Blessings to All!!

I pray everyone had a meaningful and productive first week back…after the snow days! It was so nice having the chance to stay home in pajamas, spend time with family and friends, building snowmen and just relaxing. But now, it’s grind time again!!

Who’s in the mood for some winter jokes?

1.Why was the little snowman sad?

2.Who is Frosty's favorite aunt?

3.What did the icy road say to the car?

The first 10 people who get the answers correct will have their names put in a drawing for 3 $25 Wal-Mart gift cards!!! Please email your responses to me at president@arschoolcounselor.org to be considered.

I will announce the winners on the listserv! Happy guessing!!!

IMPORTANT:

We want to encourage you to continually read the monthly newsletters, listserv and FB posts so that you stay up to date on conference notifications, reminders, registration information, etc. The forms will be sent out soon.

Conference registration with hotel information, call for break out session presenters and exhibitor information will be sent out soon. As in the past few years, we will be offering up to 18 hours during the face to face conference. A virtual conference will be available but with limited offerings. We look forward to seeing everyone in June.

Kelli Dockery

ArSCA President 2023-2025

Hurricane Creek Elementary/Bryant School District

Contact Kelli Dockery, ArSCA president, at president@arschoolcounselor.org

The Sneaker Ball will be held at Hotel Hot Springs (adjacent to the Hot Springs Convention Center.) This event is an opportunity for you to unwind, relax, practice self-care and get your groove on! Professional development opportunities will be available for learning about essential oils and how they are useful for health. There will also be a counselor educator/ exercise instructor to teach us about the benefits of exercise and lead us on an adventure of stretching and burning a couple of calories…while jamming to the beats played by the DJ.

Did I mention that there will be refreshments, karaoke, and drawings for CASH and PRIZES! Be sure to register for this free “rhythm-filled” event when you register for the conference.

"Mallory Jacobs, an esteemed counselor and advocate, has left an indelible mark on Kansas' school counseling domain. Hailing from Holton, Kansas, her counseling odyssey commenced over a decade ago, profoundly impacting numerous students, families, and staff members. Currently a lead elementary counselor at Whitson Elementary in Topeka Public Schools, Mallory also aids other district counselors and was honored as 2023-2024 Kansas School Counselor of the Year. Beyond her school, she is helping shape statewide counseling standards. As a counselor leader- coordinator for KSDE, she influences policies. Mallory extends her reach through radio and social media, spreading motivation and inspiration, advocating for counseling's pivotal role in education."

Mallory’s hobbies are traveling, connecting with others, and having FUN!

Her family includes her mom, dad, and two brothers. They are both married with three kids and she is the proud aunt of 6!!!!!!!

The 2024 ArSCA & DESE School Conference Certificates have been emailed out. If you have not received yours, please check your spam folder. The email containing the certificate would be coming from Conference Tracker. Thank you.

If you need further assistance please email technology@arschoolcounselor.org

Keynote Speaker Mallory Jacobs provided some additional resources for National School Counseling Week in the Kansas Toolkit-click here. These are resources are available for you to use for in your counseling program.

Dear Arkansas School Counselors,

I hope this message finds you well as you continue the vital work of supporting our students across the state. My name is Lindsay Ledgerwood, and I am honored to introduce myself as your new Program Coordinator for School Counseling at the Arkansas Department of Education.

With over 17 years' experience in education, and the past 7 years in school counseling, I understand the challenges and rewards of our profession. Like you, I am deeply committed to fostering the academic, social/emotional, and career development of every student in Arkansas. I am eager to work alongside you to strengthen our collective impact on the lives of the students and families we serve.

In this role, my goal is to provide you with the tools, resources, and support you need to succeed. Whether it’s navigating policy updates, enhancing professional development opportunities, or addressing emerging challenges, I am here to listen and collaborate with you. Together, we can ensure that Arkansas continues to lead the way in providing comprehensive school counseling services that empower students to thrive.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with your ideas, questions, or concerns. Your expertise and insights are invaluable, and I look forward to building strong connections with each of you.

Thank you for your dedication and the extraordinary work you do every day. Here’s to a fantastic year of growth, collaboration, and success!

Warm regards,
Lindsay Ledgerwood, Program Coordinator for School Counseling
Arkansas Department of Education

Lindsay.Ledgerwood@ade.arkansas.gov

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 2024 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

ADE Commissioner's Memo - CTE-25-009 - Success Ready Pathways Webinar

Calling All Arkansas Teachers:

You are invited to participate in a research study examining teacher burnout. This study is limited to Arkansas teachers.

Study Overview: This study aims to gather your valuable insights on teacher burnout and its causes.

Why Your Participation Matters: Your feedback will help inform future planning for educator preparation programs, and your participation will voice the experiences and challenges teachers like yourself face daily. This study allows your perspective to be heard and helps drive meaningful change.

