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 Featured Highlights
I am looking forward to continuing to be a part of the Communications team at OSCA/ACOSO. I have worked in Elementary Guidance for five years with the Peel District School Board. I believe that the guidance counsellor is truly at the heart of the school; supporting students, teachers, parents and administrators alike. I have had the opportunity to work with guidance counsellors in my board and we continue to focus on disrupting and dismantling systems that have marginalized and created disproportionate outcomes for underserved students. I completed my undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice in 2004 and I started my educational journey 13 years ago after completing a masters program in education in 2008. I was born and raised in Windsor, Ontario and moved to the GTA in 2004. I worked as a classroom teacher for eight years before becoming a guidance counsellor at my current school. In addition to guidance work, I am a wife and mother to two beautiful children and one sweet fur baby. In my spare time, I enjoy travelling with my family, photography, and home renovation. I had the pleasure of teaching art for many years and enjoy all things creative. Thank you for taking the time to learn a little about me and it is an absolute honour for me to serve on the OSCA/ACOSO Board of Directors this year!
J’ai hâte de continuer à faire partie de l’équipe des communications de l’OSCA/ACOSO. J’ai travaillé en orientation au niveau élémentaire pendant 5 ans au sein du Peel District School Board. Je crois que le conseiller en orientation est vraiment au cœur de l’école ; soutenant les élèves, les enseignants, les parents et les administrateurs. J’ai eu l’occasion de travailler avec des conseillers en orientation dans mon conseil et nous continuons à nous concentrer sur la perturbation et le démantèlement des systèmes qui ont marginalisé et créé des résultats disproportionnés pour les élèves mal desservis. J’ai terminé mon diplôme de premier cycle en justice pénale en 2004 et j’ai commencé mon parcours en éducation il y a 13 ans après avoir complété un programme de maîtrise en éducation en 2008. Je suis née et j’ai grandi à Windsor, en Ontario et j’ai déménagé à la RGT en 2004. J’ai travaillé comme enseignante en salle de classe pendant 8 ans avant de devenir conseillère en orientation dans mon école actuelle. En plus du travail en orientation, je suis épouse et je suis mère de deux beaux enfants et d’un chien adorable. Pendant mon temps libre, j’aime voyager avec ma famille, la photographie et la rénovation domiciliaire. J’ai eu le plaisir d’enseigner les arts pendant de nombreuses années et j’aime tout ce qui est créatif. Merci d’avoir pris le temps d’en apprendre un peu plus sur moi et c’est un grand honneur de siéger au conseil d’administration de l’OSCA/ACOSO cette année!
Join us as we welcome Sherri Vansickle RS, Native Education Counsellor with the Grand Erie District Board, and take the time to look into the intersections of society that affect our First Nations, Metis, and Inuit students. We will look into the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, and the Calls to Justice from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women/Girls Report. For those of us in the education system, conversations like this offer opportunities for professional growth (learning and unlearning), for support of our Indigenous students, and for the creation of environments where dialogue, understanding, and the dismantling of oppressive systems can take place. Bring your questions and let's roll up our sleeves to see how we can better meet the needs of our Indigenous students!
 Now is the time to nominate a deserving colleague for an OSCA award. Perhaps it is that person who has created a great resource that has allowed students to create their own pathway? Maybe you know a guidance counsellor who is the ''go to'' person at your school? Perhaps a deserving community partner that provides excellent support for your school? You have until September 18, 2023 11:59 p.m. to nominate someone, but why not do it now? Chacun et chacune de nous connaît un collègue innovateur, qui accomplit avec enthousiasme son travail auprès des élèves de son école. Pourquoi ne pas reconnaître leur contribution à notre profession en posant leur candidature à l''un des prix de l''ACOSO? Pour poser la candidature de quelqu''un, appuyez sur le lien de la mise en candidature. Toutes les mises en candidature doivent être soumises en ligne d''ici le 18 septembre 2023 à 23h59. _______________________________________________________________________________________ The Russ Seltzer Award for Contribution to Counsellor Education in OntarioThis award is presented to honour contributions to Counsellor Education in Ontario, including teaching Guidance and Career Education Additional Qualification courses.
