MASCA'S BOOK CLUB 

What is the #MASCAReads Book Club? The #MASCAReads Book Club is a fun and educational way to stay on top of trends and network with other school counseling professionals.  It allows school counseling professionals and graduate students to learn new information, share common experiences, and participate in a professional development activity outside of their school community.  Participants have the opportunity to earn PDPs for their participation in the Book Club.

How does it work?  #MASCAReads is an online club that discusses books related to school counseling. It meets two or three times a year, usually in the late afternoon.  All book club discussions will be held on Zoom. Participants do NOT have to be MASCA members although members will find it easier to get notifications of the book selection and date and times of the Zoom meetings.

How does one participate?  Book club members are welcome to participate in any—or all—of the meetings, held on Zoom. Titles will be announced at least three weeks in advance of each meeting. Members can order online, use an audio book app, or visit their local library or bookstore to obtain a copy of the selection.

Who coordinates the Book Club? The current Book Club coordinators are Cynthia Esielionis, a school counselor at Ayer-Shirley Middle School and Abby Leone-Murphy, a school counselor at Franklin High school.

How will book club titles be selected? #MASCAReads participants are encouraged to submit titles for consideration to the Book Club coordinators. Titles will be selected with an eye for books that appeal to a broad cross-section of members and offer plenty of opportunity for discussion.  Selected titles may relate to school counseling, self-care or general K-12 education.  Selections do not imply endorsements.  Whenever possible, we will try to get the book author to join us for a Zoom Meeting.

UPCOMING BOOK SELECTION

Let’s be honest—school counseling is one of the most rewarding, inspiring, and completely exhausting professions out there. We spend our days  holding space for everyone else, celebrating big wins, and navigating unexpected crises. But who holds space for us?

It’s time to fill our own cups, share some laughs, and dive into some much-needed solidarity.

You are warmly invited to join our upcoming MASCA School Counselor Book Club as we read and discuss: "School Counseling Chronicles: Real Talk for School Counselors" by Erica Jones Bidding

This isn't your typical, dry professional development read. It’s an unfiltered, honest, and deeply relatable look at the actual day-to-day realities of our roles. From the chaotic schedules to the breakthrough moments with students, this book promises the kind of "real talk" we usually only get to whisper in the hallway between sessions.

Join us to connect with peers who truly understand what it means to wear twenty different hats before lunchtime and gather fresh ideas, coping strategies, and professional inspiration to carry back to your practice.

We will meet 3 times in the fall (dates below) with the hope that you have had a chance to read approximately one third of the book before each meeting.  You will have the opportunity to each 10 PDPs from MASCA afterwards for reading the book, attending the 3 sessions and turning in a final artifact to complete the 10 hours.

• When:
• • Monday, October 5
  • Monday, October 19
  • Monday, November 9
• Time: 4:30 - 5:30 PM
• Where: Zoom from your office, home or on the way home!

Whether you manage to read every single page or just have time to skim the chapters during a quick lunch break, your voice and your experiences are welcome at the table.

Please RSVP by September 30 by signing up here. Note: You must purchase your own book.

If you have any questions, please contact Cynthia Esielionis, School Counselor, Ayer Shirley Regional Middle School, K-12 Department Lead or Abby Leone-Murphy, School Counselor, Franklin High School, Book Club Coordinators.

PREVIOUS BOOKS INCLUDE

Fall 2025 - Redesigning Schools to Be Antiracist: A Systemic Change Approach for School Counselors and Other Leaders, by Stephen Sharp. 

Spring 2025 -  15-Minute Counseling Techniques that Work: What You Didn't Learn in Grad School - by Allison Edwards

Fall 2024 - Connections Over Compliance: Rewiring Our Perceptions of Discipline by Lori L. Desautels, Ph.D.

Fall 2023 - The Use of Data in School Counseling 2e: Hatching Results (and So Much More) for Students, Programs, and the Profession by Trish Hatch & Julie Hartline.

Spring 2023 - School Counseling to Close Opportunity Gaps A Social Justice and Antiracist Framework for SUCCESS by Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy.

Fall, 2022 - 101 Solutions for School Counselors and Leaders in Challenging Times by Stuart F. Chen-Hayes, Melissa Ockerman and Erin Chase McCarthy Mason 

May 2022-   The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore

March 2022- From Behaving to Belonging: The Inclusive Art of Supporting Students Who Challenge Us by Julie Causton & Kate MacLoed w/ companion Article: "Ready...Set...Success: A formula for leading schools with Love" by Julie Causton, Kate MacLoed, Kristie Pretti-Frontczak

October 2021 & January 2022 - Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators - by Elena Aguilar.

May 2021 - The Gifts of Imperfection - by Brene Brown

March 2021 - Trauma Doesn't Stop at the School Door - by Karen Gross

January 2021 - The Self Care Prescription: Powerful Solutions to Manage Stress, Reduce Anxiety & Increase Wellbeing - by Robyn Gobin

October 2020 - All Learning is Social and Emotional: Helping Students Develop Essential Skills for the Classroom and Beyond - by Nancy Frey, Douglas Fisher and Dominique Smith

July 2020 - Interrupting Racism by Rebecca Atkins and Alicia Oglesby

March 2020 - The Energy Bus, by Jon Gordon