The Palmetto State School Counselor Association is pleased to announce our newly appointed Executive Director, Dr. LaWanda R. Felder

Dr. Felder has been involved with the governing board of PSSCA for over 13 years serving in capacities such as President, Conference Chair, Treasurer, among others.  She is currently a school counselor at Cross Elementary School in Berkley County where she has served for 25 years and is a current adjunct professor at South Carolina State University.

In her spare time, she enjoys staying active by walking 3-4 miles every morning. She is also a licensed Zumba instructor and hosts classes twice a week in her hometown of Eutawville, SC.  Dr. Felder earned her Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership from Argosy University in Sarasota, FL, a Master’s Degree in School Counseling from South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, SC and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of South Carolina in Columbia SC. 

PSSCA is pleased to announce a Call for Nominations for the 2021 PSSCA Advocate of the Year. Nominations are due November 15th, 2020.  Applications are due by December 11th, 2020. To view the nomination form, go to: https://pssca.schoolcounselorawards.org/scoy/other-awards

The PSSCA Advocate of the Year recognizes an outstanding individual who have demonstrated their beliefs in and support of school counseling programs that have had an impact on counselors and their students at the local, state, or national level.

PSSCA is pleased to announce a Call for Nominations for the 2021 PSSCA School Counselor of the Year. Nominations are due November 15th, 2020.  Applications are due by December 11th, 2020. To view the nomination form, go to: https://pssca.schoolcounselorawards.org/scoy/nominate

The PSSCA School Counselor of the year is your chance to nominate a counselor that you believe has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to school counseling and have had an impact on the profession and their students at the local, state, or national level.

The ASCA Position Statement Committee has revised the following position statements and is now seeking public comment. 

• The School Counselor and Gender Equity
• The School Counselor and Group Counseling 
• The School Counselor and Letters of Recommendation (new)
• The School Counselor and School Counselor Preparation Programs
• The School Counselor and Student Mental Health
• The School Counselor and Suicide Risk Assessment (new)

View the new and revised statements and share any comments you have for the Position Statement Review Committee by May 1, 2020.

Pee Dee Region Meet and Greet - April 24th - 6pm

Zoom Meeting Link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/74228529772?pwd=M3lPVXJQTDFrNzRjWk1GZnZlUmdHZz09

Meeting ID: 742 2852 9772

Password: 5refJb

Piedmont Region Meet and Greet - April 27th - 4pm 

Zoom Meeting Link: https://greenvilleschools.zoom.us/j/91486998569?pwd=Uml6clVWYWVoZ0tOczluWVYyc3lLUT09

Meeting ID: 914 8699 8569

Password: 314901

***Rescheduled Due to Technical Difficulties***

Midlands Region Meet and Greet - April 28th - 6pm 

Zoom Meeting Link: https://zoom.us/j/91343479850?pwd=TTVyWHJ4TlFDMDhtbzhWM3hSMlR1dz09

Meeting ID: 913 4347 9850 

Password: 4FQcmf

Coastal Region Meet and Greet - April 29th - 4pm 

Zoom Meeting Link: https://zoom.us/j/91099579154?pwd=clVkZnRGdWJEUHhqdG1KZ2FKNjNRZz09

Meeting ID: 910 9957 9154

Password: 1xpMvd

As schools work to safeguard student health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, school counselors are challenged to meet student needs both at school and outside school in the event of closures. ASCA has developed some recommendations for both situations. Here you'll find a number of resources for talking to students about the pandemic, including encouraging parents to limit their children's exposure to news media, providing a calming influence to students as needed, and helping students address their fears. Schools, working together with local health departments, play an important role in slowing the spread of diseases to help ensure students have safe and healthy learning environments. Please review the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Interim Guidance for Administrators of US Childcare Programs and K-12 Schools to Plan, Prepare, and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).  In terms of the ASCA Annual Conference, we continue to closely monitor updates from the CDC, as well as state and local public health authorities. At present, the ASCA Annual Conference will be held June 27–30 in Seattle, as scheduled. However, full refunds are available for registration through May 31. Please know that your health and safety is our top priority and, certainly, members should consider their own health in decisions to travel. Please follow @ASCAtweets and the ASCA website for updates.

ASCA has also developed guidance for school counselors to continue to meet student needs in the event of a school closure. 

School Closures

The rapid spread of COVID-19, commonly referred to as the coronavirus, has forced districts to review and in some cases implement emergency shutdown plans. As with any school safety issue, ongoing collaboration among campus staff, administration and district personnel is critical.

