Lone Star State School Counselor News

Elementary Advocacy

By Sheila Lashley
 
I serve as the elementary vice president on the LSSSCA board. It is an honor to represent and be a voice for elementary school counselors. As elementary school counselors, we serve our students and families at the beginning of their educational journey, and this means our comprehensive guidance program is crucial. We are their first educational advocates and have amazing opportunities to make sure our students get the needed resources for academic and social/emotional development.
 
As an elementary counselor for 17 years, I feel one of the most important things an elementary school counselor can do is to advocate for their school counseling program. The counselor can educate the administration, staff, families and community about the benefits of a comprehensive guidance program for your students. Connecting and collaborating with other counselors is also important to build a resource and support network for your program and yourself. Be sure to continuously seek out opportunities to improve your knowledge and skill set – this is vital to the overall maintenance of your program. Last, get involved in advocating for the school counseling profession at the state level. This legislative year, take the time to talk with your legislators and educate them on the role of the school counselor and how we contribute to school safety by meeting the academic and social/emotional needs of our students.

Lone Star Awards Update

By Tracey Brown
 
The Awards Committee thanks all of the schools in Texas that applied for Lone Star Awards! We are well on our way to recognizing the amazing work school counselors are doing in the lives of students and stakeholders. We are very excited to be awarding schools at all award levels this year!
 
Join us November 4-6, 2018, at the LSSSCA Conference in Frisco, Texas, as we recognize these amazing schools who are blazing down the road to RAMP.
 
If you are thinking about applying next year or simply want to know more about the awards, please attend our breakout sessions (times available in the conference program) or visit our information table to ask questions and get the answers you need. As always…happy applying!
 
Contact Tracey Brown, Ph.D., founder and chair of the Lone Star Awards Committee, at trabrown@dallasisd.org.

LSSSCA Fall Conference: It's All About You 2

As you start planning your year, we encourage you to make plans to attend the Lone Star State School Counselor Association Fall Conference coming up November 4-6 at the beautiful Embassy Suites and Frisco Convention Center in Frisco. This is a great time to network with fellow counselors all over the state and have an opportunity to learn, visit our fantastic sponsors, take selfies, and hear from some excellent speakers. Join us!
 
Registration is easy – register now!