President's Letter: Connecting and Collaborating

Welcome to the new format of the North Carolina School Counselor Association newsletter. I am excited to announce that NCSCA and ASCA have partnered to produce a newsletter five times per year that addresses a broad range of topics relevant to school counseling in a format that is visually engaging and user friendly. Each issue of the newsletter will focus on a main theme in an effort to provide NCSCA members with the most up-to-date information on topics that impact school counselors and the students they serve.

The theme of this newsletter, “Beyond Your Building: School Counselors in the Community,” shines a spotlight on the work school counselors conduct with stakeholders outside our buildings to implement a comprehensive school counseling program. This collaborative work allows school counselors to establish and nurture relationships that in turn allow a multifaceted approach to remove barriers, provide opportunities and formulate solutions that ensure student success.

For 50 years, NCSCA has provided school counselors across North Carolina with the opportunity to collaborate “beyond their building.” As an association, we have connected and collaborated with school counselors through newsletters and our annual fall conference. The many hours spent reading articles and participating in conference breakout sessions have provided proactive information and innovative opportunities to extend and expand school counseling programs and services across North Carolina.

We look forward to seeing you November 8-10 at NCSCA’s 2017 Fall Conference to continue this collaboration and celebrate our golden anniversary together.

Contact Elizabeth P. Atkins, NCSCA president, at elizabethpatkins13@gmail.com.