Please take approximately 10 minutes to complete the survey and share it with your friends and colleagues. Thank you!

https://ucaeducation.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eLNz4A5iBMHqDYy

• Student nominations are now being accepted for the 2025 Arkansas Governor’s School (AGS) to be held at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, Arkansas from Sunday, July 6 - Saturday, August 2, 2025. Arkansas Governor's School is a four-week summer residential program for rising high school seniors. Learn more about AGS student applications here. Please encourage all interested and eligible students to apply.

• Step-by-step presentation to create a StudentAid.gov account: counselor training_FSA ID_final.pdf.

• Applying for AR State Scholarships (video) length [13:07]

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.

2023 legistated changes(see pp 14-16)

Presentation on SSP from DESE Summit

Review the Success Ready Pathway Guide. This guide outlines what a success ready pathway looks like for all students in grades 9-12, however it is a useful tool for students in middle school who are initiating their Students Success Plans. The Success Ready Pathway Guide:

• Outlines each pathway course sequence.

• Identifies the merit and distinction demonstration for each pathway.

• **"Completion of a success-ready pathway leads to eligibility to earn State Distinction, by demonstrating readiness at the culmination of that pathway. Schools will have an opportunity to earn points in accountability for students graduating with merit or distinction.

• Provides additional information regarding merit and distinction opportunities for students.

This tool should be used to assist connecting Students Success Plans to student goals post graduation. Becoming a success ready graduate is a multi-year process that begins well before high school. As we continue to build career ready pathways and ensure all Arkansas graduates are success ready.

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.

2024-25 ArSCA Membership

ArSCA Member Counselors,

As you know the current listservs for the state are being decommissioned: Commissioner's Memo about List-Serv We have been in the process of moving all of our current listserv members to the new listserv: : https://groups.google.com/a/arschoolcounselor.org/g/arsca-listserv We have posted messages on the old listserv and the new listserv as we transition to the new listserv.

We have successfully added all but 30-35 members. For those members, their district security is blocking our Google Group, so we will be sending you an email to forward to your technology department.

In order to be part of the ArSCA Listserv your ArSCA Membership needs to be current. Our membership form is here: ArSCA Membership Form If you have questions about your membership you can contact office@arschoolcounselor.org

We will continue to communicate about the new listserv, if you have questions please email technology@arschoolcounselor.org. Check your SPAM folder, if you have not received a message that you have been added to the listserv. If you find that email in SPAM then mark it as NOT SPAM, so that your email client can learn it is a legitimate email address/group.

Our tentative deadline to discontinue our old ArSCA Listserv is January 10th.

ArSCA Connects: Learn and Share Webinar Registration

Register here for ArSCA Connects = Tuesday, January 21 @ 4pm..

When: Tuesday, January 21, 2025
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Virtual Meeting: Link to be sent to registered attendees.

Facilitator: Genevie Strickland, Morgan Nick Foundation

Topic: Morgan Nick Foundation Programs Offered to Schools and Communities

Are your students really prepared for the online dangers they could be facing daily? Students cannot be told enough, unfortunately they believe that it won't be a problem for them. We would be happy to help you. Our focus falls into 3 categories: intervention, education, and supporting legislation that protects children and keeps them safe.

The Morgan Nick Foundation provides an online student education curriculum for students K - 12. This curriculum focuses on the real-world dangers surrounding students today. This curriculum is another option to educate children about personal and internet safety, it follows the Morgan Nick Foundations safety standards as well as the critical skills developed by the Arkansas Departments of Education in The G.U.I.D.E. for Life principles, designed to help students strengthen their need for learning and understanding the necessity for soft skills needed for students as they enter the workplace and beyond. Our services include teaching the specific lessons to a class or classes in small groups that may have a more specific need in that district.

We also offer parent education, community education, educator professional development that meet the sex trafficking requirements enacted by legislation ACT 765, the Child Maltreatment Mandated Reporter training, family engagement as well as other required educator needs.

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.

*Lots of schools have asked about my Keeping Kids Safe presentation for parents. I do come to schools to present that session. **

95 th General Assembly in Session

Monday, January 13, 2025, the 2025 Regular Session of the Arkansas General Assembly officially began. Members were sworn into office and the House of Representatives formally elected Rep. Brian Evans of Cabot as Speaker of the House. Speaker Evans subsequently announced his selections for committee chairmanships and leadership positions. Information regarding the Arkansas State Legislature can be found at www.arkleg.state.ar.us.

Governor Sarah Sanders spoke to the joint session of the Arkansas Legislature on Tuesday January 14, 2025, outlining her priorities for the 95 th General Assembly.

Education

Governor Sanders gave an update on her LEARNS education act and listed the successful points of the legislation: salary and merit increases, school safety grants, and education freedom account (EFAs).

This session Governor Sanders will ask for $90 million in new funding for EFAs in the next fiscal year, push for a wider implementation of her pilot program to ban cell phones in schools and create a free school breakfast program for school children who choose to participate.

Senate Education committee will be chaired by Senator Jane English and House Education committee will be chaired by Rep. Keith Brooks.

jefferythall@gmail.com.