WE CAN DO IT!  

Congratulations, everyone—we're almost there! May has arrived, the sun is showing itself more often, and we are seeing much higher incidents of student hi jinks than we are used to. The last couple of weeks in particular have been wild!

We are all feeling the effects of the last two years, so with fewer restrictions on our interactions and better weather, we may see students acting out to reduce built up stress and trauma. In addition, we are seeing more staff taking time off due to illness and extracurriculars. As staff and admin, we also feel the drain of these last two years and are doing our best to get through these last few weeks with patience and grace.

As Guidance Counsellors, we can provide a safe place for both students and staff to land, to process, to vent, and to collect themselves to face daily challenges. Throughout all of this, we must remember to take care of ourselves. Let''s remember to process and debrief, maybe take time with your department to check in and discuss any feelings of stress or distress. Let's share our positive moments and feelings as well, and laugh as much as possible!

Remember to take time to care for yourself, and reflect on the positive ways you have helped students and staff during this school year. You have rocked it! I hope you can find humour, positivity, and patience during these last few weeks.  I know that WE CAN DO IT!
_______________________________________________________________________________________

NOUS SOMMES CAPABLES!

Félicitations, à tous—nous y sommes presque arrivés! Le mois de mai est arrivé, le soleil se montre plus souvent, et ce n'est peut-être pas pareil pour toutes les écoles, mais nous voyons beaucoup plus de comportement exubérant que d'habitude. Les deux dernières semaines en particulier ont été folles!

Nous ressentons tous les effets des deux dernières années, et avec moins de restrictions et un meilleur temps, nous pouvons tous voir des étudiants agir de façon à se libérer du stresse et des traumatismes qu'ils ont accumulés. Nous voyons également davantage de personnel en congé pour la maladie ou les activités parascolaires. En tant que membres du personnel et de l'administration, nous ressentons aussi l'épuisement de ces deux dernières années et faisons de notre mieux pour survivre ces dernières semaines avec autant de grâce et de patience que possible.  

En tant que conseillers d'orientation, nous pouvons fournir un endroit sûr pour que les élèves tout comme les membres du personnel puissent se rassembler, se défouler et traiter les défis de la journée. Pendant tout cela, il faut nous rappeler de prendre soin de nous-mêmes. Rappelons-nous que nous devons tout traiter et faire un suivi, donc peut-être prendre le temps avec votre département de vérifier et de parler de tout sentiment de stresse ou de détresse. Partageons également nos moments et sentiments positifs, et rions autant que nous pouvons!

N'oubliez pas de prendre le temps de prendre soin de vous, et n'oubliez surtout pas de prendre le temps de réfléchir à votre influence positive sur les élèves et les membres du personnel au cours de cette année scolaire. Vous êtes merveilleux! J'espère que vous trouverez de l'humour, de la positivité et de la patience durant ces dernières semaines. Je sais que NOUS SOMMES CAPABLES!

OSCA-ACOSO Anthony Di Lena Student Pathway Awards' mandate is to assist at-risk students in their journey towards success. One of the most important ways this is accomplished is by providing the OSCA-ACOSO Anthony Di Lena Student Pathways Awards to at-risk students who have demonstrated the exemplary ability to succeed in the face of adversity. $500.00 awards are presented to students who, in their postsecondary pursuits, are taking a pathway to apprenticeship, college, university or workplace.

The Ontario School Counsellors' Association has a long-standing tradition (over 40 years) of recognizing and awarding those who stand out in the field of Guidance and Career Education. OSCA recognizes individuals and/or organizations that have made a significant contribution to Guidance and Career Education in Ontario. We can say with confidence that our past award winners have helped thousands find their pathways to successful futures! OSCA's awards are an excellent way of recognizing your most dedicated peers.

Wednesday, May 11
11 am-12 pm

Join us to hear a short admissions update for Fall 2022. Next, learn about the Coalition for Alternatives to Streaming in Education (CASE), a community-based advocacy group committed to ending the practice of academic streaming in Ontario schools. CASE's activities are facilitated in part by the Ryerson Leadership Lab, an action-oriented think-tank committed to leadership development and policy activation to address our most pressing civic challenges.

