(October 2025 - May 2026) 3 optional graduate SMC credits

Instructors: Rachel Luks Petraska, M.S. Shelburne Community School, School Counselor, grades 6-8 (She/Her/Hers) and

Patti Tomashot, M.S., C.A.G.S., VTSCA Executive Director School Counselor/Director VT Public Schools (She/Her/Hers)

Target Audience: Current school counselors, new school counselors, counseling directors, mentors and internship supervisors

Rachel Petraska and Patti Tomashot, experienced school counselor leaders, offer counselors a road map for navigating the crucial beginning years in the field. This course identifies the different phases every new and current counselor goes through, offering crucial strategies to navigate each. Participants return to schools equipped with proven instructional and self-care practices. Counselors will create a plan for implementation of the VT School Counseling Framework, and a monthly roadmap to follow that aligns with the VT Framework and ASCA. New for 2025, we will review the revised ASCA model (released July 2025) as well as the updated VTSCA model. Counselors will have each other to connect and collaborate with throughout the year, getting to see multiple perspectives and participating in confidential case studies to help problem-solve whatever issues that come up. Each month, we’ll invite a partner/constituency that will provide knowledge and expertise in a variety of areas such as special education, administration, technology and education law and how they all intersect with the school counselor role.

Throughout the course you will:

- Explore the six phases of beginning school counselors: 1) anticipation, 2) survival, 3) disillusionment, 4) rejuvenation, 5) reflection, and 6) second anticipation.
- Understand the feelings and challenges associated with each phase.
- Discover practical strategies for small group work, classroom facilitation and individual student meetings
- Explore exemplar SEL curriculums to use at the universal level.
- Learn how to practice self-care to avoid career burnout that so often leads to counselors changing careers.
- Develop a plan for decreasing stress, increasing student achievement and enhancing students’ social and emotional well-being

The major work of the course will be the development of a continuous comprehensive school counseling program for your school/grade bans that you cover

Dates: October 16, November 12, January 21(virtual), March 18(virtual), May 5, 2026

Hours: 9 -3:30 pm (includes lunch)

Location:

CVEDC Classroom

150 Kennedy Drive

S. Burlington, VT

Cost: $1350 – includes book $1750 – includes 3 gr. credits & book

Text: ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs (4th edition)

Note: This course is equipped with a Zoom Room Classroom Camera & Audio for remote access for participants.

School Counselor Collaborative Cohort