School Counseling

Hero Grad Stock Photo — Delivering programs and supports that impact student growth

School counselors play a critical role in ensuring schools provide a safe, caring environment and that students have the necessary mindsets and behaviors to advance academic achievement outcomes. School counselors deliver programs that have an impact on student growth in three domain areas: academic development, career development, and social / emotional development. Read the American School Counselor Association position statements on the role of the school counselor.

Programs and EventS

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PROGRAM DETAILS HERE

2022 FALL FRENZY CALENDAR

NEW SAN DIEGO COUNTY DASHBOARD

2023 APPLICATION IS CLOSED

PROGRAM DETAILS HERE

2023 Session Dates: REGISTER TO ATTEND

May 12
REGISTER TO ATTEND

More to Explore

Professional Learning Opportunities

2022-23 PROFESSIONAL LEARNING CALENDAR

Register for professional learning opportunities that are available for school counselors throughout the county and state on the 2022-23 Professional Learning Calendar for School Counselors. This calendar is updated regularly.

2022-23 SDCOE Programs/Events - CALENDAR AT-A-GLANCE

*Dates subject to change

FALL 2022

Aug. 17 - District Leader Network Meeting (Hybrid)
Aug. 26 - INFO SESSION - Seeking Out Success (SOS) for New School Counselors (Virtual)
Sept. 21 - Seeking Out Success (SOS) for New School Counselors, Session #1 (Virtual)
Sept/Oct - Fall Frenzy: Professional Learning Series for School Counselors with a focus on College and Career Readiness
Sept. 22 - ASCA National Model Workshop, Cohort #1, Session #3 (In-Person)
Sept. 23 - ASCA National Model Workshop, Cohort #2, Session #1 (In-Person)
Oct. 6-7 - CASC Annual Conference (Riverside, CA)
Oct. 19 - District Leader Network Meeting (Virtual)
Nov. 16 - Seeking Out Success (SOS) for New School Counselors (Virtual), Session #2

WINTER 2022-23

Dec. 14 - District Leader Meeting (Virtual)
Jan. 19 and 20 - SDCOE Equity Conference
Jan. 25 - District Leader Network Meeting (Virtual)
Jan. 31 - ASCA National Model Workshop, Cohort #1, Session #4 (In-Person)
Feb. 1 - ASCA National Model Workshop, Cohort #2, Session #2 (In-Person)
Feb. 6-10 - National School Counseling Week
Feb. 22 - Seeking Out Success (SOS) for New School Counselors (Virtual), Session #3

SPRING 2023

March 15 - District Leader Meeting (Virtual)
March 23 - ASCA National Model Workshop, Cohort #1, Session #5 (In-Person)
March 24 - ASCA National Model Workshop, Cohort #2, Session #3 (In-Person)
April (TBD) - Spring Refresh: Professional Learning Series for School Counselors
April 19 - Seeking Out Success (SOS) for New School Counselors (Virtual), Session #4
April (TBD) - CSAC California College Affordability Conference
May (TBD) - Honoring Excellence in School Counseling Leadership (In-Person)
May 17 - District Leader Network Meeting (Hybrid)

SUMMER 2023

July 15-18 - ASCA Conference (Atlanta, GA)

Webinar Recordings Library

SDCOE WEBINAR RECORDINGS AND PROGRAM MATERIALS

2022 Spring Refresh: Professional Learning Series for School Counselors (Webinars)
2021 Kickoff to College and Career Readiness (General Session, Student Panel, Webinars)
2021 Spring Refresh: Professional Learning Series for School Counselors (Webinars)
San Diego School Counselor Con: Reboot 2021 (General Sessions, Keynote, Webinars)

School Counselor Leadership Awards

Honoring Excellence in School Counseling Leadership was a new event created to recognize and celebrate school counselors who are leaders in our profession. Over 200 participants attended the in-person luncheon and awards program on May 17, 2022 at the Kona Kai Resort on Shelter Island. Attendees had the opportunity to network and collaborate with colleagues and friends, and be inspired by our 2022 San Diego County School Counseling award recipients, our Race to Submit category leaders, and our first two school counseling teams in San Diego county to receive RAMP recognition. We also recognized our first School Counselor Advocate of the Year, Administrator of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement Award recipients. This event will return in May 2023.

