May 2026

Each May, National Mental Health Month offers us an opportunity to pause and reflect on something that deeply impacts every student who walks through our school doors: their emotional well-being. As school counselors, we have the privilege of working closely with students as they navigate not only academics, but also friendships, family challenges, identity development, and the pressures of growing up in an increasingly complex world.

In schools, mental health is not a separate issue from learning—it is the foundation of it. A student who feels anxious, overwhelmed, or disconnected may struggle to focus in class, complete assignments, or engage with peers. On the other hand, when students feel safe, supported, and understood, they are far more likely to thrive both academically and socially.

One of the most important roles we serve is helping to normalize conversations about mental health. Many students still hesitate to speak up about what they’re experiencing, often because of stigma or fear of judgment. National Mental Health Month reminds us that it’s okay to talk about feelings, to ask for help, and to support one another without shame. These are life skills just as essential as reading or math.

In our day-to-day work, we see a wide range of concerns: test anxiety, friendship conflicts, family transitions, grief, depression, and more. Sometimes students come in with clear concerns, but often they just say, “I don’t feel like myself.” Those moments matter. They are openings for connection, for listening, and for helping students build the language and tools they need to understand themselves.

Prevention is just as important as intervention. This month, and throughout the year, we focus on teaching coping strategies such as mindfulness, emotional regulation, and problem-solving. We encourage students to identify trusted adults, practice self-care, and recognize when they need support. These skills don’t just help in school—they last a lifetime.

Families and educators play a crucial role in this work. Creating an environment where students feel seen and heard can make all the difference. Simple actions—checking in with a student, validating their feelings, or giving them space to express themselves—can have a profound impact.

It’s also important to recognize that mental health challenges do not define a student. With the right support systems in place, students are incredibly resilient. I’ve witnessed students overcome significant obstacles, grow in confidence, and rediscover their strengths.

National Mental Health Month is not just about awareness—it’s about action. It’s about continuing to build school communities where mental health is prioritized, where students feel safe seeking help, and where no one has to struggle in silence.

As a school counselor, my message is simple: every student deserves to feel supported, understood, and valued. When we invest in mental health, we invest in our students’ futures—and that is work worth doing every single day.

Jana McWhorter

ARSCA Southwest President

Bearden Elementary Counselor

It's ALL HERE: Attendee, Exhibitor, Presenter Registration, along with Accommodations. Just click the link above! You can access from our website too, but both links go to the Everything Conference- Conference Tracker page.

***If you are looking for ****membership only*** Use the same link above or below.

Our 2026 ArSCA/DESE conference, “Be The Spark” is almost here. With over 50 breakout presentations planned and two dynamic keynote speakers, we believe this conference will be one to inspire and motivate all attendees to grow in knowledge and skills and to be renewed in our commitment to helping our students, their parents, and our communities.

If you have not yet made plans to attend the conference, we hope the planned presentations and the opportunity to network with counselors from across the state will encourage you to join us June 29 - July 1, 2026, in beautiful Hot Springs, AR. Please note that we will have to send in the conference shirt order with sizes by June 5th and meal count by June 15th. If your registration is received after these dates, you will not be guaranteed a conference shirt or a conference meal. We want you to have both so please go ahead and complete the registration form using this link: 2026 ArSCA & DESE School Counselor Conference and Membership Registration If you are waiting on a PO Number, go ahead and complete the registration form and place 00000 in the space asking for the number. Then when you receive your PO number, you can let our office manager, Susie Harvison, know by emailing her using the following: office@arschoolcounselor.org

Here is our 2026 Conference at a Glance:

2026 ArSCA/DESE Conference at a Glance with Numbers

**Please note that this is a tentative schedule of presentations and it is subject to change. If any changes are made to the presentations planned, we will notify attendees of the changes.

