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Page 1 Rocky River Middle School January 25-26th– 7th grade Terra Nova Testing January 29th– Report Cards Come Home January 29th– Yearbook Order Forms Due February 15th– Presidents’ Day (No School) February 23rd– 7th Grade Band/Choir Concert February 25th– 8th Grade Band/Choir Concert March 4th– Maroon and White Night Dates to Remember Volume 3, Issue 10 Rocky River Middle School Pirate Passages Megan Rose, Principal Jeffrey Schultz, Assis- tant Principal Washington D.C. 2 Midterm Exams 2 Yearbook Artwork Contest 2 Athletics 2 PTA Notes 3 Geography Bee 4 Counselor Corner 4-5 Sunrise/Sunset 6 Builder’s Club 6 6th Grade Band 7 Safe School Helpline 7 Inside this issue: January 13, 2016 "In accordance with State and Federal law, the District will provide reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities who wish to attend and/or participate in school events. Such individuals should notify the building principal if they require a reasonable accommodation." Students who did not order a yearbook will soon be receiving an order envelope. The cost of the yearbook is $18.00. Checks should be made payable to Ripcho Studio. Students can return the order envelope to school by 1/29/16 or order online until 3/14/16. To order online: Go to www.RipchoStudio.com Enter your Image Locator Number (rockyriver16) and click Submit. Fill out your student’s information. Enter the quantity. Click Add to Cart and review your purchase. Click Pay be Credit Card. Enter your billing information and click Continue. Confirm Order. January 14-15th– Algebra 1 & Geometry Mid- terms January 18th– Martin Luther King Day (No School) January 19-20th– French 1 & Spanish 1 Midterms January 20th– Boys Basketball Awards 7:00 p.m. January 20th-21st– Physical Science Midterms January 21st– End of quarter January 22nd– Teacher Record Day (No School) Yearbook Orders Due
15

Rocky River Middle School Pirate Passages Newsletter... · It is time to submit artwork for the 2015-16 yearbook. The Yearbook Committee is looking for cover work as well as artwork

Oct 08, 2020

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Page 1: Rocky River Middle School Pirate Passages Newsletter... · It is time to submit artwork for the 2015-16 yearbook. The Yearbook Committee is looking for cover work as well as artwork

Page 1 Rocky River Middle School

January 25-26th– 7th grade Terra Nova Testing

January 29th– Report Cards Come Home

January 29th– Yearbook Order Forms Due

February 15th– Presidents’ Day (No School)

February 23rd– 7th Grade Band/Choir Concert

February 25th– 8th Grade Band/Choir Concert

March 4th– Maroon and White Night

Dates to Remember Volume 3, Issue 10

Rocky River Middle School Pirate Passages

Megan Rose, Principal

Jeffrey Schultz, Assis-tant Principal

Washington D.C. 2

Midterm Exams 2

Yearbook Artwork

Contest

2

Athletics 2

PTA Notes 3

Geography Bee 4

Counselor Corner 4-5

Sunrise/Sunset 6

Builder’s Club 6

6th Grade Band 7

Safe School Helpline 7

Inside this issue:

January 13, 2016

"In accordance with State and Federal law, the District will provide reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities who wish to attend and/or participate in school events. Such individuals should notify the building principal if they require a reasonable accommodation."

Students who did not order a yearbook will soon be receiving an order envelope. The cost of the yearbook is $18.00. Checks should be made payable to Ripcho Studio. Students can return the order envelope to school by 1/29/16 or order online until 3/14/16. To order online: Go to www.RipchoStudio.com Enter your Image Locator Number (rockyriver16) and click Submit. Fill out your student’s information. Enter the quantity. Click Add to Cart and review your purchase. Click Pay be Credit Card. Enter your billing information and click Continue. Confirm Order.