Depending on your district’s safety protocol, a school may want to appoint a multidisciplinary team to create plans so services can continue in the event of a shutdown. This team should include an administrator, school counselor, lead teachers, social worker/psychologist and school nurse, plus other personnel deemed necessary.

Any plan should involve comprehensive school counseling services that would be provided, while taking into account legal (depending on the state) as well as ethical concerns. Because school counselors do not provide ongoing therapy, the team should develop a list of available outside mental health services and share with parents and families. Ensure equity and access issues are addressed in any coordinated plan as well, such as ensuring students have access to computers and Internet.  

Guidance on Virtual or Distance Learning Programs

The ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors provide guidelines for working in a virtual or distance learning environment. Providing school counseling services and activities in this setting presents some challenges and limitations, but here are some things to consider.

• Have you worked with administrators to develop a plan for how students and families can reach the school counselor through phone, email or online platforms?
• Do you have procedures for students to follow in both emergency and non-emergency situations when the school counselor is not available?
• What steps will you take to recognize and mitigate the confidentiality limits you may face as virtual/distance school counselors? Remember to follow your school and district policies for online services/activities, accessing student information and using online platforms.
• How will you educate students on ways to participate in the relationship with the virtual/distance school counselor? Develop methods to minimize or prevent potential misunderstandings that could occur due to a lack of visual and verbal cues or the inability to read body language.
• Are you using school and district online platforms to communicate with students? Do not use your personal phones. If a communications method is not readily available, work with your school and district administration to find a solution.
• Are you providing as much information on the school counseling website as possible? You should be prepared to update it frequently.

 

Providing Direct Student Services

Should you be forced to develop alternative methods for providing direct services to students, prioritize the most critical academic, career and social/emotional lessons while continuing to teach the school counseling curriculum as much as possible. Because the uncertainty of working in a new environment will bring heightened stress to students, emphasize the following:

• Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional and physical well-being.
• Self-confidence in ability to succeed, manage transitions and adapt to changing situations and responsibilities
• Effective coping and personal safety skills
• Social maturity and behavior that is appropriate to the situation and environment.

You also should encourage families to use appropriate online resources to enhance the students’ ongoing academic, career and social/emotional development.

 

Providing Indirect Student Services

If you are providing indirect services to students, you should make a concentrated effort to educate the school community on how to best reach you. Use email and any available school/district online platforms and resources to consult and collaborate with families, teachers, administrators and other school staff. Provide resources on how to receive mental health, social/emotional and physical well-being support on your website.

Terina Gardner

Elementary Vice President

Anya Stewart

Secondary Vice President

Janelle Butler

Secretary

Natasha Fields

Treasurer-Elect

PSSCA 2020 - Morning:

https://shwca.se/pssca-morning

PSSCA 2020 - Afternoon:

https://shwca.se/pssca-afternoon

PSSCA Executive Board Elections 2020-2021

Candidates for Elementary Level Vice-President:

Ruth Arndt - As Elementary Vice-President, my hope is to help continue to advance the profession of school counseling by offering support and help to my colleagues and elementary school counselors across the state. As a school counselor going in to my sixth year with Lexington School District One, I have had the good fortune of working alongside and with many amazing school counselors that have helped guide me along the way. I have helped to develop district leadership lessons for elementary school counselors and serve with my school on the Leadership Team and Student Improvement Council. It is an honor to be nominated for the position of Elementary Vice-President and I look forward to helping you all in any way that I can.

Terina Gardner - “Accomplished school counselors set high standards for themselves as counseling professionals in the education community.” We are leaders in our field who are active advocates for the counseling profession and who recognize the importance of our individual role in shaping the future of our profession.  I have worked as a School Counselor at the elementary, secondary, and alternative school settings for over twenty years. I am currently an elementary school counselor and was previously director of school counseling at two middle schools in Richland School District Two. My desire to impact student achievement coupled with my professional experiences make me a strong candidate for the position of Elementary Vice President. My goal will be to not only support the mission of PSSCA but to serve as a voice for elementary school counselors in South Carolina in order to ensure students across our state receive premier counseling services.

Candidates for  Office of Secondary Level Vice-President:

Sara Beckett - As a school counselor for the past 13 years I have been afforded the opportunity to practice my profession in the Fort Mill and Lexington One School Districts.  I’ve been tapped to be on a team of counselors to open both a new middle school and high school during my first two years as a school counselor. I am an ADEPT certified school counselor evaluator and recently renewed my National Board Certification. All of these accomplishments would not have happened without the support of other school counselors around me. Communication, support, and recognition is what PSSCA does well now and what I want to continue. I enjoy seeing the “Big Picture” of how we impact our families within our community and state. I am relatable and will continue to support those around me to ensure we are a united front that is up-to-
date with the school counseling profession.

