1. education
2. school

Message from the President…
TRANSFORM & TRAILBLAZE!
December 2014
By: Catie Cook Dennehy, MSCA President
www.mtschoolcounselor.org
Inside this issue:
President Message...
1
National Spotlight
2
ASCA Standards
2
Wheels on the Bus…
3
Afterthoughts on Youth
Suicide
4
ASCA Standards (cont.) 5
School Counseling Week
6
Pres. Message (cont.)
6
FAFSA PIN’s
7
MSCA Member Spotlight
8
Advocacy Committee
8
Collaboration
9
Dual Credit
10
Nomination Form
11
Presentation Form
12
MSCA Registration Form 13
Important Dates
 MSCA Spring Conference
Early Registration Deadline
March 31, 2015
 MSCA Spring Conference,
Bozeman, Apr 16-17, 2015
 ASCA National Conference
Phoenix, AZ
June 28-July 1, 2015
This 2014-2015 school year is one filled with exciting transformation for our organization.
Not only are we in the process of planning a great Spring Conference in Bozeman, we are also
starting to add new positions, people, and committees to our board, getting new sectionals up and
running, and looking at new locations for our spring conference site! In addition we are trailblazing our way through the state with great representation at local and state meetings in order to help
demonstrate the importance of school counselors at different levels and in new schools and cities.
Let me tell you a little more about these exciting facts!
New positions we have added are a Counselor Education Representative from the University of Montana, Lindsey Nichols. We welcome her knowledge and connections that she brings to
our table, and will offer this opportunity to other universities in the future. We hope to add a
Graduate Student Representative and a Technology Chair position to help us keep up with this
always changing world. A special new “Advocacy Committee” has been formed with Renee’
Schoening serving as its chair. Renee’, like Lindsey, has a broad base of school and state community with which she already communicates and this will help with our representation across the
state. The other reason this is exciting is that I have been getting e-mails from people around the
state that are ready to move forward and encourage their school to have a secure school counseling program. This committee could help us provide support to schools in need.
One of the new sectionals that we will be having at the Spring Conference is the Emerging Leaders sectional. We want to tell people about the board and let you talk with members to
learn about how you can get involved in your area and become an officer. It is a lot of fun and not
nearly as hard as people might believe it to be! This year we will be electing a new Middle School
VP to our board and looking for a new President Elect-Elect, so please let us know if you are interested in learning more. We also will be having sessions to teach us how to use play therapy more
effectively and to educate us in what two-year colleges can offer to our students.
(cont. page 6)
MSCA Spring Conference
SAVE THE DATE! April 16-17, 2015
M
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SCHOOL
COUNSELORS
Transforming & Trailblazing
School Counseling Entering the National Spotlight
By: Deborah Ostertag, President-Elect
In January 2014, the President
and First Lady announced that
they wanted to improve college opportunity for all Americans. The White House has
called college leaders to action and has paired with the
Harvard Graduate College of
Education in the Reach Higher
Initiative. The First Lady spoke
at the American School Counseling Association (ASCA)
Conference in July and will
host a Summit on College Opportunity in December.
The Reach Higher Initiative is
designed to make sure that
students understand what is
necessary to complete their
education. This includes exposing students to college and
career opportunities, understanding financial aid eligibility, encouraging academic
planning and summer learning, and supporting high
school counselors.
In her speech at the ASCA conference, the First Lady pointed
out that school counselors are
often assigned duties that take
away from the tasks that we
are highly trained to do and
that most professional development provided by the
school districts have no relevance to what we do. She also
stated that the White House is
counting on school counselors
to help with the goal of college
opportunity for all Americans
by 2020. She compared this to
the National Defense Education Act, which called for the
more training of school counselors to help steer students to
math and science careers during the space race.
These events are positive for
both the profession of school
counseling and for us the
school counselors. In recognition that effective college
counseling increases college
opportunity, the Reach Higher
Initiative centers on school
counselors. The discussion
includes; professional development and training for counselors, college counseling
tools, and innovative programs
for counselors.
This is an exciting time to be a
school counselor. Our profession is being called on to
spearhead a national movement that will allow all students
access to higher education.
This same movement proposes
to offer us greater opportunities of professional development and highlights our profession.