In person attendees, plan to pick up your packet at the bottom of the stairs in the Grand Lobby at the Convention Center beginning at 7:00 on Monday, June 29th. We have a great lineup of speakers beginning at 8:30, so make plans now to be there early. On Monday, lunch will be on your own. We will have information available with your registration packet about food items that will be available at the Convention Center Concession Stand and other options for lunch that will be within walking distance.

We are once again using the Conference Tracker App for you to be able to plan and log your attendance for the in-person sessions you are attending. If you have any questions about using the Conference Tracker App, please come to the ArSCA help desk for assistance.

Virtual attendees, be looking for an email during the week of June 29th that will give you instructions on when to expect the conference recordings and how to access them. Plans are for the virtual conference to begin the week of July 6, 2026, and will be available through July 31, 2026.

We are currently working on getting as many of our in person presentations as possible for virtual viewing as well. As soon as we know which sessions are going to be available for later viewing, we will add that information to the conference at a glance. All attendees will have access to the virtual options through the month of July.

Mental Health Awareness Week Flyer by Gemini (attached PDF)

Have you tried making flyers in Gemini? It's such a HUGE time saver! Check out this Mental Health Awareness Week Flyer it made for me! These are the directions I gave in my chat box:

Create a flyer for Howard Elementary School for Mental Health Awareness Week, May 4-May 8 with the following theme days: Monday-Give Yourself the Green Light to Talk about your feelings - Wear Green; Tuesday-Team Up Against Stress - Wear Your Favorite Team Jersey or a Howard Shirt; Wednesday-White Out Wednesday - Wear White to White Out Negative Thoughts; Thursday-Workout Your Worries-Wear Workout Clothes; Friday - It's Okay to be Different-Wear Mismatched Clothes or Socks. Our Mascot is a Tiger and our school colors are blue and white

You do have to proofread and make a few adjustments, but I just can't believe how easy and cute this is. Try it out!

Comprehensive School Counseling Program Requirements Each public school district shall provide a developmentally appropriate comprehensive school counseling program to aid students in academics, social/emotional needs, and career exploration and planning. The district Comprehensive School Counseling Plan, which is a reflection of the program, shall be posted on the district website under “State Required Information” no later than August 1 of each year. The requirements for the comprehensive school counseling program plan can be found in the Arkansas School Counselor Toolkit and in the Arkansas Comprehensive School Counseling Program Guide which are posted on the Arkansas Department of Education – Division of Elementary and Secondary Education - Guidance and School Counseling webpage. http://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/divisions/learning-services/guidance-and-school-counseling For specific accreditation requirements visit Standards for Accreditation

Per A.C.A. § 6-15-2911- Commissioner's Memo LS-24-042, the four major components of the Student Success Plan are:

• Guide the student along pathways to graduation

• Address accelerated learning opportunities

• Address academic deficits and interventions

• Include college and career planning components

Additionally, each student's Student Success Plan shall be reviewed annually and revised as necessary to identify the courses to be taken each year until all required core courses are completed. Upon completion of the review, the student's Student Success Plan shall be signed by the:

(a) Student;

(b) Student's parent, legal guardian, or person standing in loco parentis to the student; and

(c) School counselor.

2023 legistated changes(see pp 14-16)

Presentation on SSP from DESE Summit

Review the Success Ready Pathway Guide. This guide outlines what a success ready pathway looks like for all students in grades 9-12, however it is a useful tool for students in middle school who are initiating their Students Success Plans. The Success Ready Pathway Guide:

• Outlines each pathway course sequence.

• Identifies the merit and distinction demonstration for each pathway.

• **"Completion of a success-ready pathway leads to eligibility to earn State Distinction, by demonstrating readiness at the culmination of that pathway. Schools will have an opportunity to earn points in accountability for students graduating with merit or distinction.

• Provides additional information regarding merit and distinction opportunities for students.

This tool should be used to assist connecting Students Success Plans to student goals post graduation. Becoming a success ready graduate is a multi-year process that begins well before high school. As we continue to build career ready pathways and ensure all Arkansas graduates are success ready.

