MSCA News, Events and Honors
By MSCA | January 2020
Changes to ACT Accommodations Site
At the 504 workshop presented at the fall conference, an attendee commented that it would be very helpful if there was a place on the ACT accommodations site to upload a student’s Health Plan. Shari Sevier has been in talks with ACT and we are very pleased to announce that this feature has now been added to the accommodations site! Shari continues to talk with ACT about streamlining the site to make it more efficient and less time consuming. We are very grateful to ACT for their flexibility and willingness to work on behalf of school counselors and test coordinators. MSCA will keep you posted on further updates.
New Violence Hotline
The Missouri Violence Hotline has been replaced by a new hotline that is now staffed 24/7. Courage 2 Report-Missouri can be accessed by calling (toll free) 1-866-748-7047. There is also a mobile app that can be downloaded to your phone via Google play or iTunes. The website (Courage2ReportMO) allows reports online, as well. Be sure to check out this important site!
Scholarship Offer
At the conference, one of our exhibitors (Graystone Graphics) was spreading the news about a scholarship they are offering. They emphasized that this scholarship is for ANY student who wants to apply. Greystone Graphics will award two $500 scholarships; all you have to do to get more information is text SCHOLARSHIP to 484848. We are very grateful to Graystone for this scholarship, for exhibiting with us, and for the cool t-shirts they were giving away!MSIP 6 Comment Period – Please Write
As announced at the fall conference, MSIP 6 is coming up for a second comment period. The State Board of Education has recommended that school counselor ratios be changed to 250:1 (maximum) and 160:1 (desirable). This is very encouraging news for school counselors and their work with students! MSCA will provide talking points and possible a template letter for you to send to DESE during the comment period. Every voice matters! School counselors did a great job of writing comments during the first comment period; now it is critical that even more school counselors write comments for the second comment period. That information was sent around December 16 – please write!Upcoming Events
Annual 2020 Take Ten Conference – Friday, February 28, 2020, in Lee’s Summit MissouriMake plans to attend the 2020 Annual Take Ten Conference, which will be held on Friday, February 28, 2020, at the University of Central Missouri Innovation Campus in Lee’s Summit. The full-day workshop will feature Russ Tuttle with the Stop Trafficking Project. Registration is now open at moschoolcounselor.org and the early bird deadline is February 8, 2020.
2020 Fall Conference – November 8-10 in Osage Beach
Save the Date for the 2020 Fall Conference! The event will be held on November 8-10 at the Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach.
We are now accepting workshop proposals for the conference. MSCA strives to offer top-notch professional development to our more than 1,300 attendees, and who better to learn from than your fellow school counselors! We encourage members to consider submitting a proposal. MSCA also welcomes presenters from the community. If you know of someone that would be an excellent speaker, please forward this information and encourage them to submit a proposal. Popular potential topics include anxiety, bullying, group counseling, career readiness, grief/loss, mindfulness, play therapy, and more! To submit a proposal by the April 15, 2020, deadline, please visit the Fall Conference page on the MSCA website.
We hope you join us on November 8-10, 2020.
Exemplary School Counselors, Staff and Programs Honored
Individuals and School Counseling Programs Honored During Annual Professional Recognition CeremonyOn Saturday, November 23, MSCA hosted its 3rd annual gala event at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City to honor the 2019-2020 Professional Recognition winners. Over 90 individuals attended the ceremony, which honored the individuals and school counseling programs named below.
Elementary School Counselor of the Year and Missouri School Counselor of the Year: Olivia Carter, Jefferson Elementary School, Cape Girardeau Public Schools
Middle School Counselor of the Year: Hilari McLaughlin, Maple Park Middle School, North Kansas City School District
Secondary School Counselor of the Year: Tammy Braun, Timberland High School, Wentzville School District
Counselor Advocate of the Year: Amy Barrett, Registrar, Raytown School District
Counselor Coordinator of the Year: Kim Hill, St. Joseph School District
MSCA Administrator of the Year: Josh Groves, Principal, Pleasant View K-8, Springfield School District
Dr. Norman C. Gysbers Nationally Recognized Missouri Program Award (The NRM)
- Park Hill South High School, Park Hill School District
- Indian Trails Elementary, Fort Osage School District