The facts for this article were
garnered from two White
House Press releases:
www.whitehouse.gov/thepress-office/2014/07/01/
remarks-first-lady-americanschool-counselor-associationannual-conference
www.whitehouse.gov/thepress-office/2014/08/13/factsheet-improving-collegeopportunity
ASCA Updates National Standards
By: Katie DiBerardinis, President Elect-Elect
ASCA Updates National Standards with New Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success: K-12 College-and Career-Readiness Standards for Every Student. If you haven’t done so already, set aside some time to check out the American School Counselor Association’s new Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success. Replacing the original ASCA National Standards that were released in 1997,
the next generation of standards helps our profession continue to evolve, as student needs change, schools progress, and new
Common Core State Standards are implemented. The new Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success help define what students
will achieve as a result of a comprehensive school-counseling program through newly acquired knowledge, attitudes, and skills.
The new standards include two categories – Mindset and Behavior standards. Mindset standards include standards related to
the psychosocial attitudes or beliefs one has about oneself in relation to academic work. These make up the student’s belief system as exhibited in behaviors. Behavior standards include behaviors commonly associated with being a successful student –
learning strategies, self-management skills, and social skills. Both Mindset and Behavior standards can and should be applied to
all three domains – academic, career, and social/emotional based on your individual school and student needs.
In addition to the Mindset and Behavior standards, new Competencies help operationalize the standards. The Competencies
are directly aligned to the Common Core English Language Arts standards and broadly aligned with the Math standards. Consider the Competencies as a bridge to the Common Core State Standards adopted by Montana. The ASCA competencies convert
the Common Core examples to the ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors at each grade level. ASCA has created a Mindsets & Behaviors
database to help navigate the competencies and align them to your students needs.
Please visit the ASCA website at http://www.schoolcounselor.org/school-counselors-members/about-asca/mindsetsbehaviors for more information on the ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors and to access the Competencies database. This article is
based on the ASCA Webinar ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success that was presented on October 29, 2014. View
this webinar at http://youtu.be/7VMdfT3fRTM.
(Cont. Page 5)
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www.mtschoolcounselor.org
The Wheels on the Bus...
By: Tina Boone, High School VP
The wheels on the bus went round and round as 25 counselors from around the state did a three and a half day, jam packed
tour of two year colleges. We began our adventure at Helena College where we learned about programs like fire and rescue,
health science, pre-pharmacy and aviation mechanics. Our poor bus tried to get to our next stop of Great Falls College, but
broke down 10 miles out of Helena. So... we made lemonade out of lemons while we waited for the next 5 hours. Some people went hiking, others engaged in great conversation, and some played “name that tune”. Great Falls was nice enough to
hold our dinner and give us a brief overview of their programs. We got up early the next morning for a beautiful drive to Kalispell. Flathead Valley Community College was beautiful and showcased their impressive culinary program, surveying, jewelry, and parks and tourism programs. We high-tailed it to Missoula College and were treated to another amazing culinary
program (they fed us twice!), met local business people, and saw the large “sandbox” where heavy equipment operators are
trained. We finished the tour at Gallatin College where we were wowed with information about the interior design program
and the design drafting program.
What a busy but amazing trip! In addition to seeing some of the most beautiful parts of the state and the beautiful 2 years colleges; I think the biggest bonus was the networking and camaraderie that occurred from being “stuck” together for over
three days! I learned so much from my colleagues around the state. This tour will happen again thanks to RPOS and
MSCA! We will make some tweeks to improve it, but this is one bus you definitely want to jump on next year!
2014 Montana College Application Week
Guest Article: Amy Berg, GEAR UP
Seniors from over 125 high schools across the state filed 2736 college applications to Montana postsecondary institutions with
the fee either deferred or waived during Montana College Application Week November 3-7, 2014. To the benefit of students, all
Montana University System institutions, private, and tribal colleges participated in the initiative.
Montana College Application Week is a collaborative statewide initiative in its third year. It is designed to support high school
seniors navigate the complex college admissions process with a focus on low income students and those who might not otherwise apply, and it appears to be doing just that. Of the students completing the survey, 74% reported participating in the Free &
Reduced-Price Lunch Program and 19% reported being the first in their family to attend college.
Submitting an application is just one of the first steps to attending college. In preparation for Montana College Application
Week, seniors participated in college readiness activities, such as college fairs, college visits, research, and counselor advising. Along with receiving a locker magnet that outlined the next steps to college enrollment, counselors and volunteers reminded students of the importance of submitting the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Of the student survey
respondents, 73% said they planned to complete it; however, 61% said they do not currently have an understanding of how to
complete it accurately and on-time. Montana GEAR UP, Student Assistance Foundation, and Graduation Matters Montana continue to collaborate on efforts to improve FAFSA completion rates, financial literacy, and support college and career readiness
activities such as free ACT testing for all public high school juniors, dual enrollment opportunities, and College Goal Montana.
