<![CDATA[Lancaster County School Counselors Association - Blog]]>Fri, 31 Oct 2025 04:23:04 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[Fall 2025 Meeting Recap PBIS & MTSS Integration]]>Thu, 30 Oct 2025 16:04:13 GMThttp://www.lcsca.net/blog/fall-2025-meeting-recap-pbis-mtss-integrationCore Features of Integrated MTSS/PBIS and the School Counselors Role
Thank you to the 40 individuals who attended our Fall meeting hosted by Thaddeus Stevens. We had members join us from Cocalico, Conestoga Valley, ELANCO, Ephrata, Hempfield, IU13, Lancaster County CTC, Manheim Central, Manheim Township, SDOL, Solanco, and Warwick. We also had grad students from Millersville and Lancaster Bible College and one retiree in attendance.

Following a welcome from Megan Dancause, Director of Admissions and Marketing at Stevens, we welcomed Chris Cherny, an Assistant Director with PATTAN Harrisburg for a conversation about integration of MTSS and other supports. Chris shared the resources available from PATTAN for districts, including: Professional Development, Critical Supports, Emergent Supports, Systemic Supports. PA Educators can utalize:  PATTAN Conferences, PATTAN Publications,  PATTAN POD Youtube. Chris discussed common myths about MTSS and PBIS integration and the ways that we can combat these myths in our buildings. Counselors in attendance at the meeting shared ideas and progress on MTSS and PBIS in their buildings.


We then held a counselor discussion about needs that we're seeing in our schools and how we can best support each other. Topics included resource sharing, attendance issues, tracking career artifacts, and bringing back Zoom coffee chats.

If you still have to register with LCSCA for the 2025-26 school year, please complete our membership form here. Dues remain just $10! Around Thanksgiving, communication will only be sent to paid members. Additionally, we have a need for LCSCA board officers! We are currently seeking a Vice President and Secretary. If you'd like to get involved in your local counselor community, please respond to this email and let us know!

Finally, we will be hosting a winter holiday social on the afternoon of Thursday, December 11th. Look for more details to come!


]]><![CDATA[Lancaster, Lebanon, & York County Online College Fair]]>Tue, 22 Sep 2020 15:39:21 GMThttp://www.lcsca.net/blog/lancaster-lebanon-york-county-online-college-fairAnnouncing a online College fair for high school students in Lancaster County, Lebanon County, York County, and other students from this region on Monday, November 2nd from 11am-1pm.

The Lancaster County School Counselors Association and Millersville University are organizing this online college fair. 

For High School Students

Discover your options with a local Online College Fair. Over 50 colleges, trade schools, community colleges, and military representatives will be online November 2nd from 11:00am-1:00pm. Sign-up at http://millersville.edu/collegefair and you will get a link to join the event on slate platform. 
​During the event you will have the opportunity to hear presentations from 8 different colleges of your choice. Following the event you will get information to follow-up with colleges you may have not gotten the change to hear from. A list of colleges participating will be provided prior to the event. 
​
College Fair Agenda & List of Schools
File Size: 55 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

For School Counselors

Below are some files you can use to promote this event with students and organize how you are utilizing this at your school. 
lcsca_online_college_fair_flyer_final__1_.pdf
File Size: 139 kb
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lcsca_online_college_fair_square_final__1_.pdf
File Size: 139 kb
File Type: pdf
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lcsca_college_fair Agenda.pdf
File Size: 107 kb
File Type: pdf
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LCSCA_College Fair Picture for Social Media.png
File Size: 114 kb
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If your students and families need something afterschool hours, we recommend you refer them to the NACAC College Fairs on Sundays and the PACAC Keystone College Exploration Sessions. 
School Counselors will get a list on October 29th of students who registered.

For Colleges

You are invited to present at an Online College Fair on November 2nd  at 11:00am-1:00pm.  The Lancaster School Counselors Association is collaborating with Millersville University to host an Online College Fair for the students in Lancaster, Lebanon, and York County, or other students who identify as being from this region.  Please RSVP by October 15th.

Attached you will find the agenda for November 2nd. Colleges will be grouped by type to make it easier for students to identify the schools they want to hear from. Students will be able to hear presentations from eight (8) schools.  You will have ten (10) minutes in each of your three (3) scheduled blocks to share information about your institution and programs. How you deliver information within the block is up to your discretion – PowerPoint stack, Q&A, etc. If students wish to remain for a few minutes after your presentation to chat directly with you, this is acceptable, but please encourage them to take advantage of all the opportunities this day offers.

