Hello 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. 

Thank 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 

The 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

Steve 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. 

​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 

National School Counseling Week is taking place this week, February 1-5, 2016.
This is a time meant to celebrate the work of school counselors that is being done locally, regionally and nationally. To commemorate this occasion, Governor Tom Wolf has recently signed a proclamation that honors the work being done by counselors throughout Pennsylvania. Please click here to take a look at this document.
We hope that you will join us at the Trust Performing Center in Lancaster on Tuesday, February 2nd at 2pm to celebrate this occasion.
Have a great National School Counselors Week! 
​-Laura Witt, LCSCA Board Graduate Student Representative

It was great to see everyone at Millersville University for the December Meeting. Thank you to Millersville for providing the dinner and the warm welcome given by the Admissions Director, Katy Ferrier. After dinner we had a few announcements and  a presentation from Matt Wintersteen, PA Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative.  If you were not able to make the meeting, I highly recommend that you review the training videos available from PAYSPI online at http://payspi.org/news-and-events/gls/schools/act71/, located on the bottom of the ACT 71 page. 
Announcements from PSCA: 

• If you renew or join ASCA before January 31st, you will receive a free "School Counselor, not Guidance" t-shirt from ASCA. Even if you are a summer renewal cycle, renewal now will count next year.  
• PSCA Conference rates will go up after December 30th. Register now! 

 Announcements from LCSCA

• Leadership Summit: Dialogues on Racism will be in Lancaster County on April 7th, 2016 at Millersville University open to all IU 13 schools to send 10 students from their district. There will also be a Capital Region Leadership Summit: Dialogues on Racism on March 10th, 2016 at Penn State Harrisburg. 

Thank you for those who could attend this month! Below is the powerpoint from the presentation. 
Happy Holidays!    
                - Dana Wile

Please register your schools and have your students register individually for the Lancaster Youth Youth Leadership Summit: Dialogues on Race. Please register your school so we know the contact person for each school sending students and have the students register individually so they can select their break-out session preference. 
#leadforchange