Kimberly Brown - My vision for the Palmetto State School Counselor Association is tied to the mission of PSSCA which is to advance the profession of school counseling. As Secondary Vice President I would do this working by to ensure that the PSSCA Secondary School Counselors have a voice in the association. I plan to speak up for the needs of the secondary school counselors in our state. I desire to work with the association to provide quality professional development opportunities to secondary school counselors. I am currently in my fifth year as Lead School Counselor at Whale Branch Early College High School in Seabrook, SC. I am a member of the School Counseling Leadership Team for the Beaufort County School District. I previously served on the PSSCA Board as the Membership Development Chair for and I have served on the Awards (Professional Recognition) and Professional Development Committees for PSSCA.

Anya Stewart - I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Wofford College, and Master of Education in Counselor Education from Clemson University. During my 11 years, I have worked as a school counselor in Anderson One, Lexington One, and currently Aiken County Public School District. I currently serve on the Board as the Awards Committee Chair. I also serve on the College Board Counselor Advisory Council for South Carolina. My vision for PSSCA is to continue the efforts of promoting and advancing the role of school counselors across this great state. I am excited for the opportunity to be a part of a dedicated team of professionals who work hard to promote a greater awareness of the roll of school counselors. As Secondary Vice-President, I will be able to connect with other high school counselors across the state, and advocate on their behalf, and increase communications across districts! 

Candidates for Office of Secretary: 

Janelle Butler - I’ve had the pleasure of serving as a school counselor for over 12 years and a community counselor for 6 years. Currently I’m housed at Longleaf Middle School, where I work with 6th and 7th grade students in various capacities as outlined by our ASCA model, as well as in my community. I don’t just lend my talents to my school, but also to colleagues in the profession. I’ve facilitated various professional development opportunities, presented at conferences, as well as developed and advised several school initiatives and programs for students.My mission is to take my passion for the profession beyond the four walls and play a more vital role on the state level as an advocate for our advancement. I plan to use the knowledge gained through my memberships in PSSCA, SCEA and ASCA over several years to offer meaningful contributions in meetings and our organization as a whole. 

Meghan Snipes - This is my twelfth year as a school counselor in South Carolina and during that time I have watched the Palmetto State School Counselors Association grow into an organization that is truly making a difference in the lives of counselors in this state. My hope is to bring my background as not only a school counselor but as a leader in my school and community to contribute to the success of the association.  I have served on many committees such as my district's curriculum writing team and the school counselors sunshine committee that required me to be organized and a good communicator with others.  I believe my ability to work well on teams that share a common vision and my work initiative will support the growth and professionalism of the association. I would be honored to serve as the secretary of the board and to further the mission of PSSCA.

Media Contact                                       
Lachelle Metcalf
American School Counselor Association
571-329-4199
Email

For immediate release – November 13^th, 2019

Deborah Blume Receives South Carolina School Counselor of the Year Award

ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Palmetto State School Counselor Association is pleased to announce that Deborah Blume has been recognized as the South Carolina school counselor of the year by the American School Counselor Association. The ASCA School Counselor of the Year program (#SCOY2020) honors the professionals who devote their careers to serving as advocates for the nation’s students, helping them achieve success in school and in life. State school counselor of the year honorees were selected based on several criteria, including: school counseling innovations, exemplary comprehensive school counseling programs, leadership and advocacy initiatives and contributions to student outcomes.

“The School Counselor of the Year award is an esteemed recognition for our profession,” said Richard Wong, Ed.D., ASCA executive director. “The research is clear: school counselors have a significant impact on students’ academic achievement, social/emotional development and postsecondary planning. This award highlights their dedication, contribution and excellence.”

The state school counselor of year recipients will travel to Washington, D.C., to be honored and formally recognized at a black‐tie gala on Jan. 30, 2020, along with the national School Counselor of the Year and finalists.

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About the American School Counselor Association

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) professional organization based in Alexandria, Va. ASCA promotes student success by expanding the image and influence of school counseling through leadership, advocacy, collaboration and systemic change. ASCA helps school counselors guide their students toward academic achievement, career planning and social/emotional development to help today’s students become tomorrow’s productive, contributing members of society. Founded in 1952, ASCA has a network of 50 state and territory associations and a membership of more than 36,000 school counseling professionals. For additional information on the American School Counselor Association, visit www.schoolcounselor.org.