Please note, this is in leu of the College Night hosted at Conestoga Valley and Education Day at Penn Manor.  Hopefully in the future we will be able to return to traditional college fairs. 
lcsca_college_fair_with_link__1_.pdf
File Size: 105 kb
File Type: pdf
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Many Thanks...

Thank you to the High School Counselors helping put this event together from Ephrata, Manheim Central, Penn Manor, Pennsylvania College Advising Corps, Pequea Valley, Stone Independent School, Warwick, Veritas Academy, and Eastern Lebanon County. Counselors at Hempfield, School District of Lancaster, Solanco, and Cocalico provided input in the early planning process. 
]]><![CDATA[Counselor Connection during COVID 19]]>Tue, 31 Mar 2020 13:55:04 GMThttp://www.lcsca.net/blog/counselor-connection-during-covid-19LCSCA is hoping to try to help and support you during this transition time. 

Resource sharing:
There are so many emails and social media posts going around about resources.  If you are curating some resources for your community, feel free to submit it on this form below and the results will be shared with the LCSCA Listserve and maybe beyond. https://forms.gle/jRYUhz1XdHJ39rFW7
Once you submit an answer, you will be able to view other answers.

Continued Connection and Sharing: 
We want to connect & consult with others during this time, so we will be meeting again on Tuesday, March 31st for a casual chat. I am doing two sessions, an 8:00 am "Coffee Chat" or join me for a 4:00 pm "Happy Hour" Join whichever works in your schedule!  Check your email from Lori Casanova for the zoom link, or email Dana.wile@ pennmanor.net

What do you need help with? 
LCSCA would like to adapt to these changing times, so bring your thoughts about what you need help with to the chats above. If you can't make it to one of the chats, then send me an email with what you need support with.  The ideas so far are tips for hosting and facilitating virtual parent meetings (like 504s), and how to connect the seniors in Lancaster county to help them have a good experience despite social distancing. 

AP/SAT
The College Board is running counselor support sessions on April 3rd and April 9th. If there is a need to have a more local chat, please let me know your interest. ]]><![CDATA[PA Computer Science for All 2020 Summit]]>Tue, 03 Mar 2020 17:42:48 GMThttp://www.lcsca.net/blog/pa-computer-science-for-all-2020-summitCall for Counselors at the  PENNSYLVANIA COMPUTER SCIENCE FOR ALL SUMMIT

“As one of the fastest growing sectors in Pennsylvania’s economy, there are over 18,000+ unfilled computer science jobs with an average salary of $80,000 and a projected growth of up to 26% annually. To help meet this career demand and fill the gap, Pennsylvania, under the leadership of Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary Pedro Rivera, is working to create and offer opportunities for every learning in computer science.”

The Pennsylvania Department of Education, NCWIT Counselors 4 Computers and Pennsylvania School Counselors Association will host workshops centered around “Career Advising for 21st Century Careers and Tech Tools”, and “Technology Leadership Institute”. The workshops have two majors goals. First, to expand school counselors' understanding of  computing related careers to better equip our students with the knowledge and skills to integrate their passions in the rapidly changing labor market. Second, to expand school counselors' personal technology toolbox to find ways to make our practices more efficient and sustainable.

Thursday and Friday will expand on the topics from the first day. Counselors will gain a deeper understanding of current and emerging topics of career education as integrated with the CEWs, career portfolios,  and the new world of work. The Leadership Institute will explore how to foster design-based thinking, exploring labor trends in digital technology, encourage women and underrepresented students in computing careers, how computing careers can help students rise out of poverty. Join us to learn how to advocate for more Computer Science in your own district. 
RSVP Today! http://bit.ly/2OLQHUC 

*Counselors who participate in both will get the stipend for each, and travel reimbursement from the 23-26th at the government rate. Pre-register for hotel information and more details. 

Cost: FREE
Lodging and Travel expense covered for those coming out of the area*



School Counseling Tech Tools &  Career Advising for 21st Century  Careers
Wednesday,  June 24, 2020 
8:30 am-7:00pm
$50 Stipend for participation


Technology Leadership Institute for School Counselors
Thursday, June 25, 2020
8:30 am-4:30pm
Friday, June 26, 2020
8:30am-1:30pm
$50 Stipend for participation 