OPI Support Staff CAW
Students from Hardin High School
CAW Event at Roundup High School
Thank you to all the high schools, site coordinators, postsecondary institutions, and students for making 2014 Montana College Application Week a huge success!
December 2014
Page 3
Afterthoughts About Youth Suicide
By: Chad Kinnett, Elementary VP
If you work in this profession long enough, you can pretty much
count on having to work through the tragedy of a student suicide. No matter how much you mentally prepare, build in supports, set up contracts, and all the other steps you take to support a student in crisis, these events sometimes fall upon us
with enormous difficulty.
commit any such act. They likely weren’t regarded as a “youth
with mental health issues”. There were no clues or indications
that an event would transpire later that day. But as it was, after
what many of us would consider a “normal” disagreement between a parent and child, a rash, impulsive, and reckless decision resulted in a very tragic and likely unintended act.
My district, just as most other Montana communities, has had its
unfortunate share of events that have resulted in a young life
ending too soon. The most recent suicide events I have been
involved with have challenged my thinking about the way we
conceptualize suicidality as a school and mental health community. We often think of it as a planned, deliberate act with lots
of warning signs. We hear that the person is depressed and
isolated. We think it follows a common path that all suicidal
persons follow. Though certainly valid points and identifiers,
they don’t always fit. The following risk factors are published
in a manual titled Working with the Suicidal Person by the Australian government.
Not that any suicide is easy to process, but the dynamics in
these cases has made me question the ways we approach suicide. In speaking with parents, teachers, and peers during the
aftermath of these events, I felt like the mental script we typically use to conceptualize suicide didn’t adequately recognize
or respond well to the risk factors that were involved in these
situations. The message I took away from these events is that
we need to speak and educate more to the rash or impulsive
nature that suicide can follow. I personally am going to be
more vocal in telling parents about safeguarding a situation
after an argument or disagreement with their child occurs,
even if “the other signs” aren’t necessarily present. I will also
be more purposeful in telling students and teachers to be
aware of what their friends or students say that may indicate
significant levels of discord at home and the stress it is causing. I realize these revelations really aren’t unique or fall outside of what most of us already do. I also realize that my experiences may be atypical. But I as I think about the conflictprone parent-child relationship and the emotionality/
impulsivity that occurs in adolescent development, I certainly
see these as noteworthy “risk factors” and would argue they
need to be a more prominent part of our dialogue about suicide
and the risk factors that occur in adolescence.
Risk factors for adolescent suicide:
• Past or present mental illness (for example,
mood and anxiety disorders, substance use
disorders or both concurrently)
• Previous suicide attempt(s)
• Male gender
• Previous self-harm
• Social skills deficits
• Hostility, aggression and impulsivity
• Homosexuality/bisexuality
• Current suicidal thoughts
• Interpersonal conflict or loss
• Ongoing physical or sexual abuse, or
emotional stress (for example, bullying)
• Parent-child discord
• Recent commencement of
antidepressant therapy
• Feeling of isolation
• Availability of firearms or lethal means
• Close friends who have died by suicide
All identifiers we have some familiarity with. But I’d like to
highlight two of them: Hostility, aggression, and impulsivity,
and parent-child discord (italics added). These were the common elements I observed in the recent episodes of suicide in
my district. The “warning signs” we often attribute to a suicidal
person were not pronounced. The students attended school the
day of the event with no reported plan, ideation, or intent to
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www.mtschoolcounselor.org
ASCA Updates National Standards (cont.)
By: Katie DiBerardinis, President Elect-Elect
December 2014
Page 5
National School Counseling Week 2015
By: Lisa Held, K-12 VP
February 2-6, 2015 is National School
Counseling Week. It is a time to celebrate the unique role of school counselors across the nation. The American School Counselors Association
sponsors this week to highlight the
“tremendous impact” school counselors have on our students. This year’s
theme is “Building Magical Futures”.
Richard Wong, ASCA Executive Director, proclaimed, “School counselors work with all students to remove
barriers to learning by addressing
students’ academic concerns, career
awareness in post-secondary options
and personal/social skills. Comprehensive school counseling programs
help to increase student achievement
and provide a much needed resource
for students, parents, teachers, and
administrators. School counselors are
integral to student success.”
In our rural state, many of us are the
only counselor in our school or district. Sometimes it gets discouraging
to be the one who always has to “toot
our own horns.” It is also easy to get
so busy doing the day-to-day work
that we forget to celebrate our impact. National School Counseling
Week is a reminder that we must take
time to remind both ourselves and
others of our important role.