The Student Awards Nominations are here! Please nominate a deserving student today within five Post Graduate Pathways;
Details can be found on the nomination form/link. The link is live on the OSCA website. You can access the nomination form through it. The nominations will close on May 5, 2023. Nominate a student today! 
Post Secondary Information
Thursday, May 4, 2023 Session 1: 9:00 - 11:00am
We are pleased to welcome student mental health experts, Dr. B. Janet Hibbs and Dr. Anthony Rostain, co-authors of The Stressed Years of Their Lives, to discuss the rise of mental health concerns in students pursuing and enrolled in higher education. Learn what educators, parents and families can do to support students in preparing for, surviving and thriving in the post-secondary environment.
Come to Canada’s largest international university and student travel expo and meet with universities and colleges from around the world – including Canada! – offering undergraduate, post-graduate and vocational programs. And visit our special Travel Zone for gap year and other exciting travel options: volunteering; language travel; internships and work abroad programs. Keep checking back as we will be adding info on who’s coming, seminars, etc closer to the time. Be sure to pre-register online to be eligible for our incredible Grand Prize Draws.
Mohawk College Student Recruitment would like to offer your high school an opportunity to tour the Stoney Creek Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship campus. We will show the students around campus, tour our shops and labs so they can discover and learn more about the many trades programs we offer. Mohawk annually serves 2,400 apprenticeship students and is one of the largest trainers of apprentices in Ontario. Winter Stoney Creek Tour dates will be booked on a first come, first serve basis and these times cannot be adjusted. We will be offering morning and afternoon tours, each one will be 1.5 hours long and bussing costs will be the responsibility of the school. We have the following dates available: Tuesday, March 7, 2023 Thursday, March 9, 2023 Wednesday, March 22, 2023 **Please request preferred time slot. Tour details:
Please send an email with your requests in order to secure a date!  Grade 10 students thinking about university are invited (along with their supporters) to an information session on admission requirements, financing their education, and advice on how to start preparing for university. Join us online or on campus.
Thursday, February 23, 2023 6:30 to 8 p.m. University of Waterloo Humanities Theatre & Virtual livestream An information fair (in-person only): 5:30 to 6:30 & 8 to 8:30 p.m. Resources
Burlington Convention Centre | 1120 Burloak Dr, Burlington For the first time in three years, we are very excited to announce that HIEC will be hosting an in-person Women As Career Coaches event that will bring together our community of young people and adult mentors for an impactful, inspiring and uplifting evening. Women as Career Coaches is an evening event that brings together young women from the community with adult mentors from all pathways. Over dinner, youth and mentors have the opportunity to engage in informal mentorship conversations, listen to a line-up of inspiring spotlight speakers, and participate in a panel discussion on career pathways.
Celebration and recognition of Black excellence and history should happen all year. But during February, Black History Month, we intentionally focus on deepening our knowledge as we work to centre Black perspectives and experiences in our society. Doing that work also requires decentring whiteness—the white perspectives that are rooted in colonialism and Eurocentrism. This includes investigating how whiteness is normalized and centralized in our schools, learning environments, and practices and expanding our thinking to engage with diverse ways of knowing and being to the benefit of every student. I encourage you to take advantage of the abundant, rich learning opportunities, events and celebrations throughout the month. And I also encourage you to look within. To help, I’m sharing some recently released resources intended to support your personal reflection. Education Indigenous youth across Canada face serious challenges when it comes to employment. It’s a complex problem, and will require integrated, collaborative solutions. At a time when unprecedented numbers of Indigenous youth are entering the workforce, it’s critical that employers look at everything that a young Indigenous person brings to the workplace and to their community.
According to Statistics Canada, in 2016, the unemployment rate for Indigenous youth was 23%, compared with 15.1% for non-Indigenous youth. Recent data on the COVID-19 downturn show that although youth encountered a challenging summer job landscape in 2020, the labour market was much more favourable in 2021. Employment was slower to recover for Indigenous peoples overall, so it’s great to see Indigenous youth employment trending upward.  "Welcome to 2023! I am so proud of the incredible work of our students, researchers, mentors, and the Canadian Journal of Career Development team that has moved us through a worldwide pandemic. Especially, as you all were navigating the pandemic in a very personal way in your own work and personal lives."
