President's Letter: Set Yourself a New Challenge
By Amy Prouty | September 2017
Summer is gone (albeit for me too quickly!) and ready or not, is it time to take on a new school year. As we prepare ourselves for all our work in the coming year, we set goals for our programs, our schools and ourselves; we decide what lessons we will deliver to our students; we act as leaders in our schools advocating not only for our programs but also for our profession. What is something new you are going to challenge yourself with this year? Will it be a new lesson or program to deliver students? Will it be leading professional development for staff? Will you start the process to become a RAMP school? Will you decide to become a state leader and join the CSCA board? Will you advocate for your program or the profession by giving a presentation? What is your new challenge in this new year?
I just returned home from ASCA’s 2017 Relate, Recharge, Reflect, Realize Annual Conference. As I ruminate on the four days packed full of sessions to excite and energize counselors, it is my hope that you had the chance to partake in the conference right here in our home state – to RELATE with fellow school counselors, RECHARGE your passion, REFLECT on your previous school year and REALIZE the potential for the upcoming school year. If you were unable to attend, reach out to your colleagues – even your CSCA board members – to get resources to help you Relate, Recharge, Reflect and Realize. We also hope that you will consider attending our CSCA state conference, “World of Opportunity,” in October in Keystone!
One of my favorite sessions at the ASCA conference was the final keynote speaker, Dr. Calvin Mackie. Dr. Mackie gave school counselors inspirational words to wrap up an amazing four days of collaboration, learning and networking. He emphasized that school counselors are uniquely qualified to give students hope and be the people who say “yes” when the world tells students “no.” He reminded us to be the support/asset in a student’s life when they may not have any one else to support them, and he conveyed to us that we need to realize our students are diamonds in the rough and it is our job to shine them up. He pointed out that students need skill sets, assets and mindsets to succeed in their world.
As you start your new school year, please take the time to use Dr. Mackie’s remarks to challenge yourself: Relate to your students and be their asset; Recharge lessons to teach students skill sets they can use all their lives; Reflect your character to students so they too can Realize positive mindsets as they prepare for the world of opportunity they are about to face.
Cheers to the new year and your new challenge!