I have always loved the earth, geography and people. From my undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies to my Masters that took me to Bali and Thailand, I have found that these pursuits nourish my soul. COVID-19 has provided many challenges and time for reflection: how am I going to get through this, personally and professionally? There are days when it is all I can do to stay afloat, and then there are days when I want to do more than just survive this, I want to find some way to thrive in it. For me, it helped to reach back to my beginnings, to figure out what has always made my "soul sing".? Sometimes, such as during lockdowns, this has seemed a formidable task, especially in the winter when I can’t easily pursue my favourite activity - cycling the trails along the Grand River. So, I started walking...sometimes alone and sometimes with my bubble. I walk and walk, often pairing it with other things I love: talking to my family and friends on the phone, catching up on a podcast that inspires me or comedy that makes me truly belly laugh.
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J'ai toujours aimé la terre, la géographie et les gens. Depuis mon diplôme de premier cycle en études environnementales jusqu’à ma maîtrise qui m'a conduite à Bali et en Thaïlande, j'ai constaté que ces activités nourrissent mon âme. La COVID-19 a fourni de nombreux défis et beaucoup de temps pour la réflexion: comment vais-je m'en sortir, personnellement et professionnellement? Il y a des jours où c'est tout ce que je peux faire pour rester à flot, et puis il y en a d’autres où je veux faire plus que simplement survivre, je veux trouver un moyen de m'épanouir. Pour moi, cela m'a aidée à revenir à mes débuts, à comprendre ce qui a toujours fait chanter mon âme. Parfois, comme lors des confinements, cela m'a semblé une tâche redoutable, surtout en hiver, lorsque je ne peux pas facilement poursuivre mon activité préférée: faire du vélo sur les sentiers le long de la rivière "Grand". Alors, j'ai commencé à marcher... parfois seule et parfois avec ma bulle. Je marche et marche, en associant souvent cette activité à d'autres choses que j'aime: parler au téléphone avec ma famille et mes amis, rattraper un podcast qui m'inspire ou une comédie qui me fait vraiment rire du fond du cœur.

Welcome to the first of OSCA/ACOSO's "Meet Your Board of Directors and Contract Workers" series! 

Reclaiming My Joy - Angela Ventrice, AQ Instructor, OSCA/ACOSO

When I was younger, I loved doing crafts. I would lose myself in a project and have no sense of the hours I would spend in pure contentment and joy. As I got older, the craft box slowly got pushed to the corner of a room, then to the closet and then out of sight into the basement. Every so often I would come across something I made or crafted and smile and think how much free time I must have had when I was younger to be able to create these things and how much more important the work I am doing now must be to not find the time to craft. Once the pandemic started and we began to be in lockdown, the slowdown and exhortations to remain at home gave me and many others the gift of time to try something new, or return to something lost. That box in the basement brought out my old crochet needle and to Michael’s I went. 

 

 For me, something like crocheting is therapeutic. I find that as I am sitting down focusing on each stitch and the yarn in my hand, my breathing slows, becomes deeper and more restful. But the real reason I love crafting – the thing that never ceases to thrill me about my now daily hobby of choice – is the feeling that when I'm making something, I'm tapping into some sort of magic. It's the idea that I can take raw materials – cloth, thread, yarn – and, with the perfect mix of time, effort and imagination, turn it into something special. The idea that a tiny, ordinary action, repeated ten-thousandfold, can produce a scarf, a sweater, something that wraps you up, keeps you warm, makes you feel loved. It's the most ordinary thing – but it's also the most magical. You might find it in crafting. You might find it in cooking. You might find it in writing, in taking care of your kids or your pet, or in your daily walk, a routine that involves a thousand steps, each one a tiny bit different than the one before. Wherever it is for you – I hope there's a bit of magic waiting for you this weekend.

My current project - a blanket for my bed or maybe the cat….

Our Spring Session for our Guidance and Career Education Additional Qualifications Course begins April 6, 2021 to June 7, 2921

Canadian Association for Play Therapy
Foundation Play Therapy Training

Live On-line Instructor Lead
Individual Full Days of Training 2021

 May 3 – 14, 2021 (Monday to Friday)

• Introduction to Play Therapy
• Play Therapy History, Models and Process – 2 days
• Ethical Practice in a Play Therapy Setting
• Assessment & Treatment Planning in a Play Therapy Context
• Attachment Theory and Therapy in a Play Therapy Setting
• Non-Directive Play Therapy and Filial Therapy – 2 days
• Theraplay as a Play Therapy Model
• Family Play Therapy

June 14 – 25, 2021 (Monday to Friday)

• Sandtray Therapy – 2 days
• Brain Research and Child Development in a Play Therapy Setting
• Understanding Traumatized Children and Applying Play Therapy Tools in the Treatment of Trauma in Children – 2 days
• Treating Disruptive Behaviour Problems in a Play Therapy Setting – 2 days
• Creating an Inclusive and Culturally Competent Play Therapy Practice
• Storytelling in a Play Therapy Session
• Understanding and Treating Anxious Children

August 9 – 20, 2021 (Monday to Friday)

• Play Therapy with Abused Children – 2 days
• Day 1 – Physical and Emotional Abuse
• Day 2 – Sexual Abuse
• Puppetry in a Play Therapy Setting
• Play Therapy with Adults
• Group Therapy
• Play Therapy for Children and Families Coping with Loss – 2 days
• Case Application
• Art Therapy in a Play Therapy Setting
• Vicarious Trauma and Self Care in a Play Therapy Environment

For Details on Dates, Registration, Training Outlines and Learning Outcomes go to: https://cacpt.com/foundation-play-therapy-training/

The SciXchange at Ryerson is hosting a Let's Talk Health Symposia, a series of virtual events that highlight the intersection of health research with various subjects in science. Each event is open to students in grades 10-12. Participants will get to meet researchers, ask questions and gain experience in virtual labs. Content is independent so students are welcome to sign up for one or multiple events.

