Any organization must create, adhere to, and when necessary change sets of rules that govern them. SDSCA is no different. The SDSCA board takex our work very seriously and hope that we are consistently making decisions that are in the best interest of our members and the school counseling profession.

Our bylaws have come to the point in time that edits and additions would be appropriate. Thanks to our 2016-2017 Ethics and Bylaws Chair Yolanda Price for her work in taking several years worth of information and crafting an updated edition of the SDSCA bylaws.

These bylaws cannot, and should not, fully be adopted by SDSCA without the opportunity for our members to review, add input, and vote on them. You will find the updated bylaws, with rationale for the suggested changes and additions, below. Should you have questions or concerns with these bylaws, you will have until 12:00 am on Friday May 5th, 2017 to make comments by sending an email to sd.schoolcounselors@gmail.com .

On May 5th, 2017 at the SDSCA luncheon, SDSCA members will have the opportunity to vote in favor of updating the bylaws as submitted or to vote against the proposed changes. For members not able to attend the SDCA conference, we will have paper votes that you may download and mail in, beginning May 5th. All votes will need to be hand submitted or postmarked by May 22nd, 2017 to be considered valid.

We thank you for your help in ensuring that our professional organization can continue functioning in a positive and productive manner.

As you probably know, next week is the SDCA Annual Conference. This event is the perfect opportunity to increase your practical knowledge, network with other professional counselors, and spend time with friends both old and new. 

Here are some of the highlights we wanted to make sure you were aware of:

Thursday May 4th- SDSCA and SDMHCA are proud to present our pre-conference workshop featuring noted author, speaker, and former school counselor Julia V. Taylor. It is not too late to take part in one or both sessions. Please click here for details and registration information.

Friday May 5th is a day full of informative sessions as well as two special recognition events. SDSCA will be holding its Awards Luncheon at 12:00. This is a chance to for outstanding school counselors to be recognized for their amazing contributions to the state and profession. At 7:00 that evening, SDCA is pleased to hold their President's Reception followed by the Awards Banquet, again recognizing outstanding professional counselors and providing a fun opportunity to connect with colleagues and friends. Please click here for the complete conference schedule.

We also want to you be aware that SDSCA will have a table at the conference. You can stop by to pick up information about SDSCA, get information on this summer's ASCA conference being held in Denver, chat with members of our board, and even purchase ASCA publications at discounted prices. Click on the pictures below for more information on these titles.

We hope that you are able to join us next week in Sioux Falls at the SDCA conference!

All kinds of wonderful information comes your way this month with TWO newsletters!
SDSCA News (our ASCA partnered newsletter) focuses on College & Career: Preparing K-12.
It features:
President's Message:  Out-of-the-basement Ready
Career Experiences for Our Students
Addressing Career Development through Technology Literacy
Most digital natives lack the skills they’ll need with work-based tech tools and tech safety, but school counselors can help.
Crayons to Careers: A K-12 Approach to College and Career Readiness
From fifth-grade job matches to administrator training to supporting first-generation students, one district is jump-starting their students’ college and career readiness.
Promoting Success for Pregnant Teens and Teen Mothers
Group work can build college and career readiness among teens whose futures face many risks.
College and Career Readiness of Student Athletes
“Who are you without the ball?” A school counselor helps student athletes see their big picture.
Concurrent Enrollment: Linking College Dual Credit to High School Completion
How can dual credit classes support student success? Parent education is one piece of the puzzle.
Top Occupations, 2014-24
See where the jobs are headed with data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
 

• Don't miss the videos--look for the arrows in ads to click and view!
• You can print pages or download PDFs (of individual pages or the whole issue) from the link.

Explore it for yourself by clicking on the image below.

You can also read the April issue of The PIC, which features:

• How you can become a presenter at November's Counselor Connection Workshop
• The SDSCA Table at May's SDCA conference
• The School Counselor Spotlight
• And more!

Mark your calendars now to make plans for the 9th Annual Counselor Connections Workshop!

SDSCA is once again proud to sponsor this professional development event that is by school counselors, for school counselors. We invite you to join us Friday November 3rd and Saturday November 4th on the South Dakota State University in Brookings for an opportunity to grow in your knowledge of school counseling and to connect with colleagues in the field.

Questions can be directed to Amanda Bender at Amanda.Bender@k12.sd.us

We are also looking for school counselors to share their knowledge, skills, and talents as presenters. If you have programs you utilize at your school, lessons that you want to share, or other helpful and vital ideas and information, please consider submitting a program proposal. The application form and more details are found below.

​Thank you and we hope to see you there!