OUSD Secondary Counseling
Welcome to the 2021-22 school year!
Welcome back OUSD school counselors!
For this newsletter, you will find updated information on many aspects of our comprehensive OUSD School Counseling Program.
OUSD School Counseling Mission:
The mission of the OUSD School Counseling Program is to provide a district-wide comprehensive, equitable, and accessible system of support to all students. Our students will acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to achieve academic success, college and career readiness, and healthy social/emotional development.
OUSD School Counseling Vision:
Our OUSD School Counseling Program fosters student success in a diverse and changing world by graduating students who are prepared to make a positive impact on humanity and meet the demands of their college, career, and life goals.
Our School Counseling Teams Are Growing!
Please make sure you have updated your school counseling websites to reflect your new teams!
Cerro Villa, Portola, Canyon and several of our elementary schools are also welcoming school counseling interns!
Calendar of District Wide School Counseling Meetings
District Wide School Counseling Meetings:
August 2-6: 8-10am Orenda (Online)
August 3: 10:15-11:15 am Xello (Online)
August 9: 1-3 pm 504 Legal training (Online)
August 11: 1-2:30 pm Support Resources (Online)- please have at least one counselor from your site attend
August 13: 8:30-12 Didi Hirsch (Online); 1-3 pm (Online)
August 16: all-day Orenda Make-Up Session (for those who could not attend 8/2-8/6)
August 18: 1-3 pm 504 Paperwork Training (Online)
Sept 2: 9-10 am Xello transcripts (Online)- please have at least one counselor from your site attend
Sept 15, 16, 17: 12-3 pm ASCA (Online)
November 2: 12-3 pm (Online)
February 8: 12-3 pm TBD
April 26: 12-3 pm TBD
Lead Counseling Meetings, 1:30-2:30pm, Online:
September 2
November 18
January 13
March 3
May 5
Cookies and Counseling Optional PLCs, 1:30-3pm:
September 29 (D.O. Panther Lab)
January 26 (D.O. Panther Lab)
March 29 (D.O. Board Room 1, 2)
Flyer for districtwide counseling meetings: OUSD District Wide Counseling Meeting Schedule
SELF-CARE
The importance and benefits of self-care extend to every profession, but within some careers it is more stigmatized than in others. People in caregiving positions like teachers and school counselors, often find it easier to tell others to take care of their health than to do the same for themselves. Because educators are encouraged to focus so much energy on others and so little on themselves, self-care is necessary to maintain good mental health. In particular, self-care can be a great way to prevent or treat stress. Self-care isn’t just a good personal habit, but it’s in your students’ and colleagues’ best interest, too.
Steps for Collective Well-Being in the New School Year:
Steps for Collective Well-Being in the New School Year | Edutopia
Additional Social-Emotional Support and Resources
School counselors will continue to be an integral part of the Tier I and Tier II supports for our students!
Since many of you have asked, we will not be continuing our work with Outreach Concern counseling interns at this time. We want our focus to be on expanding the capacity of our OUSD counseling unit so that students can receive as much support as possible from members of our OUSD family.
Kristine will also be sending out an updated Menu of Services for you to access.
On August 13th from 8:30-12 pm, all school counselors, school psychologists and site administrators will be attending a professional development from from Didi Hirsch on the topics of Suicide Prevention, Intervention, Postvention and the Columbia Rating Scale. From 1-3 pm, we will be reviewing the Suicide Assessment protocol that is specific to OUSD.
ASCA and Orenda are back!
Our Orenda guidance alignment sessions will be held from August 2-6th from 8am-10am each day. One make-up session will also be held for school counselors who have scheduling conflicts.
Please register for the Orenda Summer Institute Guidance Alignment Series.
Here is the registration link:
https://forms.gle/SCFAtWBtn4yBA7es5.
Again, this Summer Institute will take place virtually August 2nd- August 6th from 8-10 a.m. Here is the flyer: Orenda Summer Institute Save the Date. For those with scheduling conflicts, there will also be an all-day make-up session on August 16th.
Also, the next round of our ASCA training will be from September 15th-17th from 12-3 pm. Meeting links have been sent to each of you. ASCA documentation will be collected each month. As was discussed last school year, please make sure your ASCA data expert for your school helps your team in documenting the interactions you are having with students by domain. Make sure that you connect with your secretaries regarding how students will be signing in prior to coming into your office. Also, please let Katie know who your data collection person will be for your school site. This data will be submitted to Katie through a google form each month.
