Day 1 - Happy National School Counseling Week!!!

OK State Dept of Ed sent this bulletin at 02/01/2021 12:38 PM CST

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Day ONE of National School Counseling Week - February 1-5

ALL in for ALL Students

National School Counseling Week is celebrated yearly to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors and highlight the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve social, emotional, academic, and college and career success.

Often school counselors feel that they are “tooting their own horn” by celebrating National School Counseling Week (NSCW). However, we encourage school counselors to instead view National School Counseling Week as a way to advocate for your school counseling program. It is a week dedicated to showing students, caregivers, educators, administrators, school boards, the community, and other stakeholders the vital services and supports provided by school counselors!

National School Counseling Week at the Blue Whale of Catoosa!

Each day this week, you will find an email in your inbox about National School Counseling Week. You will also find that the “National School Counseling Week” sign will be traveling around to neat parts of our state. We encourage you to participate! Please share where your National School Counseling Week sign has traveled to in your unique and special community or even if it is in your own backyard!

Today, we are celebrating National School Counseling Week at the Blue Whale of Catoosa on historic Route 66!

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Daily Photo Challenge

Today’s photo challenge is “I’m All In for my students because…” We cannot wait to see your response. Be sure and email your photo to sarah.kirk@sde.ok.gov or post it on social media with the hashtags #NSCW21, #OklahomaSchoolCounselor, and #OklaEd

Check out this video from elementary school counselor, Oklahoma School Counselor of the Year, and OSCA President, Mrs. Smith, from Norman Public Schools, as she shares why she is “all in for her students!”

Daily Did You Know?

Did you know that Oklahoma will have a brand new Comprehensive School Counseling Framework released in early summer 2021? Oklahoma’s last school counseling guide was published in 2004. The new Framework will be aligned with ASCA’s comprehensive school counseling National Model and will be individualized to the needs of all Oklahoma school counselors. What are you looking forward to most in Oklahoma’s Comprehensive School Counseling Framework?

Featured School Counselor

Today’s featured school counselor is Camille Thomas! Ms. Thomas works at Peary Elementary in Tulsa Public Schools. As a first-year school counselor, she has already demonstrated leadership as the lead of the school’s wellness team to support students and teachers. Additionally, due to the COVID-19 crisis, she has been going door to door to re-enroll students and help families. Ms. Thomas’ graduate instructor, Dr. Mary Waters, describes Ms. Thomas as “creative, hardworking, and resilient.” Thank you, Ms. Thomas, for your tireless efforts for your students and the profession of school counseling! We would also like to say “thank you” to Ms. Thomas’ site supervisor, Ms. Debbie Gilcrease, LPC, for her dedication to Ms. Thomas and the field of school counseling.

NSCW Activity Suggestions

Appreciation Certificates - Give out appreciation certificates

Morning Announcements - Get your school excited about each day of National School Counseling Week by promoting the week during morning announcements

Daily Photo Challenge -

⃞ Monday, Feb. 1: I’m All In for students because…

⃞ Tuesday, Feb. 2: I’m All In for my professional development because …

⃞ Wednesday, Feb. 3: I’m All In for collaboration because …

⃞ Thursday, Feb. 4: I’m All In for building an equitable and inclusive school because…

⃞ Friday, Feb. 5: I’m All In for school counseling because…

Daily Webinars-

⃞ Monday, Feb. 1: TeacherTalk: School Counselors Collaborating for Student Success, 3:00 p.m. CST

⃞ Tuesday, Feb. 2: State of the Profession: Protecting the School Counselor Role, 1:00 p.m. CST

⃞ Wednesday, Feb. 3: State of the Profession: School Counselors Respond to COVID-19, 1:00 p.m. CST

⃞ Thursday, Feb. 4: State of the Profession: School Counselor Demographics and DEI, 1:00 p.m. CST

⃞ Friday, Feb. 5: State of the Profession Q&A, 1:00 p.m. CST

All webinars and events (except the Monday TeacherTalk webinar, which requires registration) will be available for viewing on ASCA’s Facebook Live or ASCA On Air)

Post on Social Media - Post about your NSCW activities using the hashtags #NSCW21, #OklahomaSchoolCounselor, and #OklaEd

Bulletin Board - Decorate a bulletin board sharing all the components of your school counseling program.

Data Display in Teacher’s Lounge - Set up a display in the teacher’s lounge sharing data from your school counseling program. Think you do not have any data to share? Share the number of students you serve vs. the recommended ratio (250:1) or share the number of counseling lessons taught this school year or share the number of small groups or share the number of individual student counseling sessions.

Fun Puns - If you have a small budget to use for NSCW (ask your admin. if you don’t, you never know!), consider showing appreciation to the school staff for the ways they support the school counseling program:

“I donut know what I would do without your support of our school counseling program!” OR “If you donut know a lot about the role of the school counselor, please take a flier!” (with donuts and a handout about the role of the school counselor)
“I am EXTRA thankful for the ways you support our school counseling program!” (with Extra gum)
“Thank you for being so M&M (marvelous and magnificent)!” (with M&Ms)
“You brighten our school counseling program!” (with a highlighter)
“Thank you for your commitMINT to our school counseling program!” (with mints)
“Our school counseling program is BERRY lucky to have you!” (with berries such as strawberries, blueberries, or a berry-flavored candy)

Cards - Send cards to your favorite school counselors or school counseling mentors, thanking them for all they do for the profession of school counseling.

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