R10 Counselor Conversations

🔘 51st Edition: August 2024 🔘

"Be Good to Yourself"

Welcome to the August Edition of the R10 Counselor Conversations Newsletter!

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! As we embark on this new journey, remember to "Be Good to Yourself."

Your dedication and hard work inspire us every day. It's essential to take care of your well-being to continue making a positive impact on your students and community. Prioritize self-care, seek support when needed, and never forget the incredible difference you make in the lives of those you serve.

Let's make this year extraordinary by lifting each other up and embracing the challenges and triumphs that come our way.

Here's to a fantastic school year ahead!

Warm regards,

Amanda and Nickisha

2024-2025 School Counselor Fall Training Calendar

The New ApplyTexas Application Is Ready!

Aug 13, 2024 10:00 AM
This will be an extended two-hour session that will highlight student navigation, the Counselor Suite, and how to connect to My Texas Future.

Learnings from the 24-25 FAFSA and Preparing for 25-26

Aug 21, 2024 1:00 PM
uAspire will share strategies and best practices to make the 25-26 FAFSA a much better experience for students.

Texas Suicide Prevention Symposium

September 18 -19, 2024
Hampton Inn Mesquite
1700 Rodeo Drive
Mesquite, Texas 75149

FREE Hatching Results Webinar

September 20, 2024 11:00 AM
Proactive Strategies for Creating a Welcoming and Inclusive School for All Students

Illuminate the Path: Better Together Mental Health and Education Conference

October 9, 2024
400 East Spring Valley Richardson, TX 75081

Cynthia Scott

The shortage of school counselors in Texas is a growing concern, impacting the ability of students to receive the guidance they need. Amid this challenge, Cynthia Scott stands out as a beacon of dedication and passion. Despite retiring in 2017 after 31 years of service, Cynthia continues to serve as a substitute counselor, driven by her unwavering love for students.

Throughout her career, Cynthia worked across elementary, middle, and high schools, providing invaluable support and helping countless students navigate their educational paths. Her deep commitment to student well-being has always been her driving force.

Even in retirement, Cynthia remains actively engaged in the field. She regularly attends professional development opportunities at Region 10, ensuring she stays updated with the latest counseling strategies and techniques. Her dedication to lifelong learning and her continued service exemplify her enduring commitment to making a difference.

Cynthia Scott's journey highlights not only the critical need to address the counselor shortage in Texas but also the profound impact one dedicated individual can have. Her story is a powerful reminder of the importance of supporting and expanding the school counseling profession to ensure every student has access to the guidance they need.

Calling all counselors in Region 10! 🌟 We're on a mission to spotlight the incredible initiatives happening across our region. Whether you've orchestrated a stellar program, organized a memorable event, or teamed up with colleagues for a triumph, we want to hear about it! Share your success stories and let's celebrate the fantastic work happening in our schools. Your creativity and dedication deserve the spotlight – spill the details and inspire others in the process. Together, let's showcase the greatness within Region 10!

SCHOLAR 📩 School Counselor Handbook Online Resources

The site supports each aspect of implementing the Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling, 5th edition. Bookmark and visit the site often for resources, templates, lessons, and more.

Texas Model Alignment Checklist

Plan your work and work your plan for the 24-25 school year.

School Counselor Requirement & Resource Document

Election Conversations: The School Counselor’s Role

ASCA resource on how school counselors address election conversations through a school counseling program.

TEA Sample Calendar

This resource was developed by Stephanie Lerner. Counselors may use it to help them with their monthly planning and goals. This document provides monthly guidance topics and major projects/events by month.

Topic of the Month by Counselor Chelsey

Counselor Chelsey provides this resource as a planning tool for counselors.

NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL & HEALTH AWARENESS DATES 2024-2025 CALENDAR

This resource was shared by the American School Counselor Association. It is a 2024-2025 Calendar of National Recognized awareness dates. Counselors may choose to use this to help plan guidance lessons.

Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions: Exploring the Emotion Wheel

Emotions can be confusing! But what if you could explore them in an emotion wheel, and dig deeper with a simply powerful emotions list? The Plutchik Model of Emotions provides a simply logical way to make sense of feelings. Support students in broadening their emotional vocabulary and understanding how various emotions are interconnected and beneficial.

Check-In Generator

Use this generator to start staff meetings, small groups, or guidance lessons. Filter the check-ins by the atmosphere you’re trying to create. Select from Caring, Daring, Laid-Back, and Work-Focused.

