June
June 12, 2024
Arkansas School Counselor Association Counselor of the Year
Congratulations to our 2024 Arkansas School Counselor of the Year, Cherri Byford! Cherri just finished her 15th year at Darby Middle School in Fort Smith and as the Darby Ranger's counselor, led the way to being the first in the State of Arkansas to receive the Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) School of Distinction.
Dr. Michael Farrell, Counseling Supervisor of Fort Smith Public Schools, says of her, "Cherri is not only an innovator but also a true leader in the field of school counseling. Her initiatives have included the implementation of cutting-edge counseling strategies that address the diverse needs of her students. Her ability to adapt and integrate new methodologies showcases her forward-thinking approach and commitment to providing the highest quality of counseling services."
Cherri has actively engaged in professional development at the local, state and national level, and she has presented twice in Missouri recently on Small Group Behavior Interventions. Regional presentations have included Using Data to WOW your Stakeholders, The Science of Hope, Behavior RTI, Youth Mental Health First Aid, and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support. She has been instrumental in promoting the use of schoolwide PBIS systems within her district to gather relevant data for targeted behavior interventions. At the 2023 ASCA Conference in Atlanta, Cherri was part of an expert panel providing support for conference attendees who were considering applying for RAMP and she has an article for ASCA being published in July!
Cherri Byford has been a school counselor for 24 years. She began as a high school counselor in Waldron and is currently Fort Smith Public School's Lead Secondary Counselor. She has been married to her husband, Stuart, for 36 years. Cherri and Stuart have two daughters, Emily and Sara and a new grandson, Cam, who was born to Emily and her husband Chase in September! Cherri and Stuart love traveling and experiencing new things. Best wishes as you compete for ASCA School Counselor of the Year, Cherri!
Looking Forward to Seeing You at the ArSCA Conference
Our Stage, Our Story is just a few weeks away and I am so excited for all we have prepared and am looking forward to seeing you there.
Have a safe and wonderful summer, ArSCA! I’ll see most of you in a couple of weeks in Hot Springs!
Contact Kelli Dockery, ArSCA president, at president@arschoolcounselor.org
Our Stage, Our Story
2024 May Conference Update
Our 2024 ArSCA/DESE conference, “Our Stage, Our Story” is almost here. With over 50 break out presentations planned and two dynamic keynote speakers, we believe this conference will be one to inspire and motivate our attendees to grow in knowledge and skills and to be renewed in our commitment to helping our students, their parents, and our communities.
If you have not yet made plans to attend the conference, we hope these planned presentations and the opportunity to network with counselors from across the state will encourage you to join us June 24 - 26, 2024, in beautiful Hot Springs, AR.
In person attendees, plan to pick up your packet and conference t-shirt at the bottom of the stairs in the Grand Lobby beginning at 7:30. Something new this year is an information desk that will be set up in Room 206 on the upper level of the Convention Center. ArSCA Board members will be there from 7:30 - 9:30 to answer any questions that you may have about the conference or using the Conference Tracker App.
Virtual attendees, be looking for an email during the week of June 24th that will give you instructions on when to expect the conference recordings and how to access them. The recordings will not be "live" recordings, so you will not be attending in real-time.
Hotel: Embassy Suite Hotel Registration- Full (some have still been able to book the hotel)
Conference Attendee APP- Please see instructions below in Conference Attendee Information Section
Kanesha Adams, Sharing the Stage Monday, June 24, 2024
Kanesha Adams is a Ph.D. student in the Educational Leadership department at the University of Alabama. She is an educator, advocate, and “change agent.” She currently serves as the CEO and Founder of Bearapy Bookshelf, which is an edtech company she created to teach students the importance of storytelling and creativity by creating strong foundations, stable families, and secure futures. Bearapy is an acronym for Books, Bears, and Therapy. Read More Here
Dee-1, Sharing the Stage, Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Award winning Rapper. Educator. Activist. Business owner. World-renowned keynote speaker. National Social Emotional Learning Consultant. Nasir Jones Hip Hop Fellow at Harvard University. Tufts University Professor. The name is Dee-1.