• All districts will transition to using the Launch for Students (LFS) platform to track student success plans (SSP) beginning the 2026-2027 school year. In order for a smooth transition to this platform, we ask that districts begin the following:

  • All LFS data is imported directly from eSchool.

  • For successful implementation, districts must:

• Ensure all student and staff emails are entered correctly - these control login access and communication

• Assign counselor and advisor roles accurately within eSchool so the correct users have SSP access
  Use the Counselor and Advisor Entry guidance document to complete the setup

  • Completing the above steps in advance ensures:

    • Accurate, real-time data flow

    • Reduced technical issues

    • A smooth statewide implementation

  • Additional information regarding timelines, training, and system functionality for LFS is forthcoming

ArSCA Member Counselors,

In order to be part of the ArSCA Listserv your ArSCA Membership needs to be current. If you have questions about your membership you can contact office@arschoolcounselor.org

If you have questions about the listserv please email technology@arschoolcounselor.org. Please see the link below if you need to make changes in your listserv subscription.

ArSCA Listserv Guidelines

Our counselor listserve address: https://groups.google.com/a/arschoolcounselor.org/g/arsca-listserv You won't see this group listed in your list of Google Groups (if you are a Google school).

This newsletter is sent out via the ArSCA Listserv and individually emailed to all Arkansas School Counselors. If you know of a counselor that did not receive the newsletter, please have them email us at technology@arschoolcounselor.org so we can make sure we have their infomation in order to receive our future communications.

ArSCA Legislative Update – 2026 Fiscal Session Recap

The 2026 fiscal session of the Arkansas General Assembly concluded in early May, with

lawmakers finalizing the state budget, advancing education-related policy, and setting the stage

for continued tax reform discussions.

Budget & Fiscal Priorities

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed the state’s balanced budget into law, funding

government operations for the upcoming fiscal year while maintaining a strong reserve position.

A notable component of the session included setting aside approximately $300 million for a

large-scale economic development “super project,” signaling continued emphasis on long-term

growth and workforce investment.

Tax Cuts & Economic Policy

One of the most significant outcomes of the session was the passage and signing of additional

state income tax cuts, continuing Arkansas’ multi-year effort to reduce tax burdens. Legislative

leaders and the Governor have indicated that tax reform remains a priority, with the possibility of

further action in future sessions.

Education & School Policy

Education remained a central focus, with several developments relevant to school counselors:

 Lawmakers advanced measures tied to school system restructuring and separation,

continuing broader education reform efforts.

 Reports from state education officials indicate confidence in student readiness for new

third-grade reading requirements, tied to literacy benchmarks under recent education

reforms.

 Budget allocations-maintained funding for K-12 education programs, though policy

discussions continue around implementation and long-term outcomes.

The fiscal session concluded efficiently, with legislators largely aligned on budget priorities.

However, several issues remain active heading into future sessions, including:

 Additional tax policy adjustments

 Ongoing education reform implementation

 Potential debate over how large economic development investments impact state

resources

Overall, the session reflected a continued focus on economic growth, tax reduction, and

education reform, with relatively limited conflict compared to regular legislative sessions.

For ArSCA members, the key takeaway is that while there is no counselor-specific legislation

this fiscal session, education policy changes and funding decisions continue to evolve,

particularly around literacy standards and school system structure.

TasselTIME is a comprehensive website designed by a former school counselor for school counselors. TasselTIME has been provided to Arkansas School Counselors for free for 23 years. TasselTIME is available to purchase for school use for the entire district. Many districts in Arkansas are using TasselTIME. Find out more by going to www.tasseltime.com

Sign-up for your free counselor membership here.

If your school is wanting to schedule professional development, please contact Dr. Robin Finley, robin@tasseltime.com, 479-461-9030.

Professional Development 2026 Catalog