National and Texas School Counseling Week is February 3-7 this year.  This is the week when counselors make a united effort to let educators, parents, and the community know how the school counseling program serves as an integral component in the educational process for students.  The school counselor is at the core of school planning, school programs, and the school environment.  Counselors should plan activities for School Counseling Week that celebrate and highlight the role of the professional school counselor.  Some suggestions for activities are:

• Set up a school counseling display in the school’s main lobby and stock the table with “take one” handouts.

• Put up bulleting boards throughout the school and posters in the classrooms to celebrate school counseling.

• Ask the principal to share school counselor biographies during morning announcements.

• Select a theme for each day of the week such as Smile Day, Compliment Day, Helping Hand Day, etc.

• Start a scrapbook with news about school counseling activities and post photographs of counseling activities in a prominent location.

• Give a special treat (a pencil, a bookmark, etc.) to all students and invite them to join in the celebration.

• Invite students to participate in the TSCA Essay Contest.

• Invite students to participate in the TSCA Human Rights Art Contest.

• Sponsor a poster/picture contest asking students to focus on school counselor activities.

• Plan a reception with refreshments for the faculty in the counseling office to highlight counseling programs and activities and share accomplishments.

• Place fruit baskets or other treats with a thank-you note in the faculty room.

• Invite parents to an open house and review school counseling programs and new materials and share your vision for future events and activities.

• Send “thank-you-grams” to those who have made special contributions to the school counseling program.

• Contact the local newspaper and ask for a photo and feature article on School Counseling Week activities.

• Contact local radio and television stations and ask for some “spot announcements.”

• Rearrange your counseling office.

• Plan a get-together with other school counselors to celebrate your successes.

• Take care of yourself and plan a special activity for the weekend after School Counseling Week.

• Consider how you might make the celebration of School Counseling a year-long activity.

For additional ideas for celebrating School Counseling Week go to the ASCA web site: www.schoolcounselor.org.