MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION MAY 2013VOL. 49, NO. 9

MASCA

Future Ready Summit planned for MayA Future Ready student has the knowledge, skills, and experiences needed to complete

further education and training and access a chosen career.

O n Monday, May 20, the FutureReady Summit will be held at the

DCU Center in Worcester from 9:00 a.m.– 3:00 p.m.

The workshop is sponsored by Exec-utive Office of Education, Executive Officeof Labor and Workforce Development,Department of Elementary and Secon daryEducation, Department of Higher Educa-tion, Jobs for the Future, and Massachu -setts Business Alliance for Education.

Attendees will include state, regional,and local leaders as well as practitionersfrom education, workforce development,economic development, health and humanservices and the business community,among others.

The Summit seeks to: • bring multiple stakeholders together

to discuss what it will take to build a

statewide system of structured, aligned,and strategic partnerships to supportstudents’ transition from the K–12 sys-tem through postsecondary educationand into successful careers and provideclear on and off ramps for adult learn-ers re-entering the labor market;

• provide influential adults and careercoaches with the tools and resources thatwill support all students as they preparefor a 21st century economy; and

• showcase replicable practices thatare moving the “college and career” readyagenda forward.

Future Ready Massachusetts is a pub-lic communication campaign designed topromote awareness and understandingof what it takes for all students (youthand adult learners) to be “college andcareer ready.” To be Future Ready means

a student has the knowledge, skills andexperiences needed to complete furthereducation and training that will provideaccess to the career of their choice.

Three key messages frame the FutureReady campaign:

1. START NOW: It’s never too earlyor too late to start planning for yourfuture;

2. AIM HIGH: Students who chal-lenge themselves through a rigorouscourse of study are usually the ones whogo the farthest; and

3. LOOK BEYOND (Outside theClass room) for learning opportunities thatsupport career pathway development.

To register, go to www.surveymonkey.com/s/TH8MRBV. ■

MASCA AWARD WINNERSLeadership Award

Peter AndersenWahconah Regional High School

Special AwardJoseph Fitzgerald and Ron Miller

MASCA Technology Team

Counselor of the YearJessica Goldberg

Masconomet Regional Middle School

Torch Award: Rising StarDawn Winiarski

Roberta G. Doering School, Agawam

(continued on page 3)

Saving Our BoysBy TED ZEFF, Ph.D.

I ncreased violence by young males isspinning out of control. Since the 1999

Columbine shooting, there have beenthirty-one school shootings in the UnitedStates. Violence and violent images per-meate our society. Boys are constantlybombarded with the false informationthat real boys must always be strong,aggressive, tough, and in control andrepress their feelings. Boys are continu-ally saturated with this distorted versionof manhood from television and movies,video games, the Internet, peers, coaches,and other adults.

In the last fifteen years, the violentvideo games and movies children havebeen exposed to have become moregraphic than ever. And now the ubiqui-tous Internet allows our boys to be brain-

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2 COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

2012 – 2013 OFFICERS

PRESIDENTJENNIFER LISKMedway High School, Medway, MA 02053Tel. 508-533-3228 x5107 • Fax 508-533-3246E-mail: president@masca.org

PAST PRESIDENTMICHELLE BURKEBeverly High School100 Sohier RoadBeverly, MA 01915-2654Tel. 978-921-6132 x11107E-mail: mburke@beverlyschools.org

PRESIDENT-ELECTTHERESA A. COOGAN, Ph.D.Bridgewater State UniversityBridgewater, MA 02325Tel. 508-531-2640E-mail: theresa.coogan@bridgew.edu

VICE PRESIDENT ELEMENTARYJACQUELINE BROWNEast Somerville Community School42 Prescott Street, Somerville, MA 02143Tel. 617-625-6600 x6517 • Fax 617-591-7906E-mail: jbrown@k12.somerville.ma.us

VICE PRESIDENT MIDDLE / JUNIOR HIGHMARISA CASTELLOE-mail: castelloma@sps.springfield.ma.usKATHLEEN SCOTTE-mail: scottk@amesburyma.gov

VICE PRESIDENT SECONDARYCARRIE KULICK-CLARKBraintree High School128 Town Street, Braintree, MA 02184Tel. 781-848-4000 ext 2273 • Fax 781-848-7799E-mail: jd02375@aol.com

