December 2025

As the semester winds down and the buzz of holiday excitement fills the halls, December often feels like a mix of exhaustion and accomplishment. For school counselors, it’s a season of wrapping up — not just lesson plans and data, but the countless unseen moments of care, connection, and quiet victories that make a difference every day.

Before jumping into the next semester’s to-do list, take a pause to reflect, recharge, and reconnect with your purpose.

1. Reflect on Your Impact

It’s easy to get lost in what’s unfinished — the students you still worry about, the goals that shifted, the initiatives waiting for attention. But December is the perfect time to focus on what did happen:

• The student who finally trusted you enough to ask for help.

• The class lesson that sparked real discussion.

• The family that left your office feeling supported instead of alone.

Try jotting down three moments that mattered this semester — big or small — and notice how they shaped your sense of purpose.

2. Reset with Intention

Use this natural midpoint in the school year to check your compass. Ask yourself:

• What’s working well in my counseling program?

• What needs more attention in the spring?

• What boundaries or habits could help me show up with more energy and balance?

Consider setting one “recommitment goal” — a simple, meaningful intention for the next semester. For example:

“I will celebrate small wins with my students more intentionally.”
“I will protect my planning time once a week without guilt.”

3. Refill Your Cup

Counselors pour so much into others that December can easily leave the tank empty. Before the break, give yourself permission to rest without productivity. Rest is not a reward — it’s a requirement.
Try scheduling one restorative activity before the semester ends: a lunch with a colleague who lifts you up, a walk without your phone, or a few minutes of quiet reflection with a warm drink and no agenda.

4. Recognize and Appreciate

End the semester by sharing gratitude. A short handwritten note to a teacher, a thank-you email to a custodian, or a shoutout to a student leader reminds everyone that they’re seen and valued — and strengthens the community you’re part of.

As counselors, we often remind our students to reflect, reset, and take care of themselves — December is our invitation to do the same.
Step into the break with gratitude for the work you’ve done, grace for what’s still in progress, and renewed hope for the semester ahead.

Marisa Snow

ArSCA Elementary Vice President

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 2024 and each following year thereafter. 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.

Opportunity to Serve on the Crisis Recovery Team

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) is seeking school counselors interested in serving on the Crisis Recovery Team, a regional network designed to provide short-term support to schools experiencing crisis events. As part of this team, you may be called upon to assist neighboring Arkansas districts or, when needed, districts in other SREB states.

The Crisis Recovery Team mobilizes trained school counselors to help schools stabilize after critical incidents, offering support with immediate student needs, coordinated response efforts, and short-term recovery planning. Members may collaborate with local school personnel, provide emotional support services, and help ensure that students and staff are connected with the appropriate resources during and after a crisis.

Those selected will participate in required in-person training on January 21–22 in Little Rock.

If you are committed to helping schools navigate challenging situations, we encourage you to apply. The application link is attached. Deadline to apply is December 19th.

If you have additional questions, please reach out to Linda Tyree, Crisis Recovery Network Director, at linda.tyree@sreb.org.

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).

We will be removing any email accounts that are not current members of ArSCA, starting in October.

If you need to renew your ArSCA Membership, the form is linked below. If you have renewed your membership and need to change your ArSCA Listserv access, please provide the changes here: ArSCA Listserv Subscription/Email Change

From The Capital December 2025

The election cycle has begun for upcoming 2026 election cycle with the filing period for

Arkansas legislative races opened November 3, 2025, through November 12, 2025.

2026 Arkansas preferential primary election – March 3, 2026

2026 Arkansas general election – November 3, 2026

The General Assembly will convene in a fiscal session on April 8, 2026. This will be for

budget items only and will take up to thirty days unless extended by a vote of three-

fourths of the General Assembly. Pre fiscal session budget hearing will begin March 4-

6, 2026, and pre bill filing will begin March 9, 2026. We will be monitoring and reviewing

all the proposed budget bills and identifying any bills that could impact school

counselors in any way. When a proposed bill is identified to have an impact, we will

immediately send a copy of the proposed bill the ArSCA President and legislative

committee for their review.

I expect the budget session to be over within the thirty-day period set by legislative

statute.

I wish you all a blessed holiday season.

Your Lobbyist

Jeffery Hall

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.

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 22 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.