 Last week, Jacinda Ardern announced she would be standing down from office as New Zealand’s Prime Minister. The 42-year-old, whose more than five-year term was marked by her handling of the aftermath of the country’s worst ever mass shooting, a deadly volcanic eruption and the Covid-19 pandemic, said on January 19 that she no longer had enough "in the tank" to do her job justice.
"Politicians are human. We give all that we can, for as long as we can, and then it’s time," she said. "And for me, it’s time." Though Ardern, who also gave birth while in office, didn’t explicitly refer to burnout as the reason for her decision to quit politics, the public and media have widely interpreted her resignation speech as a reference to it.
Subscribers' Lounge
Jessica Dulmage And just like that January has flown by and I don't know about you, but February is a busy month in my building! Between semester two course changes, new registrations, and then course selections for the following school year, February is a month that flies by. I've often thought of wearing roller skates to school so that I can get around the building just as quickly! Thankfully, we do have a Family Day break where we can simply sit and take a moment to breathe and enjoy life's little blessings. The PD Committee has started to prepare for our 2023 conference, which will be face to face again! We can't wait to see all your faces — both familiar and new. This means that we will be putting out a call for proposals soon. This is where we invite OSCA members to present to their peers at the conference. We would love to hear from you about the awesome new things you have been up to these past few years. So make sure that you are watching the OSCA site and checking your emails so that you don't miss your opportunity to present at the 2023 conference. Jessica Dulmage Et voilà, le mois de janvier est déjà terminé! Je ne sais pas si c’est pareil pour vous, mais février est toujours un mois chargé dans mon édifice! Entre les changements de cours du semestre 2, les nouvelles inscriptions, puis les choix de cours pour la prochaine année scolaire, février est un mois qui passe vite. J’ai souvent pensé à porter des patins à roulettes pour pouvoir me déplacer tout aussi rapidement dans le bâtiment! Heureusement, nous aurons une pause le jour de la Famille où nous pourrons simplement nous asseoir et prendre un moment pour respirer et profiter des petits bonheurs de la vie. Le comité PP a commencé à se préparer pour la conférence 2023, qui sera de nouveau en présentiel! Nous avons hâte de vous voir – les visages familiers tant que les nouveaux. Cela signifie que nous lancerons bientôt un appel de propositions. C’est là que nous invitons les membres de l’ACOSO à présenter à leurs pairs à la conférence. Nous aimerions entendre parler au sujet des nouvelles choses impressionnantes que vous avez faites ces dernières années. Assurez-vous donc de vérifier le site web de l’ACOSO ainsi que vos courriels afin de ne pas rater l’occasion de présenter à la conférence 2023.
My name is Elizabeth Butera-Fracassi, I am the newly appointed OSCA/ACOSO VP-Governance. I look forward to this role and the duties associated with this position. Prior to entering my teaching career 13 years ago, I worked at a Canadian banking ombudsman office for many years where I reviewed policies/procedures and existing initiatives and tried my best to affect change within the bank and reach a mutually satisfactory outcome with bank customers. A difficult feat since I worked for the bank but it was incumbent on me to remain impartial. As an elementary guidance teacher-counsellor, I worked with many schools to assist with social and emotional learning activities/presentations and assisted the intermediate students transition to high school with various lesson plans and opportunities. In addition, I provided counseling to students requiring strategies to improve academically and socially. This year, I was assigned the Elementary Guidance Resource Teacher position at the TCDSB. I strive to offer support and resources to my colleagues so that they may continue to do wonderful work in their schools. Wishing you all a wonderful start to 2023!
Registration: Now open!
Cost: $650 Includes a one year OSCA-ACOSO: AQ subscription, if one does not have an active subscription and one link for a copy of Ethical Guidelines. Registration closes March 27th or sooner when session capacity is reached. Apply early to avoid disappointment! > Summer Session will be July 3rd to July 31st with registration opening up later in the spring <
Upcoming Events
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