January 14-15th– Algebra 1 & Geometry Mid-

terms

January 18th– Martin Luther King Day (No

School)

January 19-20th– French 1 & Spanish 1 Midterms

January 20th– Boys Basketball Awards 7:00 p.m.

January 20th-21st– Physical Science Midterms

January 21st– End of quarter

January 22nd– Teacher Record Day (No School)

Yearbook Orders Due

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Page 1 Rocky River Middle School Page 2 Rocky River Middle School

8th Grade Washington D.C. Trip

Attention eighth grade parents! If you have not created an account through Discovery Tours for your student, your stu-

dent will not attend the Washington D.C. class trip in June. The second payment is due on January 15th. Forms 1-3 are

due on Friday, February 5th. It is very important that these are turned in by the deadline. Forms are available under the

Washington D.C. link on the main RRMS web page. Please contact Mr. England at [email protected] or call the

main office with questions.

It is time to submit artwork for the 2015-16 yearbook. The Yearbook Committee is looking for cover work as well as

artwork to be featured throughout. Please see the guidelines in the attachments of the newsletter. All work is due to the

box in the media center by Friday, January 22nd. Thank you and good luck!

Yearbook Artwork Contest

Midterm Exams

Please note the following dates for midterm exams for HS credit courses: Algebra 1 & Geometry: Thursday 1/14 & Friday 1/15 French 1 & Spanish 1: Tuesday 1/19 & Wednesday 1/20 Physical Science: Wednesday 1/20 & Thursday 1/21

Many AAU Teams will be holding tryouts in the near future. This is a reminder that if you are currently on a RRMS basket-

ball team you are unable to tryout, scrimmage and or participate in an AAU event until your RRMS season is over. If it hap-

pens per OHSAA rule you will automatically become ineligible to play for RRMS. If you have any questions please contact

the athletic department.

The boys 7th and 8th grade GLC tournament playoff basketball schedule has been posted on the athletic website.

Athletics

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Page 1 Rocky River Middle School Page 3 Rocky River Middle School

“If your child has special considerations such as, but not limited to, medical needs, allergies, social emotional needs, cultural needs, accessibility

needs, language needs, etc. please contact the building principal who will ensure these needs are accommodated for during PTA sponsored and

school related events.”

PTA Notes

PTA Sponsored Maroon & White Night -Friday, March 4, 2016

*6:30 -10:00pm for 8th graders only* *7:30 -10:00pm 6th & 7th & 8th graders*

Maroon and White requires, ideally, almost 200 volunteers to make it run smoothly - we welcome your involvement and help at Ma-roon & White… please note, scheduled volunteers are the only adults in attendance that evening. It is a really fun evening, please consider spending some of it with us!

To Volunteer at Maroon & White, please click on the following link. If you have questions on using the link or how to sign up more than one person (ie you and your spouse), please email [email protected]

You can sign up for more than one shift - if you want to spend the whole evening. We encourage you to try a couple different areas…it’s really a lot of fun!

This event is ONLY for RRMS students. If you are volunteering, please understand that you cannot bring younger

siblings with you and that students will only be admitted at their grade-level’s assigned time. PLEASE NOTE.... 8th

graders are allowed in at 6:30p.m. They will have the school to themselves for one hour! The remainder of the student

body will be admitted at 7:30 p.m.

For security reasons, parents are not admitted unless their name appears on the volunteer list. All students are to re-

main for the entire night, which concludes around 10:00 p.m. after the grand prize has been awarded. Also, we highly

suggest that phones or any electronic device be left at home. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items.

Further information about Maroon & White Night as well as the link for online ticket purchases will be coming by email soon. Stay tuned!!

If you have any questions about Maroon & White Night, please contact:

Margie: [email protected] or Grace: [email protected].