We will also be using this school year to prepare to apply for the Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) certification! We will use this school year to collect all of the documentation together and then we will apply in October, 2022. Everything we are learning in our Orenda sessions goes hand in hand with ASCA, so now is the perfect time! A collaborative session will follow when Katie comes to each individual team meeting at the secondary schools and when Kristine meets with our elementary school team! For your planning purposes, here is the 2021-22 ASCA RAMP Checklist. We will be reviewing all of this together in person.
Be in the Know!
Here is our updated OUSD School Counselors' Handbook for you to reference: OUSD School Counselors' Handbook
school counselors with strategies to support student’s social
and emotional wellbeing as they reconnect and reintegrate
to in person learning.
Dual Enrollment
This school year we will be piloting a dual enrollment SCC Counseling 113 online course that will be hosted by Villa Park High School. The class will be accessible to OUSD students, with specific support being provided within Study Skills classes. Your AP of Curriculum and your AP of Special Education will be working with you on supporting the enrollment into this class. It has a maximum capacity of 40 students. Here is more information from SCC regarding this course: SCC Counseling 113 for OUSD.
Further, SCC has posted their 2021-2022 catalog. The new format makes it easier for counselors to search for Credit Courses and Programs of Study: https://sccollege.elumenapp.com/catalog/2021-2022Catalog/home#mainContent
The SCC Dual Enrollment website (www.sccollege.edu/dualenrollment) added two new items:
o Under the MORE INFO For HS Counselors & Administrators, SCC posted a new booklet created by OC Pathways – A Guide to UC Requirements and High School Dual Enrollment.
o Under the BENEFITS – Student Success Stories, SCC is featuring an OUSD student who participated in the SCC Dual Enrollment Program and is transferring to UCLA.
We will send their Dual Enrollment schedule out to you as soon as it is finished!
OUSD Additional Supports for College and Career Success
As of now, the OUSD Virtual College & Career Fair will be organized with the following content:
October 5th: 4-year college and community college information
October 6th: CTE & Career information
October 7th: Grade level presentations by OUSD school counselors- please mark your calendars for this! We are hoping that this event can take the place of one of your school counseling parent nights.
September 25th, October 2nd, and October 9th @ 9-11am: FREE SAT prep sessions
October 13: PSAT and SAT school day (the PSAT will be administered for all 9th, 10th and 11th grade students; the SAT will be administered for all seniors.
We know that most universities are not requiring the SAT as part of the admissions process, but many are still using SAT scores as part of their placement practices. By providing these opportunities to our students, we are increasing access and decreasing barriers for college success.
Here is the registration flyer for the SAT Prep Courses: SAT Preparation Courses for OUSD Students. Please share this flyer with our students and families.
Xello
Here is the OUSD Xello Counseling Curriculum Scope & Sequence that we created together.
Xello lessons will be facilitated twice per school year (once in the fall and once in the spring) for ALL OUSD high school and middle school students.
Xello Course Planner will be used to create, revise and enhance four-year plans for all high school students so that our students are making very informed decisions about their course selections and career exploration opportunities.
Xello transcript orders: students will be able to order their transcripts through Xello beginning in September. More information to come!
Xello Family Portal: the parents and guardians of our students should have access to Xello by our fall Open House. This way family members can see the progress that our students are making with their college and career exploration efforts.
Career Technical Education (CTE)
This school year, we are adding Biotechnology II at Orange High School.
Work-Based Learning Opportunities in Xello: Work Based Learning Opportunities with Xello
Update on HOI: HOI is continuing to be placed on hold due to the COVID-19 safety measures that are required in medical facilities.
Update on EMT/EMR: The curriculum for EMT and EMR is being updated. We will not be offering EMT and EMR for Fall, 2021. As of now, provided the curriculum is complete by then, we are planning to offer EMT and EMR in Spring, 2022.
Please continue to check our website: https://www.orangeusd.org/cte
Parent Communication
School Counseling Leadership
End of Year data
El Modena High School Counselors
Cerro Villa Succulents
Orange High School Counselors
Please reach out to us!
Kristine Nelson
Coordinator, Student & Community Services
Elementary School Counseling Program
Health Services, Homeless, Foster & At-Risk Youth, 504s, SSTs, Crisis Intervention & Mental Health Support
(714) 628-5424
Lupe Perales, Psy.D.
Coordinator, Special Education
(714) 628-4080
Katie Treat
Coordinator, Career Counseling
Secondary School Counseling Program
College and Career Readiness
Career Technical Education (CTE)
(714) 628-5463