As I become more acutely aware of
the need to show that the students in
my schools are different because of
school counseling, I know that I must
be the voice singing the praises of
comprehensive school counseling. I
plan to celebrate in my K-12 district
by using the ASCA resources available at www.schoolcounselor.org. I
will put up posters in all of the buildings, hand out pencils, stickers, and
bookmarks to all of the students and
staff, and make morning announcements. I also plan to put up bulletin
boards. I strongly encourage you to
look at these resources and plan a
celebration in your school.
There are hundreds of other great
ideas to recognize the week. You
could have a contest, write a press
release, or provide dessert to staff
with a sign saying “Stressed spelled
backwards is Desserts. Let your
school counselor help.” Bulletin
board ideas include a mirror –
“School counselors help us see the
positive side”, a light bulb –
“Counselors light the way,” a CD –
“Need someone to listen? See your
school counselor,” an umbrella –
“Find shelter under the school counseling umbrella,” a hand –
“Counselors lend us a helping hand,”
or a telephone – “Need someone to
talk to? Call on your school counselor
today.” The internet is a veritable
treasure trove of ideas to get you inspired.
As we prepare to celebrate National
School Counseling Week, I would
like to be the first to thank you for all
that you do for Montana’s children.
You make a difference each and every day. Have a very happy School
Counseling Week!
Message from the President… TRANSFORM & TRAILBLAZE! (cont.)
By: Catie Cook Dennehy, MSCA President
We love the Holiday Inn in Bozeman, but it would be fun to mix things up a little. We have someone working for us
through a group called Global Synergies to help us find a new site for the Spring Conference in 2016 (please note this would
be 2 years from now). The best part is that she helps us for FREE! So, cross your fingers that as we continue to grow in membership, we may be able to find a site that can accommodate us without crowded sectionals! It will be exciting to see what
she comes up with.
School Counseling is an exciting field to be a part of right now as people all the way up to the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, are recognizing the importance that school counselors play in our students’ success in our nation. We are building support at the local and national levels, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Thank you for being a part of this wonderful organization, and I hope to meet each and every one of you giving people soon.
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www.mtschoolcounselor.org
It’s Time for Students and Parents to Get FAFSA PINs
Guest Article: Carolynn Bright, Student Assistance Foundation
Students and parents can’t complete the
Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA) until Jan. 1, but they don’t need
to wait to get their federal student aid
personal identification number, or PIN.
dependent until age 24.

Individuals will need information
including name, date of birth, Social Security number, and address.
plete the important form. 2015 will mark
the 10th year that SAF has organized the
effort for Montana.
For more information about the FAFSA,
visit www.SmartAboutCollege.org and
Individuals need a PIN to sign docuThe PIN website can automatically — and click on the “College Goal Montana”
ments, like the FAFSA, online, according immediately — create a PIN for students banner.
to Student Assistance Foundation’s Rhon- and parents. Or, they will be given the
da Safford, statewide coordinator of Col- option of choosing their own using a pro- Student Assistance Foundation is a
lege Goal Montana. In addition, it is used cess that involves receiving an email that 501(c)(3) nonprofit Montana corporation
will provide the link to a site where that
that provides students with knowledge and
to access websites including FAFSA on
PIN can be accessed.
tools to pursue and fund their postsecondthe Web (fafsa.gov), National Student
Parents and students will use the same
ary education. Funds generated by SAF
Loan Data System (NSLDS –
are returned to Montanans in the form of
PINs to complete the FAFSA annually,
nslds.ed.gov), and more.
along with access student aid records, so education grants and public benefit programs - to date more than $29.6 million.
they should be stored in an accessible
For more information, visHere’s how to get one:
location. However, individuals should not
it www.safmt.org or
share their PIN with anyone — it is perwww.SmartAboutCollege.org.
 Students and one parent or guardian sonal information and could be used in
(for dependent students), will each need identity theft. Keep it safe!
to get a PIN at pin.ed.gov prior to completing the FAFSA. Go to pin.ed.gov to
College Goal Montana is an annual camget started. For purposes of the FAFSA,
paign to encourage FAFSA awareness
students are generally considered to be
and to help students and families com-
FREE ACT Online Prep!
Guest Article: Sara Berg, GEAR UP
Montana GEAR UP and the Office of Public Instruction are pleased to continue providing free licenses for ACT Online Prep.
These licenses are available to Montana public high schools for students grades 9-12, and will continue through August 2015.