6TH GRADE SOCIAL DANCE Save the dates of April 8, 22, & 29 for your 6th grader to attend Dick Blake’s Social Dance. Volunteer and sign up information will be sent in March. 8TH GRADE GRADUATION DANCE Taking Down Your Holiday Lights? The 8th grade dance committee is looking for holiday white lights! When you take them down this month, wrap them up and do-nate them to the committee. Contact Jen Davis, [email protected] or Jen Skapoulas, [email protected] for more information. Food, Audio & Connections…. Do you have a connection to a food vendor, audio vendor or decoration company? The committee is looking for a connection in these areas to lower their ticket cost for the dance. If you can help in anyway, please contact [email protected]. Want to be on a committee for the dance? contact Cathy George, [email protected] for more information. PICTURES WANTED Every year at the 8th grade dance, a photo wall and slide show is created and the photo wall is preserved and used at their high school graduation. We need your help to create these two items. Please have you and your 8th grader select an individual infant/toddler photo and an individual current photo of your 8th grader. The photos can be scanned, saved as a .jpeg file and emailed to [email protected] or pictures can be dropped off at middle school office. You may also submit group photos for the slide show. When emailing scanned pictures please place in SUBJECT: 8th grade dance pics. Deadline is March 1, 2016. If you have any question, please contact Nina Milenius at [email protected] or call 440-333-7394.

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Page 1 Rocky River Middle School

Geography Bee

Congratulations to the following finalists of the 2015-16 Geography Bee: 6th grade: Nathan, Charlie, and Sam

7th grade: Cade, Joey, and Brendan

8th grade: John, Melanie, and Andy

The championship was held on Wednesday, January 13th. Congratulations to our winner Nathan!

Page 4 Rocky River Middle School

Counselor Corner RRMS School Counselors Julie Morriss Moira Baylog A – K L – Z [email protected] [email protected] (440)356-6875 (440)356-6875 Welcome to the RRMS Counseling Department The goal of the Counseling Department at Rocky River Middle School is to meet the individual needs of every student - aca-demic, social and emotional. Counselors support students, parents and staff as they develop trusting relationships throughout the middle school years. Communication between students, parents and staff is a critical component to ensure positive school experiences and appro-priate high school, career and college planning for all students. We hope to empower all students to achieve their educational goals, to direct their lives, and to contribute to society. Counselor Accessibility If for any reason your child would like to meet with a counselor, they may do so during study halls or other free/non-academic times by securing a pass from their respective teacher. Parents are also welcome to meet with their child's respective counselor should the need arise. To make an appointment please email the counselor directly or call the Counseling Office. Your Teen Magazine Please click here to subscribe to Your Teen Magazine.

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Page 1 Rocky River Middle School

“Every time you

tear a leaf off a

calendar, you

present a new place

for new ideas and

progress.”

Charles Kettering

Page 5 Rocky River Middle School

Counselor Corner Attention 8th Grade Students and Parents: High school course registration materials will be handed out at the RRHS 8th Grade Scheduling Meeting for Par-ents and Students on February 2, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. in the RRHS Auditorium. Please plan to attend as students will receive recommendations for high school classes and learn about the high school schedule. Middle school counselors will be meeting with students and answering questions regarding course selection for 9th grade in the

