It is hard to believe it is November already - how fast the time flies! As guidance and career educators, you experienced a return to school that had many of us uncertain for a multitude of reasons. Some, including our students and families, were nervous about our return on the cusp of wave four of the pandemic. But here we are...still in our schools and classrooms.  We have gone back to business with varying degrees of normality. Masks, hand sanitizer and social distancing prevail, but many schools are now offering clubs and teams again and we are seeing shreds of familiarity to pre-pandemic guidance. We have all adapted to a new way of doing business, both in person, online and in hybrid options. Elementary guidance, Take Our Kids to Work Day, grade 8 visits, individual counselling appointments, college and university sessions and so many more aspects of our job have changed. We continue to adapt and thrive. It feels great to be able to connect in person with our students again, and as Ontario continues to open up, I am hopeful that the end to this pandemic will be on the not-too-distant horizon.

Stay well and remember to take care of yourselves and each other!
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Il est difficile de croire que nous sommes déjà rendus en novembre - comme le temps passe vite! En tant qu’éducateurs dans les domaines de l’orientation et de la formation au cheminement de carrière, vous avez vécu une rentrée scolaire remplie d’incertitudes. Certains, incluant nos élèves et familles, étaient nerveux de commencer une année scolaire sur la pointe d’une quatrième vague de pandémie. Mais nous voici… encore dans nos écoles et salles de classe. Nous avons repris nos affaires avec un certain degré de normalité. Les masques, le désinfectant pour les mains et la distanciation sociale prévalent ; mais plusieurs écoles offrent maintenant des clubs et des équipes et nous vivons quelques similitudes avec l’orientation pré-pandémie. Nous nous sommes tous adaptés à cette nouvelle façon de travailler soit en personne, de manière virtuelle ou en mode hybride. De nombreux aspects de notre travail ont changé : l’orientation à l’élémentaire, la journée Invitons nos jeunes au travail, les visites de la 8e année, les rendez-vous de conseils individuels, les séances d’information de collèges et universités et plus. Nous continuons à nous adapter et à prospérer. C’est formidable de pouvoir à nouveau communiquer en personne avec nos élèves et, au fur et à mesure que l’Ontario continue à rouvrir, j’espère que la fin de cette pandémie approche à grands pas.

Portez-vous bien et n’oubliez pas de prendre soin de vous et des autres !

U Got this! is a four-week challenge on Building Empowerment - every week youth are e-mailed a short video lesson and handout with an activity, with the goal to help them gain control and feel empowered during the unknown of the pandemic. There are prizes to be won, and support from child life specialists along the way. It's totally FREE for any youth, and they don't have to be members of Upopolis.

The Phil Hedges Award is presented to recognize the contributions to Guidance and Career Education by dedicated counsellors in the Province of Ontario. An award will be given to one qualifying nominee from each of the six educational regions in the province, or up to a maximum of six qualifying nominees from across the province.

The Marion Axford Award for Elementary Guidance presented in recognition of outstanding contribution to elementary guidance in Ontario.

Julie worked previously as an Elementary Guidance teacher and holds the current position as Guidance Instructional Resource Teacher where she has bridged her ongoing positive influence and hard work.

Chemins de la réussite bilingue - Conférence virtuelle pour les jeunes de la 10e -12e | Pathways to Bilingual Success Virtual Youth Conference

It''s back! This December, Canadian Parents for French (Ontario) will host the Pathways to Bilingual Success Virtual Youth Conference for students in grades 10-12. The conference will highlight the benefits of bilingualism and potential career pathways. This year we have added a special focus on the advantages and steps to becoming a French Second Language teacher, courtesy of SayOui.ca.

FSL students will explore career opportunities, hear testimonials from a variety of bilingual speakers in different career paths, participate in academic, social and cultural events, and interact with guest speakers en français. Presented by Canadian Parents for French (Ontario) and funded by the Ministry of Education of Ontario, this conference is packed with cultural, professional, and educational experiences for your students.

With over 500 students already signed up through our early-bird registration, this year''s youth conference promises to be a must-attend event! Check out our Event Program & Exhibitors, and REGISTER your classroom here: https://pheedloop.com/BilingualSuccess/site/home/

Wize is an ed-tech platform that supports high school, college and university students with their schoolwork through live & on-demand tutoring resources. We're on a mission to make learning simpler, more personalized, and more collaborative.

Wize is extremely excited to be providing a $1000 scholarship to a Canadian High School student! Students, of any age, currently enrolled in a Canadian High School can apply, and there is no GPA requirement.

Whether you’re looking to pick up some new career counselling strategies, explore issues of equity and social justice in careers, or shift your relationship to change, you’ll want to check out these 2021 titles. While some are written for career practitioners, others may also be of interest to jobseekers, students and professionals.

Our award-winning magazine is published 6 times per year in print and digital format. If you are not familiar with University Affairs (UA), check out a sample digital issue on our website. Subscriptions are available at no charge. See below for details.

Students returned to university and college campuses across the country last month, and while COVID-19 has raised new challenges, anyone who has spent time on campus in the last decade knows concerns about the state of higher education are nothing new.

In the United States, where some estimates now place student debt at over $1 trillion, college enrolment is declining, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

In Canada, news earlier this year that Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ont., filed for insolvency and creditor protection has caused some experts to worry. In an emergency parliamentary debate about Laurentian, Green Party MP Elizabeth May called it "the canary in our educational coal mine."

The challenges don't stop there.

Follow the link to to find the resources from Mindfulness Everyday's presentation as the OSCA Conference!