VICE PRESIDENT POSTSECONDARYJOHN MARCUSDean College99 Main Street, Franklin, MA 02038Tel. 508-541-1509 • Fax 508-541-8726E-mail: jmarcus@dean.edu

VICE PRESIDENT ADMINISTRATORSTBA

VICE PRESIDENT COUNSELOR EDUCATORSMEGAN KRELL, Ph.D.E-mail: mkrell@fitchburgstate.edu

VICE PRESIDENT RETIREESJoseph D. FitzGerald, Ed.D.5 Progress Street, Weymouth, MA 02188Tel. 781-264-3426E-mail: jdfitz1831@gmail.com

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORDONNA M. BROWNAdjunct Professor, UMass BostonP.O. Box 366, 779 Center StreetBryantville, MA 02327Tel. 781-293-2835E-mail: executivedirector@masca.org

TREASURERASHLEY CARON25 Belmont Ave., Stoughton, MA 02072Tel. 508-212-0676E-mail: ashcicero@hotmail.com

SECRETARYJENNIFER McGUIREUpper Cape Cod Regional Technical School220 Sandwich Road, Bourne, MA 02532Tel. 508-759-7711 x247 • Fax 508-759-5455E-mail: jmcguire@uppercapetech.org

MEMBERSHIP COORDINATORDEBORAH CLEMENCEP.O. Box 805, East Dennis, MA 02641E-mail: membership@masca.org

COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK EDITORSALLY ANN CONNOLLY19 Bayberry Road, Danvers, MA 01923Tel. 978-774-8158 • Fax 978-750-8154E-mail: sallyconnolly@att.net

MAY 2013 3

SAVING OUR BOYS (continued)washed constantly with horrific, savageimages of what a man is supposed tobe like.

One study showed that children inAmerica between the ages of 5 and 18have watched 20,000 murders and100,000 acts of violence on television.And violent media does spur real-life ag -gression. Research has consistently shownthat after watching violent movies, chil-dren interact in an aggressive manner,while after watching movies about kind-ness, children treat one another withgentleness and compassion.

With the following eight steps, schoolcounselors can help combat the cultureof violence in school and encourage par-ents to raise a nonviolent son:

1. Advise parents to discuss empa-thy with their son. Never tolerate any-one shaming a boy when he expressesgentle, compassionate behavior. Helpboys understand the causes for society’snegativity toward gentleness in malesand talk with him about all of the posi-tive aspects of being a compassionate boy.

2. Advise parents to encouragenon violent games and safety. Parentsshould monitor a boy’s exposure to vio-lence as much as possible and providenonviolent games and activities. Encour-age boys to hang out with friends whoenjoy less violent games. Frequently dis-cuss the harm ful effects that exposure toviolence can have on him. Create safetywhen he en gages in potentially danger-ous activities at home or at school, i.e.,establish rules for fair fighting such aswhen play wrest ling and sword fightingwith friends.

3. Have students meet new peo-ple and embrace beauty. Create pro-grams for students to interact with peo-ple of different faiths, nationalities, andraces, to learn the commonality of hu man -ity. Expose boys to the arts and increasetheir respect for Mother Nature by cre-ating a school garden and developingback packing and hiking programs.

4. Talk about what “being a man”means. Parents and school counselorsshould talk often with boys about whatit really means to be a man. Reassurehim that he doesn’t need the approval ofaggressive boys, star athletes, or the alphamale to feel good about himself. Let theboy know that it’s okay to ex press fearand sadness and ask for help. Discussthe detrimental consequences of violentmales being so frequently ex tolled in the

media. Encourage boys to read books orwatch movies about the lives of greatspiritual men such as Jesus, St. Francis,Moses, and Buddha, and discuss howthey have created peace on Earth throughrighteous behavior.

5. Show boys how to deal withag gression and violence. Parents andcounselors should teach boys how torespond to aggressive children by role-playing with them. Parents can modelsetting limits with others, so that theirboy will learn how to set boundarieswith violent peers. Let boys know thatit’s okay to set personal boundaries withothers, rather than going along withpeer pressure.

6. Increase his compassionatenature. To increase boys’ compassion-ate nature, involve them in activities thathelp people, animals, and the environ-ment, such as planting trees or cleaningup trash in your community. Arrange forthem to volunteer in a hospital, nursinghome, or animal shelter. Most boys likecompleting carpentry projects; encour-age them to learn carpentry skills. Thenwith a parent or school supervisor, boyscould help fix up an elderly neighbor’sor disadvantaged person’s house.