He is the Billboard Top 10 charting, game-changing MC with a persona to match his penmanship. Dee-1 has transitioned from being a middle school math teacher in Louisiana to a hip-hop heavyweight with much more to still accomplish. Read More Here
ArSCA Central
ArSCA North Central
ArSCA Northeast
Northeast Region Summer Workshop will be held on June 20, 2024 at Central Baptist Church in Jonesboro.
The workshop will run from 7:30-3:30 with breakfast and lunch being provided.
Please register by using this form: ArSCA Northeast Summar Workshop
Northwest ArSCA
Southeast ArSCA
Calling all Southeast Region Counselors . . .
We still need counselors to sign up to work the booth at the ArSCA/DESE conference June 24 - 26, 2024, in Hot Springs. Our times to work are Tuesday, June 25th from 8:00 - 9:00 and 9:00 - 10:00. If you are willing to help, please sign up using this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfm3quW43j_TIUtcCRNqADmqv4jctxpOawSzyqcIVEosA6u5A/viewform?usp=sf_link
or send me an email at southeast@arschoolcounselor.org.
The updated proposed bylaws were sent out for review in May. All current members were sent an electronic form to cast their vote for or against the proposed bylaws.
Wanting to get more involved in our organization? The Open Officer Election Application Form has been sent to all Southeast Region members. Please consider running for the open positions of President Elect and Membership Chair. The application form will close on June 17, 2024, and the electronic ballot will be sent June 18, 2024. Voting will end June 24, 2024, so that our results can be announced during the conference business meeting on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.
Southwest ArSCA
My name is Taylor Bugh, and I am from Dallas, Texas. I received my Bachelor of Science in Education & Human Sciences from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in December 2021. After graduating with my bachelor’s degree, I began my master’s program at the University of Arkansas in January 2022. I completed my practicum and Internship at Washington Elementary in Fayetteville with Tara Lechtenberger. Tara embodies what it means to be a school counselor and has been a great mentor in shaping who I want to be as a school counselor. I will complete my second internship at Don Tyson School of Innovation in the fall. I will graduate in December with my Master of Science in Counseling with an emphasis in School Counseling. After graduation, I plan to stay in the NWA area in hopes of working as a school counselor and play therapist. I have found that my passion is working with kiddos. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, being outdoors, playing games, spending time with family and friends, and loving on my two-year-old golden retriever, Kai. It is an honor to be the recipient of the Hugh Lovett Scholarship, and I hope to impact lots of kiddos as a school counselor.
Kandace Weisenfels- ASCA Certified School Counselor
Kandace Weisenfels, Counselor at Barling Elementary School in Fort Smith has recently earned the ASCA-Certified School Counselor (ACSC) designation from the American School Counselor Association. This prestigious achievement is a testament to Kandace's exceptional commitment to her profession. To earn this designation, Kandace fulfilled the prescribed standards, passed a rigorous examination, pledged to uphold ASCA's Ethical and Professional Standards for School Counselors, and committed to ongoing professional development in the practice of school counseling.
We are especially proud to announce that Kandace is the first counselor in Arkansas to achieve this esteemed designation. This accomplishment not only highlights her personal dedication and hard work but also sets a high standard for excellence in our state's school counseling community.
Please join us in congratulating Kandace Weisenfels on this remarkable achievement!
The Division of Elementary & Secondary Education has a host of resources and information for school counselors located on their School Counseling page.