Students will have access to:
Practice tests with real ACT test questions
Practice essays for the ACT Writing Test, with real-time scoring
Comprehensive content review for each of the ACT’s four required tests-English, Math, Reading, and Science
Diagnostic skill level test
A personalized study path
ACT test coordinators received administrator and login information in November from OPI. High school counselors or GEAR UP
liaisons who would like access can contact Ashley Makowski at 444-3511 or [email protected] .
STATEWIDE ACT TESTING FOR PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS IS TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015.
December 2014
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MSCA Member Spotlight
By: Teresa Majerus, Middle School VP
I am thrilled to publish yet another Counselor Spotlight for our MSCA Newsletter! Our winter Counselor Spot light shines on
Amy Schye from Malta. Hope you enjoy learning about another dynamic school counselor from the great state of Montana!
Spotlight on… AMY SCHYE
My formal education began at Jamestown College in North Dakota in 1984. While playing basketball and running track, I
completed a double major in English and History/Political Science. But since there wasn’t a logical career path with that, I
went on for more school the next year at Moorhead State University in Minnesota to pick up a degree in Mass Communications. I
worked for a year in Anaconda, MT, at the newspaper and while
there, decided that I liked kids and coaching. So I went back to
pick up a degree in education at Valley City State University in
North Dakota.
In the fall of 1991, I was hired by Malta Public Schools to teach
high school English, grades 9 and 11. After about 10 years in
the classroom, I concluded that it was time to work on a master’s
degree at MSU-Northern. My choices there were either a secondary education master’s or school counseling master’s.
Counseling sounded much more interesting and at the time I
was looking for a change. It took me 6-7 years of summer and
weekend work to finish it up, but it certainly was worth it! I enjoy working with kids of different ages and I really like the day
to day variety that the job brings. Now, I’ve been the 6-12 counselor here for almost ten 10 years. This is my 24th year in educa-
tion and I’m surprised at how quickly it has gone.
My husband is Tad Schye and he started out as a Math and History teacher here before moving to the elementary school, where
he is now the principal. We have three children who are involved in athletics and activities, so finding an event to attend is
never a problem. Tucker is a redshirt freshman linebacker at
the University of Montana, who is majoring in Business. Go Griz!
Darby is a senior who is trying to decide on a college and Ella is
a freshman here at MHS. We typically put 30,000 miles on our
vehicle every year, but we could certainly exceed that this year!
My hobbies include reading (I never go anywhere without a
book), running, and any outdoor activities. I’ve found that exercise is how I stay mentally healthy. Also, I like to snow ski and
hike the “M” when I get to Missoula and, in the summer, we like
to get out on Nelson Reservoir with our wave-runner. I’m looking for a good used paddleboard for next season.
JUST IN!! New MCSA Advocacy Committee
By: Renee’ Schoening, Advocacy Committee Chair
The MSCA Board recently decided to create an Advocacy Committee and to appoint a Chair who
would sit on the Board. This is an effort to formalize work that has already been occurring by
members who are building bridges and networking with important entities within our state. Catie Dennehy has asked if would serve as the Chair of this committee and I am very excited to do
so! I see this as an opportunity to continue efforts to work with OPI, the School Mental Health Coordinator, MBI, and the university system and to make sure that there is a voice for school counseling.
One of the challenges we face as an organization is that we have leadership that is continuously
changing, therefore limiting our ability to have sustaining and effective relationships with people
and other stakeholder groups that impact our profession. I am very hopeful that this committee
will serve to fill this need and provide more permanency where it is desperately needed.
My first step will be to find members who are interested in serving on this committee and representing MSCA with a professional and passionate presence. It would be ideal to have geographical representation across the state so that we can be “at the table” when necessary. Please contact me if you are interested in serving in this way. I look forward to hearing from you!
My e-mail is: [email protected]
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Renee’ Schoening, ACC
www.mtschoolcounselor.org
All Roads Lead to Collaboration
By: Lindsey Nichols, Counselor Education Representative
"It’s not the years, it’s the mileage" – Indi- need for information on various topics
ana Jones, Raiders of the Lost Ark
pertinent to school counselors. Some ideas overlapped with those our department
Although we are sometimes
has explored and started to develop as
caught up in the demands of our different
professional development workshops.