7. Try to make school more boy-friendly. Because boys learn differentlyfrom girls, encourage teachers to incor-porate more movement during instructionand to take physical breaks be tweensubjects, incorporating active-learninggames and more outdoor learning. Cre-ating goals and using games will createmotivation. Discuss with the school ad -ministration ways to make classes moreboy-friendly.

8. Create a class constitution. En -courage teachers to create a class consti-tution with the help of the students, de -tailing how they should treat oneanother; and ask the teacher and stu-dents to sign it. Suggest that teachersreward students for kindness and goodsportsmanship. Encourage teachers toread and discuss exciting tales that pro-mote noble and brave qualities of heroeswho help others. Teachers and counselorsshould frequently let students know thateveryone has different abilities and in -terests and that those differences needto be respected.

By listening, giving fre quent support,and giving permission to express all theirfeelings, school counselors can help boysgrow into happy, confident, and thought-ful men. �

4 COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

MASCA AWARDS

Leadership AwardPETER ANDERSEN

Wahconah Regional High School

P eter Andersen has been a driving forcefor student success in his community.

Peter is a natural leader, who has excel-lent relationships with all of the stake-holders in the educational process: col-leagues, parents, community members,administrators and students.

His gentle nature, unassuming man-ner, and extensive knowledge base makehim a magnetic personality that is diffi-cult to say “no” to. He leads BerkshireCounty School Counselors Associationwith great effectiveness, and each yearthis MASCA affiliate organizes a county-wide professional development sharingworkshop. This workshop provides op -portunities for professional growth intopics ranging from suicide preventionto self-care for counselors. Last year heorganized a Data Workshop to help schoolcounselors in western Massachusetts haveaccess to assistance with data collectionand analysis.

Peter also organizes and leads month lycounty-wide guidance directors’ meetings.These meetings have resulted in a mean-ingful collaboration of educators, andthey have been especially helpful in theimplementation of the MassachusettsModel for School Counseling across Berk -shire County.

As a counselor at Wahconah Regional,Peter has brought not only extensive coun-seling experience but total commitment.He truly cares about his students, theirfamilies, the community, and the futureof school counseling. Peter readily assumesevery task, from PSAT administration toeighth-grade transitioning coordinationand more. He also recognizes when it isnecessary to step in and take over whensomeone else is feeling overwhelmed. Andalways with a smile on his face.

Peter is an active member of the DaltonBenefit Association, a local fundraisingorg anization that supports community-based youth programs. Described as“one of the most dedicated, positivepeople,” Peter is most deserving of theMASCA Leadership Award. ■

MAY 2013 5

Counselor of the YearJESSICA GOLDBERG

Masconomet Regional Middle School

Jessica Goldberg is a middle schoolcounselor at the Masconomet Regional

Middle School, which serves Boxford,Middleton, and Topsfield. For eighteenyears, Jessica has served the fields of edu-cation and counseling with patience, in -novation, and professionalism. She is awell-respected, dedicated, and experi-enced school counselor who grasps thetrue meaning of teamwork, partnership,and leadership.

Jessica’s compassion for students whostruggle both socially and academicallyhas propelled her to create programs tohelp them achieve. Jessica’s greateststrength is that she is an advocate forher students. She works tirelessly to getthem the services they require and pro-vides them with the encouragement thatthey need to be successful.

Jessica has been instrumental in ad -vocating for change in order to meet theneeds of current and incoming middleschool students. In collaboration with hercolleagues in the counseling department,she has identified a need for incomingseventh-grade students to grow as a groupthrough team building exercises. Theresult was a new and improved programfor seventh-grade orientation.

She also partnered with a colleaguefrom the high school counseling depart-ment to streamline the transition of mid-dle school students into high school byintroducing them to the Naviance pro-gram in a manner that will be more use-ful and relevant to them once they enterhigh school.

Jessica has focused on increasing stu-dent and faculty awareness and knowledgeof suicide and depression in adolescents.By working closely with her colleaguesin the counseling, health education, andhealth services departments, she hasbrought the “Signs of Suicide” Programto the middle school health classes.

For a second consecutive year, Jessicahelped implement a new initiative, a class-room-based guidance curriculum on studyskills to eighth grade students. She wasinstrumental in developing the areas offocus as well as curriculum content.

