Dear Superintendents and Principals,

The Maine School Counselors Association (MESCA) and the University of Maine System have embarked on a new and important collaboration.  We have been working together with the goal of increasing the aspirations of Maine’s youth, and developing even stronger collaboration between the school counselor community and the University of Maine System.  A committee, which is comprised of representatives from both the K-12 system and the University of Maine System, has been quite focused on its work as it strives to lift the awareness of Maine youth as it relates to educational opportunities after high school.

One of the fruits of our collaborative efforts is to plan several workshops and presentations to be held at the annual MESCA Conference, Blazing New Trails – Reaching New Heights: A K-16 Approach, November 4-5, 2004, at the Eastland Park Hotel in Portland.  We feel that by bringing colleagues together to meet and establish a better understanding of the issues, we can effectively make the students the focal point of our efforts.  The focus of this year’s conference is aspirations, and many of the presentations will focus on this important issue for all of our students, regardless of age.  We believe that together we can play an important role in the aspirations of Maine’s students and effect change. In addition, as requested by many counselors across the state, the conference will feature the debut of the much anticipated Maine School Comprehensive Program Model K-12.

We would like to encourage you to support your counselors in attending this Conference.  We believe it will be a substantive professional development opportunity that will bring benefits to the school and its students.  Please consider sending a team of individuals from your school. Counselors will be receiving detailed information about the conference within the next week or so but can also visit the MESCA website: www.meschoolcounselor.org.

We appreciate your support and will be certain to give you feedback about our work in general, and the Conference, in particular. 

Once again, thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Joseph Westphal                                                                       Susan Gendron

Chancellor                                                                                Commissioner

University of Maine System                                                       Maine Department of Education