For more information, please contact:
Rodney Ford, Program Advisor
Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
Four Capitol Mall, Mail Slot 13
Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: 501-682-5144
Email: Rodney.B.Ford@ade.arkansas.gov
Lupe Peña de Martínez, Director of Student Support Services
Arkansas Department of Education
Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
Four Capitol Mall, Mail Slot 13
Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: 501.682.0652
Cell: 501.646.6401
Email: Lupe.Pena@ade.arkansas.gov
Reminder: Comprehensive School Counseling Program Requirements
Comprehensive School Counseling Program Requirements Each public school district shall provide a developmentally appropriate comprehensive school counseling program to aid students in academics, social/emotional needs, and career exploration and planning. The district Comprehensive School Counseling Plan, which is a reflection of the program, shall be posted on the district website under “State Required Information” no later than August 1 of 2020 and each following year thereafter. The requirements for the comprehensive school counseling program plan can be found in the Arkansas School Counselor Toolkit and in the Arkansas Comprehensive School Counseling Program Guide which are posted on the Arkansas Department of Education – Division of Elementary and Secondary Education - Guidance and School Counseling webpage. http://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/divisions/learning-services/guidance-and-school-counseling For specific accreditation requirements visit Standards for Accreditation
Per A.C.A. § 6-15-2911- Commissioner's Memo LS-24-042, the four major components of the Student Success Plan are:
Guide the student along pathways to graduation
Address accelerated learning opportunities
Address academic deficits and interventions
Include college and career planning components
Additionally, each student's Student Success Plan shall be reviewed annually and revised as necessary to identify the courses to be taken each year until all required core courses are completed. Upon completion of the review, the student's Student Success Plan shall be signed by the:
(a) Student;
(b) Student's parent, legal guardian, or person standing in loco parentis to the student; and
(c) School counselor.
ArSCA Membership
Arkansas School Counselor Association (ArSCA) supports school counselors’ efforts to help students focus on academic, personal/social and career development so they achieve success in school and are prepared to lead fulfilling lives as responsible members of society. Membership in the state and national associations is highly recommended. ArSCA adheres to the Code of Ethics and policy statements of the American School Counseling Association (ASCA). Who We Are
We have six regions across our state. Here is a list of our ArSCA Board of Directors.
Become a Member Here This link is for membership and for conference attendance both, but you can still be a member if you are not attending the conference.
Arkansas Mental Health Access for Pediatric Primary Care (ARMAPP)
The Arkansas Mental Health Access for Pediatric Primary Care (ARMAPP) is a team of professionals dedicated to providing education and consultations on mental health conditions for both pediatric primary care providers and school-based personnel across the state. Our goal is to improve access to pediatric behavioral health resources and to increase the number of primary care physicians and school-based health professionals who are trained to identify and treat mental health conditions. We are committed to improving the number of children and families accessing mental health services in Arkansas.
ARMAPP is proud to present the 2024 School Based Mental Health Symposium on July 31, 2024. The goal of the symposium is to train and support diverse stakeholders and a multidisciplinary workforce on understanding, promoting, and advancing pediatric mental health in Arkansas. There is no registration fee. You can register here: https://redcap.link/ARMAPP24.
In the Fall, ARMAPP will provide interactive behavioral and mental health educational sessions through the iECHO platform for school based health professionals. Our team of psychiatrists and psychologists will also be able to provide consultations specifically for medication recommendations, behavioral management, mental health resources or adjustment to diagnosis recommendations.
TasselTIME- Free Counselor Membership
TasselTIME is a comprehensive website designed by a former school counselor for school counselors. TasselTIME has been provided to Arkansas School Counselors for free for 21 years. TasselTIME is available to purchase for school use for the entire district. Many districts in Arkansas are using TasselTIME. Find out more by going to www.tasseltime.com
Sign-up for your free counselor membership here.
Presentations at ArSCA Conference: We will be giving several door prizes of Arkansas School Planners at each of these sessions.
Tuesday 9:00 Horner Hall Keeping Kids Safe on Social Media
Tuesday 1:00 Room 201-202 TasselTIME for Secondary Counselors
Tuesday 2:00 Room 201-202 AI in Education
Virtual Only session
TasselTIME for Elementary Counselors
Using AI for Research and Writing
TeachingTIME and TasselTIME Professional Development Opportunities