worlds, there is a mutual benefit for P-12
and post-secondary education to work
In addition to face-to-face traintogether. It can be challenging to find the ings that are offered across the state by
time to cultivate collaborations, but revarious institutions and organizations,
gardless of how long it takes to get there, UM’s Department of Counselor Education
the relationships developed are typically has started working with the emerging
well worth the energy. I saw that firsthand Montana Digital Professional Learning
in 2001, when I attended my first EducaNetwork (MDPLN) to serve beyond the
tors’ conference in Connecticut and again Missoula area. An online version of our
several years later, at my first School
recent Psychopharmacology workshop
Counseling conference in North Carolina. will be launched in spring 2015 to give
Despite my apparent need to test the
educators more awareness of prescripbenefits of my AAA membership, no mat- tion drugs and their potential effects on
ter what state or district I was in, the imthe students taking them to cope with
portance of collaboration was abundantly various needs. We have more ideas in the
clear. Now, my car has made it 200,000
pipeline. However, those shared at the
miles and I have joined the faculty at the
UM school counselor meeting last month
University of Montana. Although new to
are the key to future projects for not just
the UM faculty and the Montana education our department, but other universities
system, collaboration remains constant
and organizations around the state. We
and I’m excited for the potential to join
know that the skills and knowledge of
and create more partnerships. How can
school counselors needs to be harnessed;
we create more collaboration amongst all what comes to mind for me is the annual
the levels of education to best and most
MSCA Conference. Particularly, level
efficiently serve Montanans?
sharing has been one of the most powerful sessions for attendees to discuss the
Before the MEA-MFT Educators’
various interventions and resources
Conference this year, about 15 school
they’ve come to use.
counselors came to Missoula to learn
more about all that is happening at the
While we explore more ways to
University of Montana. At the end of an
collaborate across P-12 and postafternoon of presentations and tours of
secondary settings, the partnership with
university programs and labs, the group MDPLN appears to be a golden oppormet with my colleague, Dr. John Sommers tunity, like your principal offering to take
-Flanagan and I. Our conversation foover testing coordination. You wouldn’t
cused on how we can all better connect to pass that up. Although it might not top a
address the needs and issues of students testing intervention, many of us would
and ultimately communities around the
agree that free or competitively priced
state. For example, creating opportuniprofessional development on relevant
ties for mentorship between high school
topics can also seem similarly out of
students and university undergraduate
reach. Moreover, being directly connectstudents. Another point raised was the
ed to what is being offered, by creating
it, is where I hope MSCA and more school
counselors will become interested in the
organization. MDPLN is seeking experts
to develop and facilitate trainings on their
online platform to support K-12 Montana
educators. You are all experts on your
schools. Some of you have also sought out
additional training or spent years applying your knowledge and skills related to
topics important to other colleagues
across the state. Consider how an online
training provides accessibility to share
information with colleagues in a streamlined format all year, reducing miles on
your car, and hours on the road/on your
busy lives.
At universities, our role is not only to take
part in training school counselors, but to
research and present on meaningful topics to those in the field. It is you, educators in the schools day-to-day, attesting to
the individualized needs of your schools
and communities. We all come with a host
of experiences and, even if new to the
profession, knowledge comes from many
sources. I’m excited to learn more from
all of you and also share my experience
collected over many miles. If you are curious to learn more about presenting to
peers across the state through this online
platform, please contact MDPLN at [email protected].
Curtis Biggs and Michaela Sacra (former
Hamilton School Counselor and current
Counselor Education doctoral student)
are thrilled to connect with and serve
Montana School Counselors and their
schools. You can also contact my colleague co-organizing our professional
development series, Dr. Veronica Johnson at [email protected]
or me at [email protected].
Lindsey Nichols, CEP
December 2014
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www.mtschoolcounselor.org
Innovations in College Readiness
Guest Article: Deb Halliday, Graduation Matters Montana
Financial barriers often top the list of reasons why Montana
SA coaches, who help counselors stay in touch with
students do not go to college. Yet each year, Montanan fami-
students and their families, are trained by SAF staff to
lies leave millions of dollars on the table, due to eligible stu-
answer basic questions and to know where to go to
dents not applying for the Free Application for Federal Student
help families get the answers they need, and who
Aid (FAFSA). As many school counselors know, the FAFSA is
assist at FAFSA information events, such as College
not just about grants and loans, it also opens the door to schol-
Goal Montana.
arships, work study, and other financial supports.
Coordinating FAFSA enrollment with college readi-
GMM and SAF is in its third year of partnering through the
ness activities Counselors are starting FAFSA prep
GMM-SAF College Readiness Fund to provide grants of up to
early during College Application Week (in Novem-
$4,000 to GMM teams to develop innovative strategies to coun-
ber), are working with English, history and govern-
ter the under-utilization of FAFSA. Last year’s grantee commu-
ment teachers to designate time in class to set up a
nities were successful in bringing in an estimated $2.7 million
FAFSA PIN, and are coordinating with other college
more dollars in federal grant funding for Montana students and
prep activities.
families for college than they did in 2013.