days that follow. If you plan to apply to a private/parochial school and are in need of transcripts or teacher recommendations, please route all requests to Mrs. Debbie Wodzisz in the Counseling Office. Please submit requests no longer than five school days prior to submission deadline. Attention 7th Grade Students and Parents: All 7th grade students are required to participate in the Terra Nova exams given on Monday 1/25 and Tuesday 1/26. Students will be taking portions of the exam throughout both days with several breaks in the schedule. Please plan for students to be in attendance on both days to avoid having to schedule make up sessions. It is recommended that students get adequate rest and start each day with a nutritious breakfast. Mindfulness Movement at RRMS: All students have learned about mindfulness through Fitness and Health classes. Mindfulness is the simple art of paying attention to the present moment with kindness. There are different strategies including mindful breathing, listening, movement and many other activities designed to reduce stress and anxiety. All students are invited to attend a Mindful Morning session in the West Gym on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7:45 to 8:00 a.m. Students are reporting they feel more calm and can focus better in class. As we continue through second semes-ter, counselors will be infusing mindfulness into the classroom and individual meetings with students. Parents are also invited to learn more about mindfulness and the clever, fun techniques you can implement right away at home. The takeaways will help you and your children find the balance and calm in today’s hectic world. There will be another Mindful Parenting Book Club session on Thursday, February 18th at 9:30 a.m. held at Ken-sington Intermediate School. If you are not able to attend, but would like more information, please email [email protected] and you will be added to the group list to receive summaries of our discussions. The Great Kindness Challenge: RRMS Students will be participating in The Great Kindness Challenge during the week of January 25th. The Great Kindness Challenge is a proactive and positive bullying prevention initiative that improves school climate and increases student engagement. The Great Kindness Challenge is one week devoted to performing as many acts of kindness as possible. Using the provided checklist of 50 kind acts (see attached), students accept the chal-lenge and prove that kindness is strength. Upcoming Events: Parent Coffee Talk: How to ID Anxiety in Kids and How to Handle It Monday 2/1/16 at 9:30am at RRHS Auditorium (all RRCS parents invited to attend) Mindful Parenting Book Club – Discussion of chapters 3 – 5: February 18, 2016 9:30am at Kensington Intermediate School *Note the Mindful Parenting Book Club replaces previously scheduled RRMS HELP Sessions. Mindful Parenting Book Club – Discussion of Chapters 6 – 8 Thursday, March 10, 9:30am at RRMS Mindful Parenting Book Club – Discussion of Chapters 9 – 11 Thursday, April 7, 9:30am at RRHS

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Page 1 Rocky River Middle School

Do you need help with homework?

Do you need a quiet place before or after school to get your work done?

Come to

SUNRISE or SUNSET!

SUNRISE is in D101

7:35 a.m. to 8:05 a.m. Tuesday – Friday.

Mrs. Rowe is the supervisor.

SUNSET is in the Media Center

3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday – Thursday.

Mrs. Landers is the supervisor.

If your child would like to support our school, help out in the community then Builders Club is for them! The club will meet every Wednesday at 7:45 a.m. in the Media Center and is an excellent opportunity for students to meet new friends and give back to their community. Builders Club is an international student-led organization providing members with opportunities to perform service, build character and develop leadership. Core values of the group include:

Character building: The ability to do the right thing, even when it might be the unpopular choice. Leadership: The ability to listen, communicate, serve and guide others. Inclusiveness: Accepting and welcoming differences in other people. Caring: The act of being concerned about or interested in other people or situations.

Please feel free to contact Builders Club Advisor, Mrs. Moira Baylog with any questions.

Page 6 Rocky River Middle School

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Page 1 Rocky River Middle School Page 7 Rocky River Middle School

Safe School Helpline Break the Silence – Prevent the Event 1-800-418-6423 ext. 359 www.safeschoolhelpline.com

This Helpline has been developed for you, and other students, parents and staff members to help maintain your safety and the most positive school environment possible. The purpose of the Safe School Helpline is to promote school safety and report wrongdoings or illegal activity. Please call the Safe School Helpline if you know anything that threatens our school’s safety. It’s free and confidential 24 hours/7 days a week. Please report any facts, remarks or actions that could jeopardize the safety of our children, school or staff. Examples of harmful or threatening behavior might include: bullying, violence, theft, drug or alcohol abuse, talk of suicide, sexual harassment, weapons. The service also provides 24-hour access to a trained mental health counselor to provide support for suicide intervention, family crisis support or other mental health issues. Help Keep Our Schools Safe!