Jessica is open to new ideas and ap -proaches. She encompasses the qualitiesof a successful counselor: active listening,compassion, follow-through, effectivecom munication, and collaboration. ■

Torch Award, Rising Star: Dawn Winiarski

(continued on page 6)

D awn Winiarski is a leader in herschool, school district, and com-

munity. In her fifth year as a middle schoolcounselor, Dawn is an active member ofWMCA, MASCA, and ASCA. With theknowledge acquired from her professionalassociations, Dawn strives to keep herschool counseling program up to datewith state and national standards, whileseeking new approaches to improve ser-vices for students.

Dawn is a member of the District-WideSupport Team, which pools community

resources to meet school district needsand the academic and social needs ofstudents. She also serves on the SchoolCounsel Advisory Committee that pro-vides oversight of the Agawam SchoolDistrict. In addition, she is a member ofthe School Counseling Advisory Com-mittee, which provides direction andover sight of the school counseling pro-gram K-12.

At the school level, Dawn participatesin the Data Support Team, helping to

6 COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

TORCH AWARD (continued)guide the school in making data-drivendecisions based on student achievement,attendance, and discipline referrals. Shealso maintains the school data wall.Through the data wall the school com-munity is kept informed about its progresstoward closing the achievement gap.

When Dawn conducts classroom gui -dance lessons, she collects pre- and post-data to evaluate the effectiveness of var-ious lessons. Recently, she compiled thisdata and completed the MassachusettsAccountability Report Card /MARC.

This outline of the achievements of theschool counseling department was pre-sented to the school committee. For thisaccomplishment, Dawn received an awardat the MASCA Fall Conference.

Dawn helps to keep the guidance pro-gram on track, meeting deadlines, coor-dinating schedules, and almost single-handedly coordinating the MCAS test ingfor over 700 students. She has an opti-mistic approach to problem-solving andcontinually seeks to improve and expandthe availability and accessibility of thecounseling program. ■

Special AwardJOSEPH FITZGERALD, Ed.D.

RON MILLERMASCA Technology Team

Joe Fitzgerald, retired school counselorand guidance director from Randolph,

has been chair of MASCA’s TechnologyStanding Committee, and he is a skillfultechnology partner and resource forMASCA. For more than two decades, hehas served on various MASCA commit-tees and assumed leadership roles, mostrecently, as MASCA VP Retirees. For sev-eral years, Joe has been the registrar forMASCA conferences, using the CVENTonline registration technology. Joe is veryresponsible in all his responsibilities,and seeking to share his knowledge withcolleagues, Joe writes frequently for theMASCA Counselor’s Notebook.

Ron Miller, retired school counselorfrom Natick, is the MASCA webmasterand coordinator of Technology. He hasassisted the development of the enhancedMASCA website, patiently mentoredMASCA leadership in the use of ex -panded technology services, promotedopportunities for continued growth oftechnology that could assist MASCA, andprovided technology support to MASCAcommittees. Ron is always willing toassist, partner, and guide CVENT eventdevelopment and to troubleshoot regis-tration.

Both Joe and Ron are responsible,help ful, knowledgeable, technologicallysavvy, respectful, and patient and willingto mentor. They have made significanttechnological contributions to MASCA,and they devote considerable time inmaking sure the technology departmentoperates smoothly. Included among theiraccomplishments are: quickly servicingconference exhibitors and registrants;prompt invoicing; efficient and effectivemanagement by using CVENT software;developing and updating the MASCAwebsite; keeping databases current; anddeveloping E-communication.

Joe and Ron are special advocates foradvancing technology in MASCA andthe school counseling profession. They aremost worthy recipients of the MASCA2013 Special Award. ■

MAY 2013 7

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAIDNEWBURYPORT, MA

PERMIT NO. 96

Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Inc.COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

Sally Ann Connolly, Editor

IN CASE OF NON-DELIVERY, RETURN TO:Deborah ClemenceP.O. Box 805East Dennis, MA 02641

Your membership renewal date is indicated by year and month on your address label above.To renew your membership, go to MASCA’s website, www.masca.org.

The Joint Committeeon Education

Bill Hearing forH.460 & H.461

June 20, 20138:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Hearing Room TBAState House, Boston

Join school counselorsfrom across the state to

support this legislation, ourfield, and the future college

and career readiness ofstudents in Massachusetts.

Keep Informed!The Advocacy Section

of MASCA’s website keepsyou informed about:

School Counselor ResourcesAdvocacy Tools & Updates

State & National NewsResearch

www.masca.org