]]><![CDATA[PA Computer Science for All Summit- School Counselor Track]]>Wed, 25 Apr 2018 14:24:55 GMThttp://www.lcsca.net/blog/pa-computer-science-for-all-summit-school-counselor-trackPENNSYLVANIA COMPUTER SCIENCE FOR ALL SUMMITJUNE 26 -28, 2018PaTTAN Harrisburg
Raising awareness, elevating best practices, and providing professional learning for educators
C4C & CS for ALL announcement to PSCA
Tech tools for Counselors
As one of the fastest growing sectors in Pennsylvania’s economy, there are over 18,000+ unfilled computer science jobs with an average salary of $80,000 and a projected growth of up to 26% annually. To help meet this career demand and fill the gap, Pennsylvania, under the leadership of Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary Pedro Rivera, is working to create and offer opportunities for every learning in computer science. Counselors are invited to the Pennsylvania Computer Science for All Summit (PA CS for ALL) as a key stakeholder in the effort help increase access to this job market for underrepresented populations and students from across the commonwealth.  

Pennsylvania School Counselors Association (PSCA) and National Center for Women In Technology (NCWIT) have partnered to offer "Counselors 4 Computing" - a series of workshops at the PA CS for ALL summit on “Tech Tools for Counselors” and “Career Advising for 21st Century Careers”. The workshops have two majors goals. First, to expand school counselors understanding of the computing related careers to better equip our students with the knowledge to integrate their passions with computing career options. Second, to expand school counselors personal technology toolbox to find ways to make our practices more efficient and sustainable.

The PA CS for ALL summit is being coordinated to offer education to a variety of teachers, school leaders, and stakeholders. This will be a great opportunity for collaboration between school counselors, administration, and teachers. Along with Counselor 4 Computing and Tech Tools for Counselors, there will be opportunity for elementary school teachers to get certified in CS Fundamentals through Code.org; opportunities for school administrators to learn about building Pathways from K to the Workforce and learn about National & Local trends in Computer Science Policy; opportunities for current computer science teachers to build knowledge and skill sets to enhance current curriculum offerings.

Submit your information to be notified via email when registration officially opens.

]]><![CDATA[December 2017 Recap]]>Thu, 14 Dec 2017 17:43:01 GMThttp://www.lcsca.net/blog/december-2017-recapHello everyone,
The 12/12 LCSCA meeting was informative and relevant! Thank you to our presenters. Below are some notes from our presenters, as well as links to helpful sites and the attached Powerpoint presentation (attached) from our “keynote” speaker, Beth Olanoff, Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Department of Education, who shared important information about the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
 
Lancaster County Academy:
New Director, Emily Fields, shared information about LCA (the “Mall School”): LCA currently partners with ten districts in Lancaster County to provide an alternative pathway to academic success for students for whom life has “gotten in the way”. Interested students must complete an enrollment test, upon which they must demonstrate at least an 8th grade base reading level to be accepted. LCA is staffed with highly qualified teachers as well as a certified School Counselor (Deborah Schmidt), making it an academically rigorous and relevant program. This is not cyber school! The partnering school districts pay for a certain number of seats at LCA. LCA graduates earn a dual high school diploma, that includes the name of their sending school district, and they may participate in commencement ceremonies at their home school as well as at LCA’s own commencement. Hours of attendance are flexible… students are required to attend three hours per day, but they may set their own schedule between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday and8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Transportation is NOT provided, however, an advantage of being located at Park City Mall is that there is frequent public transportation available.
 
Millersville University:
Katie Ferrier (Director of Admissions) and Josh Belice (Assistant Director of Admissions) spoke about the upcoming PACAC College Fair, scheduled for March 15, 2018 at Millersville. The fair will include over 100 two- and four-year post-secondary institutions, and is free to students from high schools across the county. Registration starts on or about January 10. A grant has been obtained that will allow M.U. to provide money for bus transportation for schools wishing to bring groups of students. It is primarily for juniors and sophomores. Josh provided an update on new academic programs at M.U., as well as campus renovations. Interesting factoid: Millersville produces more students going on for PhD’s than any other state school! A very special thank you to Millersville for once again hosting our meeting and graciously providing a delicious dinner for those in attendance!
 
The Janus School:
Janet Gillespie, Head of the Janus School, provided comprehensive information about the new Transitions program at this important school. The Transitions program at was developed to help students with special needs (i.e. Executive Function Disorder, high functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Developmental Learning Differences) cross the bridge between high school and adulthood. The program is open to students who have completed 12th grade and are between the ages of 18 and 21, and offers apprenticeships, college preparation, and employment skills through the National Work Readiness program and programs such as Project Ready in Lancaster. Students can also earn OSHA certifications, and participate in internships in a variety of settings. Students who have graduated and been out of school for one to two years are eligible as well. They must have completed a neuropsych evaluation within the three years prior to enrollment. Eligible students do not need to have attended the Janus School prior to joining the Transitions program. An open house is scheduled for Thursday, January 25 at 6:00 p.m. at the Janus School, 205 Lefever Road, Mt. Joy, PA. For more information, please contact Janet at 717-653-0025, ext. 101, or jgillespie@thejanusschool.org
 
Keynote Presentation on ESSA:
Finally, our keynote speaker, Beth Olanoff, provided us with the attached Powerpoint presentation and the links below. Thank you to Beth for an informative, interesting, and entertaining presentation!!
 