6th Grade Band Students & Parents In an effort to simplify the concert schedule and allow for collaboration between band and choir, we have decided to combine the 6th Grade Band & the 6th Grade Choir concerts originally scheduled for March 2nd and March 22nd respectively. Instead of two separate events, both groups will perform on Tuesday, March 22nd at 7:00 p.m. in the RRMS Commons. The groups will be performing a concert of American music featuring each group, as well as members of the 6th Grade Band performing with the 6th Grade Choir. We apologize for the change on the calendar, but we feel it is a change that will benefit both pro-grams. Again, there will be NO concert on Wednesday, March 2nd, and both the 6th Grade Band & Choir will perform togeth-er on March 22nd. Thank you for your understanding.

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Yearbook Featured Artwork Guidelines

In your artwork, feature the title and create a design appropriate for one or more of the following pages: The front cover Introducing the Class of 2022 Introducing the Class of 2021 Clubs and Organizations Sports *Use 8 1/2 by 11” paper. *Leave at least ½ inch border around all four sides. *What you see is what you get! The cover will appear exactly as it is submitted. *You may use any medium (crayons, color pencils, water colors). *Markers may smear or bleed and therefore, are not recommended. *Do not include any copyrighted images. *Do not write on the back of your artwork; it will show up when the photographers scan your image. Place your artwork in a folder or large envelope. Put your name on the folder or envelope.

Due date: Friday, January 22, 2016 Submit to box located in the media center. Yearbook committee will make final selections. Questions? See Mrs. Konrad.

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Yearbook Cover Guidelines

*Use 8 1/2 by 11” paper. *Leave at least ½ inch border around all four sides. *What you see is what you get! The cover will appear exactly as it is submitted. *You may use any medium (crayons, color pencils, water colors). *Markers may smear or bleed and therefore, are not recommended. *Do not include any copyrighted images. *Do not write on the back of your artwork; it will show up when the photographers scan your image. Place your artwork in a folder or large envelope. Put your name on the folder or envelope. Due date: Friday, January 22, 2016 Submit to box located in the media center. A school­wide vote will occur in late January. Questions? See Mrs. Konrad.

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January 7, 2016 @ Goldwood Primary School

February 18, 2016 @ Kensington Intermediate School

March 10, 2016 @ RRMS

April 7, 2016 @ RRHS Auditorium

Mindful Parenting Book Club

Between school pressures, extracurricular activities, homework, and demanding

careers, it’s hard to find time just to get dinner on the table. In Mindful Parenting,

child and family psychologist Dr. Kristen Race speaks directly to today’s busy families

who make up what she calls “Generation Stress” and presents an alternative – a

mindful approach. Drawing on the latest research, she shows how mindfulness helps

us – and our children – feel happier, healthier, calmer, less anxious, less stressed, and

more focused. The Mindful Parenting Book Club is open to all RRCS parents and

families. Discussions will be led by the RRCS Counselors.

Join the RRCS School Counselors at 9:30am on one or all of dates below:

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© 2015 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

January 2016

Playing sports and games, using technology, and spending time with friends are fun activities your middle grader can use to spice up his study routine. Share these ideas.

Shoot and scoreEncourage your child to turn

studying into a sport. He could crumple up a used piece of paper for a “basketball” and shoot it into a laundry basket after each review ques-tion he gets right. Or he might pretend it’s a hockey puck and use a broom to sweep it between two chair legs when he answers correctly.

Read and listenHave your youngster record himself

reading a textbook chapter or class notes into a smartphone or an MP3 player with a microphone. He can play it back while he takes a walk or rides in the car. Saying and then hearing the information will give him two ways to study it.

Play and winYour tween could play games while

he studies. He might use alphabet cereal

What I like about you Is your middle grader sometimes irritable or

moody? While it’s a normal part of tween development, this behavior can be challenging for parents. Try to focus on what you enjoy about your child, like her generosity or artistic flair. You’ll appreciate the person she is becoming, even when she’s hard to get along with.

Straw games The drinking straw was patented on January 3, 1888. Boost your tween’s creativity with a “Drinking Straw Olympics.” How many events can he invent that use a straw? Example:Race to transfer water from one cup to another—dip the straw in one cup, place a finger on top of the straw, move to the second cup, and remove your finger.