High Schools Receiving Awards from the 2014 GMM-SAF
Successful FAFSA completion efforts include:
College Readiness Fund: Anaconda ($3,500), Bozeman
Micro-targeting rather than macro-messaging GMM
($4,000), Butte ($3,000), Columbia Falls ($1,000), Hamilton
communities are focusing on one-on-one outreach to
($3,500), Hardin ($2,500), Libby ($3,500), Livingston ($4,000),
seniors and their families, not on school-wide posters
Miles City ($3,500), Rocky Boy ($2,570), Ronan ($3,000), Saint
and community radio ads, which reach a much broad- Regis ($1,000), Skyview High School in Billings ($4,000),
er – and often irrelevant – audience. The GMM web-
Thompson Falls ($4,000), and Troy ($3,000).
site has a sample student contact sheet under Re-
More information about Graduation Matters Montana can
sources/Grant Opportunities.
be found at: http://graduationmatters.mt.gov. You can also
Recruiting & training FAFSA coaches GMM teams are
contact Deb Halliday at 444-3559 or [email protected]
engaging teachers and community members as FAF-
December 2014
Page 11
AWARD
NOMINATION
FORM
Select one: _______ Counselor of the Year _______ Advocate of the Year
Name of Nominee: ____________________________________________________________________
School Name and Address: ____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Number of years in profession: ____________
MSCA Member?: Y N Unsure
Work Phone: _______________________ Email Address: ___________________________________
Nominator’s Name: ___________________________________________________________________
School Name and Address: ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Work Phone: ______________________ Email Address: ____________________________________
Please include a letter of recommendation from the person(s) nominating the individual. If possible, please include his/her educational background; professional employment; academic and/or professional honors; professional, community, or civic contributions; and any other information pertinent to this nomination. For School Counselor or the Year nominees, please describe how
the nominee has demonstrated excellence in the following capacities: creative school counseling innovation, effective school
counseling programming, leadership skills, and contributions to student enhancement.
Please submit all nominations before Friday, March 27, 2015, by mailing a hard copy, fax, or email.
Chad Kinnett
Big Sky Elementary School
3231 Granger Avenue East, Billings, MT 59102
[email protected]
Fax 406-656-0247
Nomination/Award guidelines:
For Counselors
Annually, we recognize the best professionals in our field. School Counselor of the Year nominees are judged on the following
criteria: creative school counseling innovation, effective school counseling programming, leadership skills, and contributions to
student enhancement. By nominating a school counselor for this award, you are giving a well-deserved tribute to a colleague.
Nominee must have been in current position for at least 3 years and must be an MSCA member.
For Advocate
The School Counselor Advocate of the Year nominees may be district or building level administrators, school board members,
legislators, supervisors of guidance services, or any individuals who have made significant contributions to the implementation
and improvement of school counseling programs. The purpose of the Advocate of the Year Award is to recognize persons who
have demonstrated their belief in and support of school counseling programs that have had an impact on counselors and their
students at the local, state, or national level.
Page 12
www.mtschoolcounselor.org
M
O
N
T
A
N
A
Spring Conference 2015
Transforming & Trailblazing
April 16-17 Holiday Inn-Bozeman
Proposal for Presentation Form
Please return this form by email to Catie Cook Dennehy at
[email protected]
by Friday, January 20, 2015.
Presenter(s): ________________________________________________________________
Position: ____________________________________________________________________
Organization:________________________________________________________________
Address:_____________________________________________________________________
Work Phone # : ___________________________________
Email Address: ______________________________________________________________
Presentation Title: ___________________________________________________________
Presentation Description: (30 words or less, as it would appear in the conference program)
Presenter Bio: (Add additional pages if necessary.)
Rooms will be set up classroom style (tables w/chairs), unless indicated otherwise. Please indicate if you have special set up
needs or require audio/visual equipment.
Unfortunately not all proposals may be selected based on the number of proposals received.
December 2014
Page 13
M
O
N
T
A
N
A
April 16, 17, 2015
SCHOOL
COUNSELORS
Holiday Inn –
Bozeman, MT
Transforming & Trailblazing
Bozeman Holiday Inn Information
Reservations: 1-800-366-5101 or 406-587-4561
Book online at www.hibozeman.com
Room rate: $83.00, single or double, plus 7% tax
A block of rooms has been reserved for conference participants until April 10th.