Chapter 339 Guidance Services And Audit: http://www.education.pa.gov/Documents/K-12/Career%20and%20Technical%20Education/CEWStandards/Resources/339CounselingPlan/Chapter%20339%20Audit%20Documentation%20and%20Evidence%20Guide.pdf
 
PDE’s Chapter 339 resources and toolkit: http://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/PACareerStandards/Resources/Pages/339CounselingPlan.aspx#tab-1
 
State-by-state analysis of “Good Jobs That Pay Without A BA”:https://goodjobsdata.org/wp-content/uploads/Good-Jobs-States.pdf
 
A Comparison of the College Outcomes of AP and Dual Enrollment Students:https://research.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/publications/2014/7/comparison-college-outcomes-ap-and-dual-enrollment-students-progress.pdf

LCSCA Members were emailed the powerpoint presentation.  Please contact us if you would like more information. 

]]><![CDATA[Restorative Justice in the School- December 2016 Meeting]]>Fri, 16 Dec 2016 02:20:09 GMThttp://www.lcsca.net/blog/restorative-justice-in-the-school-december-2016-meetingThank you to Millersville University for hosting the December 2016 meeting of the Lancaster County School Counselor’s Association! After dinner, Mila Pilz of a local Conflict Resolution Services organization and Chris Fitz of the Center for Community Peacemaking led us through a thought-provoking presentation on Restorative Justice Practices for Schools. For those who could not make the meeting, I would highly recommend reviewing the websites for both organizations to learn more about the services offered and the topic of restorative justice.
Announcements:
  • Please keep an eye out for two upcoming events hosted by Millersville University: Counselor Information Day for all PASSHE universities and a PACAC college fair in March.
  • Fran Rodrigues from the Community Foundation Scholarship Program presented financial aid opportunities that are available to high school students in Lancaster County through the Community Foundation.
  • Lisa Fulton provided information about the value of a RAMP designated counseling program and recommended the implementation guide published by ASCA for further insight to developing and implementing a RAMP designated program.
Thank you to everyone who could attend this month’s meeting! We look forward to seeing everyone in the New Year!
Happy Holidays,
Laura Witt, LCSCA Board Representative ]]><![CDATA[Cultural Competency in Counseling- May Meeting]]>Fri, 06 May 2016 22:03:16 GMThttp://www.lcsca.net/blog/cultural-competency-in-counseling-may-meetingThe final LCSCA meeting of the 2015-2016 school year was a success! Thank you to the Pathways Center for Grief and Loss for hosting our event, and to the Pittsburgh Technical Institute for providing a delicious breakfast. The meeting started with a brief introduction by several of the center’s staff members about the background and mission of the organization, as well many of its bereavement services for children, teens and adults. Some of these services include grief groups, bereavement camps, and collaborations with schools. For more information about the many services that this organization provides, please click here.

PSCA updates were given by Lisa Fulton, PSCA President, which included the following:
  • ASCA has recently revised many of its ethical guidelines. Please watch your email or see the PSCA website for an opportunity to offer feedback to these changes via Google Forms.
  • PSCA members should also watch their email for opportunities to vote in the upcoming election for PSCA Board Members.
  • Next year’s PSCA Conference will be held on December 1-2, 2016 at the Nittany Lion Inn in State College, PA. More information to follow.
Sharon Zortman from the Pittsburgh Technical Institute was also present to offer information about many of the programs available at PTI. This institution offers many great opportunities for students who are interested in two-year Associate’s of Science programs. Please see the PTI website for more information.

Latania Shell of Diversity Works Counseling also led us through a very engaging and informative program about multicultural counseling with a presentation titled, “Professional School Counselors Incorporating Multiculturalism into Counseling/School Counseling Curriculums.” This program included information regarding ASCA’s position statements regarding multiculturalism, models in which Racial/Cultural Identity can be assessed, and action plans for enhancing one’s own cultural understanding. This presentation will be sent out via the LSCA listserv, and will be added to the website. I would encourage all members to the review the presentation in order to provide reflection on one’s own multicultural understanding. 
​
Congratulations to three of our members who are retiring at the end of the school year, Rosemary Minder (Ephrata High School), James Yearsley (Penn Manor High School) and Carl Frederick (McCaskey East High School). Thank you for your years of service to the field!