Dates:
Let's Talk Health: Physics - Saturday, Feb. 6 | 1:00 - 3:30 pm EST
Let's Talk Health: Biology - Saturday, Feb. 20 | 1:00 - 3:00 pm EST
Let's Talk Health: Sports - Saturday Mar. 6 | 1:00 - 3:00 pm EST

Do you know a youth with chronic illness or who has recently experienced the death of someone close to them?

We would like to introduce you to UPOPOLIS, a free, online social support network. Our website is available to youth age 10 – 18 years who:
Have recently lost a loved one close to them
Have a chronic medical condition, critical illness, or hospital experience;
Their siblings
On UPOPOLIS, youth have the opportunity to meet others who are sharing the same experiences, exchange coping strategies, and learn about diagnoses and medical conditions from child life specialists so they have a better understanding of the medical journey. Most importantly, UPOPOLIS gives youth the chance to make friends, which helps relieve feelings of isolation and loneliness often associated with these stressful life events.

The best part, it is so easy to refer youth to UPOPOLIS. Visit www.upopolis.com and click on Healthcare Professionals – Refer a youth. Under Resources there are flyers and posters available to hand out to youth, their parents, and to post in your public spaces.

If you have questions or would like help signing up youth you know, e-mail support@upopolis.com. Thank you for helping to support the youth in our lives!

We recognize the incredible efforts of educators, school and board staff who serve students daily in classrooms across Ontario. We know you do so despite your personal pandemic challenges. Your work matters. When students attend school, whether in-person or online, they engage in important routines and foster connections that can help them to feel more balanced amidst the uncertainties. Thank you for all you do to create welcoming and inclusive classrooms that help our students to learn and grow.

The following resources and learning opportunities have been prepared to both bolster student mental health and support the well-being of educators. These classroom-ready resources can be used for either virtual and in-person learning. Additional classroom materials and learning opportunities are in development and will be shared in the coming weeks and months.

We all have the potential to become leaders, but to do so we must embrace our capabilities and the power that each moment presents. The world needs our help, and each one of us can make a positive impact. When we take a step toward being a better leader, we are taking a step toward creating a better version of ourselves. To be a leader is to recognize that when we help others, we also help ourselves to grow. Leadership teaches us that we can enhance the potential of the world.

There is a popular quote that says, "Today’s lessons lead to tomorrow’s blessings." To be an effective leader we must acquire certain skillsets to increase our ability to perform well consistently. In recognition of this, flightunit has created a powerful 7-Day Leadership Challenge to empower lives and to change the world through positive words and actions. This challenge is highly inclusive; all participants will develop a new leadership competency each day of the challenge.

Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services is proud to announce the Don McBain Memorial Award, in honour of the late OAHS founder and Executive Director. This award is comprised of (2) $5,000 scholarships that will be distributed annually to (2) Indigenous students from Ontario pursuing their first year of post-secondary studies.

Teens today need help to manage anxiety, cultivate empathy and compassion and develop coping skills. Mindfulness can help them, and this introductory workshop will help you teach mindfulness to teens. Whether you’re a teacher, education support worker, or other youth service practitioner, you’ll get the information and resources you need to design a new mindfulness curriculum or implement an existing one. You’ll explore the core elements of mindfulness training, practical applications, curriculum connections, neuroscience research, customized lesson plans and adaptations for different populations.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
- Assess the resources needed to implement a mindfulness program.
- Use age-appropriate activities, practices and instructional materials.
- Select activities and practices that will support mindful core competencies:
- Show students how they can benefit from mindfulness practice.
- Help teens enhance their optimism, motivation, creativity and impulse control skills through the use of mindfulness.

The Mindful Edge® is a specially-developed program to provide Stress Reduction and Life Strategies for Teens. It is based on the principles of the MBSR Workshop program created by Jon Kabat-Zinn. The Mindful Edge™ combines the practices of mindfulness with knowledge of brain science, positive psychology, movement and healthy living skills to create a program that benefits teens socially, emotionally, physically and academically.
Students actively participate in the process of unfolding a practical understanding of mindfulness and how it can benefit them in their lives.

This Professional Development session is designed for those who advise students on post-secondary pathways. Gap Years are becoming more common in Canada and YOU need to be informed.

Free PD Session on Friday, February 5th at 2:30 pm EST.

 

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

This next issue of OSCA Today will drop into your mailbox one year into this global pandemic,
which only appears to be getting worse before it gets better. We have all made sacrifices.
Many of us may be managing but many more are not. Educators across our province are
witnessing first-hand how many of our students are struggling. This pandemic continues to put
a strain on all of us especially our students and their families. We need help with advice and
resources. We need you!

Here is what we need:

First. Resources. We would like your suggestion for support agencies that our students can
reach out to. We especially need resources for our BIPOC: Black, Indigenous, People of Colour,
2SLGBTQQ students.

Second. Articles. If you have stories, ideas or advice to help us and our students endure this
pandemic, we would love to hear from you. We would love it if you would write an article for
OSCA Today.

Please reach out and submit your resources and articles ideas to Roderick Conte, OSCA VP of
Communications at rbconte@yahoo.com

 

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.

Winter Session: Monday, January 11, 2021 -to- Monday, March 8, 2021  
Register for the Winter Session here!

Cost: $650