President’s Letter: Make Your Year with NJSCA

Welcome back, school counselors! If you’re anything like me, you’re still in a bit of denial that the summer of 2019 has come and gone, but there’s just something about September and the smell of new school supplies that makes you feel like you’re really starting off with a clean slate. This school year will be what you make of it. Maybe you’re just starting your school counseling career and you’re just looking to feel settled. Maybe you want to try a new program, lesson or group with your students. Maybe you’re looking for some professional development or some like-minded folks to collaborate and share ideas with. And even if you’re okay with the status quo, no one likes to feel bored or stagnant in their position.
 
No matter your mindset, NJSCA can help. Our newsletters will provide resources and keep you up to date with issues relevant to school counselors. We’ll provide professional development opportunities outside of our annual conferences, including those on the new edition of the ASCA National Model, which was released in July. We have published manuals for New School Counselors and School Counseling Interns, and continue to offer districts the School Counselor Evaluation Model to assess counselor performance. Dr. Maurice Elias and Mr. David Nash are our Keynote Speakers for our Fall Conference: Fostering GRIT in Students, where you’ll find breakout sessions that are relevant and applicable to every grade level. Your NJSCA executive board is replete with veteran counselors who are happy to answer questions or connect you with resources. Even if you’re the only counselor in your building, remember that, as an NJSCA member, you’re not alone.
 
If you haven’t really checked out our website in a while, we encourage you to take another peek for resources, events and professional development opportunities. Feel free to reach out to us at any time, whether you have a question, feedback or – better yet – are interested in getting involved! The executive board and I are here to support you, the talented school counselors of the state of New Jersey, and we truly look forward to doing so. We hope you use your clean slate to do something amazing this year!
 
Contact Jillian Shadis, NJSCA president 2019–2020, at jshadis@npsdnj.org.