Mike Resh (Landisville Primary Center) was also recognized for his recent award of Elementary School Counselor of the Year. Congratulations, Mike!
 
We hope that everyone has a successful end of the school year and look forward to seeing everyone in the fall. Have a great summer! 
-Laura Witt, LSCA Board Graduate Student Representative]]><![CDATA[PSCA Conference 2016: Race and the School Counselor]]>Wed, 17 Feb 2016 21:53:56 GMThttp://www.lcsca.net/blog/psca-conference-2016-race-and-the-school-counselorSteve Sharp, Madelyn Husted, Nick Miron, Matthew Shervington, and Dana Wile
As school counselors, our goals include being agents of change and should extend to preparing students be leaders in their community. This presentation will provide participants with a framework for student-led and counselor-led activities which can be implemented at a regional or building-level on salient/contemporary issues, such as anti-racism.The Leadership Summit: Dialogues on Race will be highlighted. The Leadership Summit is a county-wide program, inspiring and empowering students towards social justice action. 

    Would you like learn more about the Leadership Summit: Dialogues on Racism?

]]><![CDATA[February Meeting Notes]]>Thu, 04 Feb 2016 13:01:30 GMThttp://www.lcsca.net/blog/february-meeting-notes​Happy National School Counselor’s Week!
 
This month’s meeting took place at Lancaster Bible College’s Trust Performing Arts Center in the heart of downtown Lancaster. We enjoyed a delicious spread from Panera Bread, contributed by our community partners. A huge thank you goes out to Kevin Gero and Josh Nixon, our local contact, from Universal Technical Institute. Kevin presented on the benefit of a technical education at UTI and provided useful information for school counselors working with students deciding on a career path.
 
Thank you also to Mila Pilz, from Conflict Resolution Services (formerly Lancaster Mediation Center), who shared information about continuing education credits through Bryn Mawr college as well as the mediation services provided by the organization. You can access more information about these services at http://conflictservicespa.org/
 
Additionally, as a wonderful “treat”, Wynne Kinder and Christen Cosia of Wellness Works led us through a mindfulness workshop. By understanding what it means to be mindful and how we can tap into our mindfulness resources, we can achieve less stress and learn how to reset ourselves. More information on Wellness Works can be found at http://www.mindfulyoga.com/programs/index.htm.
 
Announcements from PSCA:
  • The 60th Annual PSCA Conference is less than two weeks away! This year’s theme is School Counselors: Leading with Purpose and Passion. Pre-Conference starts on Wednesday, February 17th. The Conference runs from Thursday, February 18th to Saturday, February 20th at the Hershey Lodge.
    • Lancaster County’s own, Mike Resch, will be recognized as Pennsylvania’s School Counselor of the Year. 
 
Announcements from LCSCA:
  • The LCSCA board will be seeking new candidates for the President and Treasurer positions. This could be an opportunity for you to take on a new leadership role! Please email Steve Sharp if you are interested in joining the board Stephen_sharp@hempfieldsd.org 
  • Potential new program for LCSCA members: "Invite, Invest, Inspire", where school counselors will have an opportunity to discuss situations of concern and share resources.  Everything will be confidential – just an opportunity to get ideas and helpful suggestions.  We are inviting you to become invested and inspire each other!   Participation can help meet Domain 4 of the school counselor evaluation and a leadership opportunity for LCSCA Members. Look out in email for more information. 
    *Idea adopted from Central Virginia School Counselors Association
  • Millersville University will be hosting a 6 credit graduate course in Switzerland this summer. The topic is the Psychology of Sustainability and Building Resilient Communities. Consider the opportunity for continuing education credits.
  • Leadership Summit: Dialogues on Racism Capital Region Thursday, March 10th 2016
    Lancaster-Lebanon Region Thursday, April 7th, 2016 at Millersville University, Student Memorial Center. 5-10 Students from each district invited. 
 
Thank you to all who participated in our February Meeting. The next LCSCA meeting will be held on May 3, 2016 at 8:00am. The meeting will take place at Pathways Center for Grief and Loss. Dr. Latinia M. Shell, LPC, Diversity Works Counseling, LLC will present.
See you all again in warmer weather!

- Janet Henninger, School Counseling Graduate Student ]]>