Dear OSCA members,

As we approach the holiday season, I want to take a moment to extend my heartfelt appreciation for all the hard work and dedication you bring to your students every day. Your support, care, and guidance make an incredible difference in the lives of young people across Ontario.

May this festive season bring you much-needed rest, joy, and time spent with loved ones. Thank you for your continued commitment to fostering the well-being and success of all students.

 

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

Warmest regards,
Lisa Butera-Fracassi, President
Ontario School Counsellors Association
_________________________________________________________________________________

Chers membres de l’OSCA/ACOSO,

Alors que le temps des fêtes approche à grands pas, je souhaite prendre un moment pour
exprimer ma profonde gratitude pour tout le travail acharné et le dévouement que vous
apportez chaque jour à vos élèves. Votre soutien, votre attention et vos conseils font une
différence incroyable dans la vie des jeunes partout en Ontario.

Que cette période des fêtes vous apporte du repos bien mérité, de la joie et du temps avec
vos proches. Merci pour votre engagement continu à favoriser le bien-être et le succès de
tous les élèves.

Je vous souhaite un joyeux Noël et une bonne année !

Chaleureusement,
Lisa Butera-Fracassi, Présidente
Association des conseillers scolaires de l’Ontario

 

Winter Session: January 13 to March 7, 2025

OSCA-ACOSO is pleased to announce that they will continue to offer Part 1, Part 2 and the Specialist in Guidance and Career Education Additional Qualifications courses this summer. Additional sessions will take place in the fall and winter. Advantages of taking the course with OSCA are the instructor is a current guidance teacher-counsellor, a one year OSCA subscription is included ($55 value if currently not active) and a downloaded copy of Ethical Guidelines ($25) is included. As part of the OSCA subscription, participants have the opportunity to attend the fall conference at a member rate, gain access to webinars throughout the year on topics related to guidance and career education, receive the weekly OSCA News to keep up to date with guidance/career topics, and receive the tri-annual OSCA Today, the professional magazine of the association.

Cost: $675 plus HST.

To register: www.osca.ca --> Next AQ course

Registration closes Friday, January 3 at 11:55 pm. This is a FIRM deadline.  

Teaching experience forms (Part 2 and Specialist) are all due no later than Wednesday, January 8.

Please register early to reserve your seat!

Join a student tour guide to visit Carleton classrooms, lecture halls and study spaces. Discover
all the resources available to Carleton Ravens. Visit our website for dates, times, more
information and to register.

Join us on campus on Saturday, March 8, 2025 for Carleton’s March Open House! From 9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. (ET), you can plan and customize your day by attending information sessions, tours, fairs and more. Stay tuned for more details and registration information. 

admissions.carleton.ca/march-open-house

Recently, we sat down with representatives from Ontario’s colleges to answer 20 frequently asked questions from applicants like you. Read on to find answers to questions you never knew you had!

Landscape Ontario has free workshops (valued at $250-480) for eligible employers and trainers. Choose from several dates in January and February in London, Ottawa and Milton. Learn industry proven practices that will lead to quicker training, more effective and productive staff and improved safety and quality standards.

I recently had a debate with a friend about what it means to be empathetic. He believes empathy is about feeling for an individual’s suffering and understanding what they go through. I think empathy takes more than just listening to alleviate suffering.

Neither perspective is wrong; it just depends on context. As a registered psychotherapist who practices career-focused counselling, empathy is complex, especially for clients with multi-faceted career issues.

Since the pandemic, we’ve seen significant changes in the mental health landscape within the Surrey School District – the largest district in British Columbia. Many young people and adults have found their sense of safety within personal circles and community has been tested to an unprecedented degree. The things they once took for granted have been called into question and how they view the world has changed. No longer is it easy for them to participate in all the activities they did pre-pandemic. Mental health cases in our schools have doubled, with anxiety and hope of a positive future seeming very bleak. However, we have made progress in addressing this by prioritizing the development of strong relationships, providing young people with a foundation to begin navigating their future.

The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) is pleased to be hosting Ontario’s Youth Video Contest: Safety in the Workplace!

This video contest encourages youth to create and submit an original, two-minute video that showcases the importance of working safely on the job.

To be eligible, contestants must be:

- An Ontario resident
- Aged 13-19
- Attending an Ontario secondary school or community centre program across Ontario

The winner will be awarded $1000 for themselves and $1000 for their school or community centre. The winner will also go on to compete in the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety’s national Youth Video Contest.

The contest closes on Friday, February 21, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.

This is an excellent opportunity to get youth in Ontario thinking about occupational health and safety. We encourage you to please share this contest with any educators or youth in your networks and add notice of it to any news bulletins to your members.