When making reservations ask for group block with the code: MCA
REGISTRATION INFORMATION:
Name: ______________________________________________________________
Email: ______________________________________________________________
Home Address: _______________________________________________________
Home Phone: ____________________
Cell Phone: ______________________
School: _____________________________________________________________
School Address: ______________________________________________________
School Phone: ___________________
Membership Category:
___ Professional
Counselor Level: ___ Elementary
Registration Fees:
School Fax: ______________________
___ Student
___ Middle
___ High
___Auxiliary
___ K-12
___ Retired
___ College
___ Other
Postmarked on or before March 24th
____ Professional - $175 ( By March 24th)
_____ Professional—$200 (After March 24th)
____ Student & Retired Members - $80 (By March 24th)
_____ Student & Retired Members -$105 (After March 24th)
T-Shirts: Pre-Order ONLY by March 24th—COST $10
T-Shirt Size: ____ Small
____ Medium
____ Large
____ X-Large
____ XX-Large
___ YES, I will attend the Thursday Annual Meeting and Counselor of the Year Luncheon (No Add’l Charge)
___ YES, I would like to make an additional donation of $ _______ to support MSCA’s purpose & vision.
Our GREEN efforts—we will be using USB drives and folders this year instead of binders.
METHOD OF PAYMENT:
ADDRESS - MAIL TO:
___ Check enclosed
___ Purchase Order enclosed #____ (Include a copy of the PO)
Catie Cook Dennehy, President- MSCA,
3030 Flynn Lane, Missoula, MT 59808
Page 14
www.mtschoolcounselor.org
MSCA 2014-15 Board Members
President
Catie Cook Dennehy, Hellgate Elementary
2385 Flynn Lane, Missoula, MT 59808
[email protected]
Ph: 406-532-2087
President Elect
President Elect-Elect
Deborah Ostertag, Conrad High School
215 S. Maryland, Conrad, MT 59425
[email protected]
Ph:406-278-3285
Katie DiBerardinis, Chief Joseph Middle School
4255 Kimberwicke Street
Bozeman, MT 59715
[email protected]
Ph: 406-522-6321
Past-President
Advisor
Jodi Morgan, Thompson Falls School
PO Box 129, Thompson Falls, Mt 59873
[email protected]
Ph: 406-827-3561
Barbara Holden, East Side Middle School
4040 Central Ave., Great Falls, MT 59405
[email protected]
Ph: 406-268-6490
High School Vice-President
Elementary School Vice-President
Tina Boone, Skyview High School
1775 Sierra Blvd. Billings, MT 59105
[email protected]
Ph: 406-281-5200
Chad Kinnett, Big Sky Elementary
3231 Granger Ave. E, Billings, MT 59102
[email protected]
Ph: 406-281-6204
Middle School Vice-President
Teresa Majerus, Lewistown Junior High
914 West Main, Lewistown, MT 59457
[email protected]
Ph: 406-535-5419
K-12 Vice-President
Lisa Held, Shields Valley School
PO Box 40, Clyde Park, MT 59018
[email protected]
Ph: 406-686-4621
Treasurer
Secretary
Erica Zins, Russell Elementary
3216 Russell St., Missoula, MT 59801
[email protected]
Ph: 406-728-2400 Ext. 4830
TBA
Editor
Brandi Fox, Powell Co. High School
709 Missouri, Deer Lodge, MT 59722
[email protected]
Ph: 406-846-2757 Ext. 14
The MSCA Newsletter is published three times annually as a service to our members (Sept 15, Dec 15, Mar 15). All issues are sent to members electronically.
Board members, except for Treasurer and Secretary, submit articles of interest related to their level of representation. We welcome articles of interest from
members or other educational professionals who would like to share information (due 30 days prior to publication). We encourage submissions be written in
a friendly, informative, and practical style rather than technical or academic. Articles must be original and references are to be used when appropriate rather than footnotes. Articles must meet the mission of MSCA. No compensation is given for submitted articles. All articles are available on the MSCA website: www.mtschoolcounselor.org.
Advertisements may be submitted according to guidelines found on the website. (Full P. 1X=$150, 1/2 P. 1X=$125, 1/4 P. 1X=$75, 1/2 Column 1X=$50; see
additional options). We reserve the right to edit copy or reject advertisements that do not meet the mission of MSCA.
Disclaimer: Information printed in the MSCA Newsletter does not represent an official MSCA policy or position, and the acceptance of advertising does not
constitute an endorsement or approval by MSCA of any advertised service or product.
Submit articles and inquiries to: Brandi Fox, [email protected] or call 406-846-2757 ext. 14
December 2014
Page 15