It’s hard to believe that it’s June already, and here we are in our final days of the school year. As I reflect on my first year as President, I am pleased with all that the OSCA team has accomplished. We are busy planning for our next annual conference and we have shared the province-wide survey results with all our members and with the larger community. We have revamped our newsletter and attended many meetings. We networked with many great organizations and teams that share the same passions in guidance and career education as we do. We even publicly stood up for guidance in Ontario at Queen’s Park. It has been an awesome year, but also one with the challenges we all face in our day to day work.

At OSCA, we are always thinking about what’s coming next, where are we going, and how we can help our members. In the next few weeks, you will see more news about our annual conference for 2019. We have decided to try something brand new for this upcoming year, and will be hosting our annual conference at the University of Toronto Mississauga Campus.

We are thrilled to announce that we have four new recipients of our student awards.  

For the College Pathway - the recipient is from St. Ignatius High School in the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board.

For the University Pathway - the recipient is from John F Ross CVI in the Upper Grand DIstrict School Board.

For the Workpace Pathway - the recipient is from John F Ross CVI in the Upper Grand DIstrict School Board.

For the Apprenticeship Pathway is from Simcoe Shores Secondary School (North Barrie Campus) in the Simcoe County District School Board.

Thank you to all the nominators who took the time to nominate a worthy student. If we could, we would honour them all. With their stories of dedication and perseverance in the midst of adversity and hardship, each student was worthy of an award. We wish these students well as they take the next steps in their educational journey. Many thanks to the Governance Committee who had the difficult task of voting on these applications. Their time and commitment to the task is appreciated. 

The Award of Merit was first presented in the spring of 1972. In 1977 the OSCA Board of Directors passed a resolution to rename this award The Olive Diefenbaker Award of Merit to honour the late Mrs. Diefenbaker’s contribution to Guidance and Counselling in the Province of Ontario. The first awards were presented by her daughter during the 1977 Annual Conference at Niagara Falls in November. The citation on The Olive Diefenbaker Award of Merit reads: "In recognition of long and dedicated service to guidance and counselling in the Province of Ontario”

This award is to recognize retiring individuals who have made a contribution to the Counselling and Guidance Profession in Ontario. Did you know that nominations for this award can be received all year long? However, the end of the year is upon us and many counsellors may be nearing the end of their careers. This is a friendly reminder to all of our colleagues that OSCA/ACOSO would like to help you celebrate your colleagues! Nominate a colleague today.

Why you should be involved as an Exhibitor:
The Ontario School Counsellors’ Association invites you to join Guidance Counsellors, Student
Success teachers, administrators, educators and stakeholders in Guidance and Career Education
for OSCA’s annual conference. You will not want to miss the opportunity to network, sponsor
and exhibit with up to 300 delegates at this year’s OSCA conference.

By supporting this conference as an exhibitor, you and your organization are directly contributing to
the advancement of education in Ontario.

As a sponsor, your organization will receive the following benefits:

✔ Complimentary Exhibitor booth
✔ Complimentary conference registration
✔ Preferred booth location
✔ Advertisement in Sched App and/or Conference Guide
✔ PowerPoint slides prior to plenary events
✔ Permission to use phrase: "Proud Sponsor of OSCA 2019"
✔ Promotional materials distributed in delegate package
✔ Logos/signage at Conference and on OSCA Website
✔ Recognition in follow-up issue of OSCA Today
✔ Opening and closing acknowledgement
✔ Complimentary OSCA News postings

Attention Guidance Board Leads!

Any board wishing to take advantage of a bulk board subscription to OSCA for 2019-2020, is asked to email the OSCA office at oscadesk@gmail.com, to take find out what the bulk discounted rate would be for their boards. The more subscriptions purchases, the greater the discount!

See all 21 Ontario universities under one roof at the 2019 Ontario Universities' Fair (OUF)! The OUF takes place September 27-29, 2019, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Admission is free! 

The OUF Passport registration website will open in July at www.ontariouniversitiesfair.ca/passport. 

By registering for an OUF Passport, students receive a QR code that they take to the OUF and get scanned at university booths and presentation rooms of their choice.

It's the easiest way for them to share their contact information to receive more info about the universities they are interested in. 

OUF Guidance Counsellor Tool Kit 
We've compiled a tool kit to assist you with promoting the OUF to your students. It includes key messages, sample school announcements, social media posts and ways to follow the OUF on social media. 

Next steps for you: 

• View the OUF Tool Kit at: www.ouac.on.ca/guidance/counsellor-resources/ouf-tool-kit
• Leave messaging about the OUF on your school sign for the summer and help keep the event on everyone's radar.
• Share the OUF messages in your morning announcements and via the school communication app Remind.
• Follow the OUF on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and share our posts.
• Add the OUF to the calendar on your school website.
• Include information about the OUF on your school website for parents to access.
• Schedule social media posts for August and September.

We hope you find this information helpful. If you have questions, please contact ouf@ouac.on.ca.

The Canadian Association for Play Therapy (CAPT) Foundation Play Therapy Training offers individual days of unique training in the theory and practice of play therapy. Students are able to complete the 180 hours of continuing education credits at a pace and time that they choose. The 180 hours are one of the steps needed to become a Certified Play Therapist. The program instructors are professional skilled play therapists who bring expertise on a wide variety of topics. The courses will be offered in Toronto from July 8th through August 16th, 2019.

Registration for the individual days of training from the selection of 25 one or two days courses is open now.

 

This year, the Ontario universities’ recruitment events are being renamed and branded to be more consistent across all events and websites.

Cette année, les événements de recrutement recevront des nouveaux noms et marquages pour être
plus cohérente à travers tous nos événements et sites Web.

Please use the link below to see new, important information from the Standing Committee on Student Recruitment

The Ontario School Counsellors' Association has a longstanding tradition (over 40 years) of recognizing and awarding those who stand out in the field of Guidance and Career Education. Each year at our annual conference, 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 of students to find their pathways to successful futures!

OSCA's awards are an excellent way of recognizing your most dedicated peers in the following categories: 

• Curriculum and Resources
• Counsellor Professional Development
• Elementary Guidance
• Peer Helping
• Contribution to Guidance and Career Education

Consider nominating a worthy colleague today!