2022 School Counselor Honorees

Fran Hjalmarson, was selected as our 2022 San Diego County Elementary School Counselor of the Year. Fran has been a school counselor at Los Penasquitos Elementary in the Poway Unified for 18 years. She has spent years generously mentoring new counselors, supervising 21 counseling interns. Greg Mizel, assistant superintendent of Student Support Services at Poway Unified, called her a seasoned professional and said she is “the district's go-to person for any counseling related questions or concerns.”

Nicole Roman, a school counselor at Twin Peaks Middle School in Poway Unified School District, received the 2022 San Diego County Middle School Counselor of the Year award. Nicole joined Twin Peaks Middle School in 2018. She serves as the lead for counselors working at the middle school level in the Poway Unified School District. Nicole’s associate superintendent said Nicole is fully committed to supporting her colleagues in establishing comprehensive, data-informed school counseling programs aligned with the ASCA National model.

Graphic of High School Counselor of the Year

Christine Araki, a school counselor at Launch Virtual Academy in Sweetwater Union High School District, received the 2022 San Diego County High School Counselor of the Year award. Christy has been a counselor for more than 20 years, and joined Launch Virtual Academy in August 2021. Her nominator shared that during the pandemic, Christy
checked in with every single one of her students to see how they were doing and to offer support or connect. Christy said, “No matter the situation, I will always find a way to
meet the needs of our students.”

Tami Johnson, district school counselor and program specialist at
Cajon Valley Union School District, received Advocate of the Year, a new award created to recognize the important work of school counselors at the district level. Tami has worked with school districts in Riverside, Los Angeles, and San Diego counties as a consultant, trainer, teacher, school counselor, and employee. She began
her career working with students on probation and parole in a day treatment setting and has continued working to ensure that all students can achieve their best possible
self. Tami also serves as an adjunct instructor at Point Loma Nazarene University, where she has contributed to program and course design, fieldwork supervision and classroom instruction.

Tracy Wilson Director II, College and Career Readiness for Grossmont Union High School District was the recipient of the first Administrator of the Year award. In her current role, Tracy works with school counselors, teachers, administrators and classified staff in all areas of college and career readiness, including career technical education, Advanced Placement, and serves on the East County Education Alliance. Prior to this role, Tracy was the counseling coordinator for the San Diego County Office of Education, where she supported school counselors across the county in professional development and advocacy. She has also served as a high school assistant principal, school counselor, and grant coordinator. Tracy currently teaches future school counselors at San Diego State University and is a professional development specialist with Hatching Results.

Dr. Trish Hatch, professor emeritus at San Diego State University and president and CEO of Hatching Results, LLC, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement award for her years of work supporting the county's school counselors. She leads a team of award-winning school counseling professionals who provide professional learning and consultation to school districts across the country. She is co-author of the ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs
(ASCA, 2003; 2005), a seminal document in the profession, and the best-selling author of The Use of Data in School Counseling: Hatching Results for Students, Programs, and the Profession (2021, 2013), and co-authored three other best-selling
books based on its concepts. A former school counselor, site and central office administrator, Hatch has received multiple national awards, including ASCA’s Administrator of the Year award and its highest honor, the Mary Gehrke Lifetime Achievement award.

ADDITIONAL AWARD RECIPIENTS

2022 Recognized ASCA Model Programs (RAMP)

RAMP recognizes schools committed to delivering comprehensive, data-informed school counseling programs aligned with the ASCA National Model framework. The RAMP designation demonstrates to administrators, school boards, families and the community at large that the schools are committed to
supporting the mission of the school and district. To date, approximately 1,200 schools have earned the RAMP designation.

