violence, recovery resources for substance abuse and coping with financial stress during the pandemic. Click on the attachments, download the documents and share!
Middle School EILA Opportunity
Learn from Stacey Russell (Boone County) and Amanda Warder (Bowling Green Independent) in this video.These school counselors discuss best practices and lessons learned in their own experience. Not only are these interviews helpful for middle school counselors, but they can help counselors from all levels!
In Warder's interview, she mentions an emotional check-in that she uses through Google Forms. You may view the emotional check-in form, bu please do not complete it.
After watching the video, send an email to Kristen Jarboe requesting your certificate.
Check Out KDE's COVID-19 School Counseling Page and Graduation Requirements Page
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has a dedicated school counseling page filled with resources for school counselors. We recently added a resource on how school counselors can have a tiered response to the pandemic. We hope you take a look!
We also have a page that answers frequently asked questions in reference to graduation requirements and considerations.
Counselor’s advisory group discusses importance of staying connected with students during COVID-19 crisis
(FRANKFORT, KY) – The Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE) School Counselor Advisory Council (SCAC) met virtually May 13 and stressed the importance of not only staying connected with students as they complete the 2019-2020 school year but also remaining connected throughout the summer.
You can read the story about the meeting on Kentucky Teacher, view the agenda and watch a video of the meeting.
Pushout is Free Until 6/16/2020
Girls of color experience discriminatory, punitive and unfair treatment in schools at alarming rates. Take a deep dive into the practices, cultural beliefs and policies that disrupt one of the most important factors in girls' lives: education. Watch Pushout for free until June 16.
Special Student-to-Student Survey from the Prichard Committee
I know we’re bumping up against the very end of school, but I am making a special request. This is a special survey that I would very much appreciate you have your students take.
The survey was designed by high school students from Kentucky’s Prichard Committee Student Voice Team in consultation with research experts to gather feedback from students across the state about what they experienced at home and at school during the COVID-19 school closures. It is the first statewide student-driven study of its kind.
The results will be published this summer and presented to the Kentucky Board of Education and other policymakers in order to help them figure out ways to make schools better as we come out of the crisis.
The survey should take no more than about 10 minutes to complete and is anonymous. Please post this survey to encourage and enlist student participation.
KDE will prioritize students’ academic, mental health needs when schools reopen
Meeting the academic and mental health needs of students will be a top priority for the staff of the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) as the agency helps schools and districts prepare for the eventual return of students to their classrooms.
KDE staff members addressed issues within both areas May 6 during a virtual meeting of the Local School Board Members Advisory Council.
>> Read More <<
Now Playing: Virtual Bus to Business!
Bus to Business is a statewide initiative focused on connecting students with employers. The goal of the program is to show students what career pathways exist in their communities.
During these days of non-traditional learning and working from home, the Kentucky Chamber Workforce Center has partnered with the Kentucky Department of Education to provide students the ability to learn about different careers with Virtual Bus to Business.
Four video interviews have premiered that feature leaders from across the state as they discuss their different industries and the pathways they took to lead them to where they are today. Available videos can be found on this YouTube channel and we have created two playlists: one for elementary school students, and one for middle and high school students. Download the student and teacher guide.
Videos now streaming include:
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Ashli Watts, president and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
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Nick Rowe, president of Kentucky American Water
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Daniel Cameron, attorney general of Kentucky
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Suzanne Cecil White, Cecil Farms Produce
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Adam Hinton, Hinton Mills
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Nico Casper and Ashley Mandel, UPS
Make sure you are subscribed and ready to tune in and learn about all of the great career opportunities in Kentucky. Stay tuned for more interviews!
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Check out Too Good for Drug Virtual Lessons
Kentucky’s Regional Prevention Centers (RPCs) across the state are excited to share "Too Good for Drugs" lessons virtually. These lessons are available to all Kentucky students and can be accessed by visiting the "Too Good for Drugs" webpage.
Please note, currently lessons are available for grades 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and high school, but the remainder will be available soon. If you would like an email notification when grades K, 2 and 8 are available, email Laura Edwards.
Each grade has 10 lessons and pre/post-tests that are linked for evaluation purposes. Each student who watches is asked to complete the corresponding pre/post-test found on the page with the lessons.
The "Too Good for Drugs" curriculum (training and materials) for your entire school is now free through the RPCs. The only requirement is that schools agree to participate in the program evaluation and also review policies and procedures related to substance use and mental health processes and updates when needed. RPC staff will discuss the requirements with the school’s administration during an onboarding process.
For more information, contact your RPC.
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