Joining us is Tianna Thompson (they/them), Policy and Research Assistant & CASE Coordinator. Tianna is a passionate researcher working at the intersections of race, education and policy. Informed by anti-racist principles, they have experience conducting and supporting research with a range of education stakeholders. Tianna's lived experience makes them a committed advocate for other students and families marginalized by systemic oppression. They hold a B.A. in Sociology from McMaster University and an M.Ed from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.

Register Now!

Call for Applications for EQAO's Student Engagement Committee

Applications open until June 6, 2022.

Do you want to impact Ontario students' educational experience? Are you a student in a school in Ontario? Will you be in Grades 7-12 during the 2022-2023 school year? EQAO's Student Engagement Committee is seeking representatives for the 2022-2023 school year.

 

Appel à candidatures pour le comité d'engagement des élèves de l'OQRE

Demandes acceptées jusqu'au 6 juin 2022.

Veux-tu avoir un impact sur l'expérience éducative des élèves de l'Ontario?
Es-tu élève d'une école en Ontario? Seras-tu inscrite ou inscrit dans une classe de la 7e à la 12e année au cours de l'année scolaire 2022-2023? Le Comité d'engagement des élèves de l'OQRE est à la recherche de représentantes et représentants pour l'année scolaire?2022-2023.

Worried about students falling prey to hate groups? Rhetoric on social media that polarizes youth? False information being accepted as truth?

The Canadian Anti-Hate Network, in partnership with OSCA, is offering our members a workshop that will help us recognize and address hate ideologies and the pathways used for grooming and recruiting young people. This workshop will address signs, symbols, and memes of hate movements, how to address common scenarios and defenses of students involved in these groups, and how to counter the rhetoric and prevent recruitment.

SAVE THE DATES: April 27 and May 4 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

This workshop is designed and will be run by the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, an independent, nonprofit organization made up of Canada's leading experts and researchers on hate groups and hate crimes. 

This workshop will be supported by a practical toolkit, provided to each attendee, along with one year of aftercare, which CAN will provide support for by answering questions from educators and staff dealing with incidents.

This workshop is free and is limited to 40 participants. Spots will be first come, first served. Sign up today!

"Students are often the first witnesses, and first responders to, hate group activity amongst their peers, and it's up to educators and the community to understand and centre those experiences. There is a knowledge gap that must be addressed among educators and parents so that they can identify telltale signs of hate grooming themselves—and recognize the gravity of the situation when a student approaches them to talk about at-risk classmates, or perceived threats to themselves or their peers." -CAN

Learn more here!
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Craignez-vous que les élèves deviennent la proie de groupes haineux? ?tes-vous inquiets de la rhétorique sur les médias sociaux qui polarise les jeunes? De la fausse information qui est acceptée comme vérité?

Le Réseau canadien anti-haine (RCA), en partenariat avec l''OSCA/ACOSO, offre à nos membres un atelier qui nous aidera à reconnaître et adresser les idéologies haineuses et les voies utilisées pour former et recruter des jeunes. Cet atelier adressera les signes, les symboles et les mèmes des mouvements de haine, comment aborder les scénarios courants et les défenses des élèves impliqués dans ces groupes, ainsi que comment contrer la rhétorique et empêcher le recrutement.

RÉSERVEZ LES DATES: Le 27 avril et le 4 mai de 19h00 à 20h30

Cet atelier est conçu par et sera animé par le Réseau canadien anti-haine, un organisme indépendant à but non lucratif qui est composé des meilleurs experts et chercheurs du Canada en matière de groupes et crimes haineux.

Cet atelier inclura une trousse d''outils pratiques qui sera fournie à chaque participant ainsi qu''un an de suivi, au cours duquel le RCA répondra aux questions et fournira un soutien aux éducateurs et au personnel traitant des incidents. 

L''atelier est gratuit et limité à 40 participants. Les places seront attribuées selon le principe du premier arrivé, premier servi. Inscrivez-vous dès aujourd''hui!