Classroom Music For Kids | Distraction-Free Instrumental Covers Playlist

Lil Jon - Relieve Anxiety

If you are interested in more information on free parent or student presentations, please contact:

Tony Newsom

Office Number: 214-671-3354

Email Address: Anthony.Newsom@dallascityhall.com

Presenter - Tony Newsom Biography

Parent & Educators Presentation Summary

Student Presentation Summary

🎓Graduation Toolkit🎓

The foundation high school program and endorsements help students focus their interest, select their coursework, and better plan for their postsecondary training and education.

As you might recall, ApplyTexas underwent a significant update over the summer. Consequently, school districts need to submit new MOUs with ApplyTexas. ApplyTexas will contact districts individually regarding this. Meanwhile, ESC contacts for ApplyTexas accounts have been instructed not to renew counselor logins at this time. However, you should still be able to access the old counselor suite until your account expires.

For Apply Texas access or technical support, please contact Elaine Fackler at elaine.fackler@region10.org

TxCAN Financial Aid Resource Hub

Online TASFA

Financial Aid Graduation Requirement - FAQs

Texas OnCourse Professional Learning Series

Effective Advising Framework

In a K-12 setting, effective advising is delivered through the individual student planning system of a comprehensive school counseling program.

Focusing on the Future - August 2024

The 2024-25 school year is starting. And, as counselors and advisers, getting your seniors ready for the college admission process is top priority. Many schools utilize different methods to share college/career planning including through classroom and parent meeting presentations.

In addition to school related resources, Texas students can find information on colleges, careers and financial aid through the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s College for All Texans website. This can be a good place for students to start planning, as it is important for them to take ownership of the process.

The following tips can help:

*Brainstorm and create a list of possible careers and college majors.

*Use the list of possible college majors to research and match college programs.

*Narrow their list of colleges to 5 and not more than 10.

*Use their college list to view websites and request information from the colleges.

Most of the Texas colleges and universities use the Apply Texas application or the Common Application. Some colleges still use their own institutional application.

Many colleges and universities have been test optional for the past few years and have not required ACT or SAT scores for admission. However, policies change. Remind students that the website of their institutions of interest is the best place for updated information on current admission application, testing and other requirements for the Class of 2025.

Veronica Adams, M.S. LPC Ella Professional Advising Counseling, Consulting, PLLC.

Mental Health Resource Toolkit

Mental Health Resources in Spanish

Free Online Courses Related to School Mental Health

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

PAX Good Behavior Game

FREE RESOURCES AVAILABLE

PAXIS and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission have partnered to offer free training to those working with children or families in both in-school and out-of-school settings throughout Texas.

The PAX Good Behavior Game® (PAX GBG) is a school-based, classroom preventative intervention used by educators to teach self-regulation. PAX GBG is not a set of lessons or a curriculum but strategies teachers use throughout their day to build students’ behavioral skills and stamina for focused attention and on-task behavior. Training opportunities include live-virtual and online options. All Region 10 LEAs have free access to this resource.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Fabian Hypolite - Fabian.hypolite@region10.org

YAM Youth Aware of Mental Health

North Texas Behavioral Health Authority (NTBHA)

Region 10 Community Resources Database

TEA School Safety Resources

School Behavioral Threat Assessment: 88th Legislative Session Update

How to Recognize and Report Child Abuse or Neglect

The Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC)

Texas Legislature Bills About School Counseling

As you know, the 88th Legislation recently ended and there were items passed that will effect all school counseling programs. Check out this resource to help you follow along with all the changes.

Texas Education for Homeless Children and Youth

Resources and services to ensure that all Texas children living in homeless situations have the opportunity to enroll in, attend, and succeed in school.

Updated TEA Help Desk

The TEA Help Desk has a few new or updated buttons, such as curriculum, CTE, and certification. Find them all here: https://helpdesk.tea.texas.gov/

Texas Virtual School Network

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) provides online courses to eligible students through the Texas Virtual School Network (TXVSN).

Updated LOTE Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

An updated FAQ document for LOTE curriculum and graduation requirements has been published on the TEA LOTE webpage.

Texas SPED Support Website

Discover resources and learning opportunities from experts in the field.

Career and Technical Education

Programs of Study Update

Refreshed Career and Technical Education programs of study will be implemented beginning with the 2024-2025 school year. The current programs of study went into effect in the 2020-2021 school year, allowing Texas to meet the federal program approval requirements within the Strengthening CTE for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V). The Texas Perkins State Plan included a commitment to reviewing programs of study every four years to ensure they continue to meet the needs of the Texas workforce. As the culmination of that four-year review cycle, the refreshed programs of study are now final.

Resources that support implementation of refreshed programs of study beginning in the 2024-2025 school year are available on the TEA website.

Individual Graduation Committees

Updated guidance and frequently asked questions on IGCs are now available to provide districts and charter schools with additional support for implementation and documentation of IGCs.