For the first time, two schools in San Diego County have received RAMP designation and will be recognized in July at the ASCA National Conference in Austin, Texas.

Greenfield Middle School, Cajon Valley Union School District
School Counselors: Candia Sierra-London, Jorge Andrade,
Diana Ulloa-Montes

Patrick Henry High School, San Diego Unified School District
School Counselors: Vivian Vaccarino, Evelyn Lucio, Amanda Glazer,
Mauricio Barrientos, William Navickas, Vichara Labe-Tong

2021-22 Race to Submit Champions

Race to Submit is a statewide campaign that aims to increase the number of financial aid applications for California high school seniors who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and California Dream Act Application. Filling out these financial aid applications is the first step towards
college success and helps students qualify for federal and state aid to help pay for college. In 2019, San Diego County started their first Race to Submit campaign countywide to encourage schools to monitor and support students through these efforts.

Categories are based on 12th grade (Class of 2022) enrollment:

Category IA — Enrollment of 49 Seniors (Class of 2022) or Less
100% Completion - Options Secondary, SUHSD
Category IB
87% Completion - High Tech High Media Arts
Category II — (100-299)
87% Completion - The Preuss School UCSD
Category III — (300-499)
78% Completion - University City High, SDUSD
Category IV — (500+)
76% Completion - Helix Charter High
Small District — 1,999 or Less
66% Completion - San Marcos Unified School District
Large District — 2,000+
58% Completion - San Diego Unified School District

2021-22 Mentor Program for New School Counselors

Angel Chavarin, High School Counselor, Mission Vista High, VUSD
Kristi Flint, High School Counselor, Morse High, SDUSD
Bonnie Hayman, Middle School Counselor, La Mesa Arts Academy, LMSVSD
Heidi Saupe, Elementary School Counselor, Monte Vista Elementary, VUSD
Sara Steadry, High School Counselor, Orange Glen High, EUHSD
Jocbethem Tahapary, Middle School Counselor, Oak Valley Middle, PUSD
Lezya Weglarz, MTSS Coordinator, SMUSD
Tracy Wilson, Director II, College and Career Readiness, GUHSD

Professional Organizations, Ethics, and Standards

College / Career Domain

Explore this curated list of resources that school counselors and others can use to aid and support students in preparation for their post-secondary options.

SDCOE College Planning Guides and Resources

Choosing the Right College: This report looked at postsecondary enrollment and completion rates for San Diego’s college going students with a special focus on areas that contribute to higher retention and completion rates in our most commonly attended colleges and universities (May 2021).
College Checklists: Individual checklists for all local community colleges, UCs, and most applied to California State Universities (CSU), to ensure that students are aware of important deadlines.
Financial Aid Resources for School Counselors: List of resources, contacts, and trainings for school counselors
Is a 4-year College Right for Me?: Brochure that educators can use with students to support them through the college application and decision process.
Make it Easier Guide: From College Applications to Summer Melt: A K-12 Field Guide for Supporting Low-Income Students through the College Enrollment Process.
Scholarship Database (coming soon)

SDCOE Career Planning Guides and Resources

Career Technical Education (CTE): Resources for school counselors on implementing successful career pathways.
College and Career Readiness Indicators (CCI) Chart: Infographic of the seven components to indicate that students are prepared for post-secondary options.

Other College and Career Resources

Personal / Social Domain

Explore this curated list of resources that school counselors and others can use to aid and support students in personal and social, and mental health issues.

SDCOE Health and Well-Being Resources

SDCOE Special Populations Resources

SDCOE Systems of Support

CASC Personal/Social Lesson Plans by Level

Community-Based Organizations

Online Resources

main contacts

Tanya Bulette
School Counseling Coordinator
tanya.bulette@sdcoe.net

Zeret Lara
Administrative Assistant
zlara@sdcoe.net