« Les élèves sont souvent les premiers témoins et les premiers intervenants des activités des groupes haineux parmi leurs pairs. C''est aux éducateurs et à la communauté de comprendre et de centrer ces expériences. Il existe un manque de connaissances qui doit être comblé parmi les éducateurs et les parents afin qu''ils puissent eux-mêmes identifier les premiers signes révélateurs menant à la haine ? et reconnaître la gravité de la situation lorsqu''un élève leur approche pour parler de camarades de classe à risque ou de menaces perçues envers eux-mêmes ou leurs pairs. » RCA (traduit de l''anglais)

En savoir plus ici!

Join in the celebration of the School-College-Work-Initiative’s Silver Anniversary at the annual Symposium on May 10. Register for sessions at scwi.ca or iject.ca

Virtual Career Presentations with Tendril Design Animation

 

Hi there! We're Tendril Design Animation, a digital animation and vfx studio in Toronto. We have a highly rated community outreach program where we engage with young artists to show who we are, the work we do and how they could develop a career in our field. Our virtual presentation is totally free, as we're keen on giving back and helping foster creative talent! Presentations and discussions usually run about 60 minutes but can be altered to fit your class time and specific goals. Our speakers range from artists and directors to producers and accountants, who discuss their career path, projects, and how they ended up at Tendril. 

Please visit our website to get a better sense of our work and how an informative, inclusive talk might benefit your students.

To get in touch, email Emma at officemanager@tendril.ca

Education has many purposes, and one of those is to help young people prepare for their working lives. School should give them the skills and knowledge they need to set off on a grand career adventure, and part of this includes the development of a positive career mindset. Young people need to switch on to their careers and build the skills and knowledge they will use to find, secure, and keep work in a field they love throughout their lives.

Co-op offices and post-secondary career services play a key role in connecting students with meaningful internships and setting them up for success, especially with the rise of remote and hybrid working environments. Here are resources to help students, employers and educational professionals make the most of today's internship landscape.

How can you engage with Alumni and/or guest speakers to better help your own students?

How can this best be done? I have not mastered this by any means, but in an ideal world with lots more time on my side, an administrative assistant on hand, and an empty calendar ahead, this would be ideal and what I would aim for.

On Wednesday, May 25 at 1:00 PM EDT, join expert analysts from Future Design School and unpack emerging education trends analyzed in The Future of Education Report 2022, including:
- Developing and measuring critical competencies
- Creating a future ready Portrait of a Graduate
- Implementing personalized inquiry and individualized progression
- Rethinking assessment

During this exclusive webinar, OSCA members will gain access to exclusive research and insights on how schools are shifting to address the skills gap, and explore inspiring case studies from around the world.
___________________________________________________________________________________

Le mercredi 25 mai à 13h00 EDT, rejoignez des analystes experts de Future Design School pour explorer des tendances émergentes en éducation analysées dans le rapport sur l’avenir de l’éducation 2022, incluant:
- Développer et mesurer les compétences critiques
- Créer un profil de gradué prêt pour l’avenir
- Mettre en œuvre l’enquête personnalisée et la progression individualisée
- Repenser l’évaluation

Au cours de ce webinaire exclusif, les membres de l’OSCA/ACOSO auront accès à des recherches exclusives et à des informations sur comment adresser les écarts académiques et explorerons des études de cas inspirantes du monde entier.

AQ Part 1, Part 2 and Specialist (Part 3) courses | Summer Session July 4-29

 

The Ontario School Counsellors' Association offers Additional Qualification Courses in Guidance and Career Education Parts I, II and Specialist (Part III) in Winter, Spring and Summer and Fall.

OSCA's online, interactive courses are user friendly and allow real-time practice of the skills needed for the effective Guidance Teacher-Counsellor. We have a virtual classroom where we meet in real time to practice counselling skills, listen to guest speakers, and watch videos. This feature is very popular and it really makes OSCA's AQ experience prominent.

 Learn More

 

 

Theme: Inside Out: Looking Inside, Growing Outside!

When: Thursday, October 13, 2022

Where: Virtual conference

Stay tuned for the keynote announcement, call for workshop proposals and conference partners!