Safe winter mornings Walking to the bus stop or to school in snow and ice may require extra time. Have your child leave a few minutes early so she won’t be tempted to run on slippery surfaces. Also, if it’s dark out, she should wear a light-colored jacket, hat, and gloves so drivers can see her.

Worth quoting“I am a great believer in luck. The harder I work, the more of it I seem to have.” Coleman Cox

Just for fun

Q: I have forests, but no trees. I have oceans, but no water. What am I?

A: A map.

Mixing up study time

to spell history or science vocabulary terms. How many can he spell, and define out loud, in five minutes? Or when solving practice problems for a math test, have him draw a game board–style path and color in a space for each right answer.

Film and reviewSuggest that your child and his bud-

dies make a video study guide. They can take turns filming each other as they explain material from their books and notes in their own words. They’ll gain a deeper understanding of the material—and have a guide to review later.

ShortStops

Lead the way Whether your child is on the school year-

book committee or dance team, she can prac-tice leadership skills that will help her in school and on the job. Here’s how.

Be assertive. Encourage your tween to speak up and use a confident tone. If she shows that she feels good about her ideas, others are more likely to listen. Example: “The seventh-grade fund-raiser was such a success—I think it deserves a full-page spread” is more assertive than “Does anyone think we could maybe use a whole page?”

Aim to inspire. Good leaders make others eager to do their best. Tell your mid-dle schooler to pay attention to others’ talents and efforts so she can give sincere compliments. (“Your rhythm is really keeping us on tempo!”)

Rocky River Middle School

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© 2015 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

To provide busy parents with practical ideas that promote school success, parent involvement,

and more effective parenting.Resources for Educators,

a division of CCH Incorporated128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630

540-636-4280 • [email protected]

ISSN 1540-5540

O U R P U R P O S E

Middle Years January 2016 • Page 2

Track spending

Mental math will help your child keep a running tally of how much she is spending in a store. When you grocery shop, have her figure out what your

total will be at checkout. If bread is $2.69, milk is $3.49, and chicken is $6.99, she can round each number to the nearest dollar and add them ($3 + $3 + $7 = $13). The longer your grocery list, the more of a challenge it will be.

Use the news Keeping up with current events will

make your child an informed citizen and give him a chance to think critically. Try these suggestions:

Have him choose a news topic he’s interested in and read about it in multi-ple sources (national and local newspa-pers, news magazines). He’ll get different facts and viewpoints. The issue might be whether college athletes should be paid, for example, or what the minimum wage should be. What pros and cons are pre-sented? What conclusions can he draw?

Encourage him to read newspapers at the library and evaluate opinion pieces. How do the writers feel about a given issue? What evidence do they use to back up their opinions? Suggest that he write a response to one column he agrees with and to another he disagrees with.

Math in your mindCan your tween solve math problems without

writing them down or using a calculator? “Mental math” skills help her know whether an answer is reasonable, build her number sense, and let her solve multi-step and higher-level problems more easily. Share these strategies when you run errands together.

Calculate pricesYour child can use “easy” percentages like 10% or 50% to

figure out sale prices in stores. For instance, if a $40 pair of jeans is now 30% off, she can calculate in her head that 10% of $40 = $4. Then, she should multiply by 3 to find the 30% discount and subtract the discount from the original price to get the final price ($4 x 3 = $12 off, and $40 – $12 = $28). She’ll appear more confident when shopping with friends if she doesn’t have to pull out a calculator!

When my daughter Anna mentioned that

some of her friends have started dating, I was surprised. I figured we wouldn’t be talking about this until high school.

My neighbor, who has older children, explained the “middle school defini-tion” of dating to me. Typically, she said, these relationships last only a couple of weeks. They mostly involve texting, walking each other to classes, and eating

Digital cheating Q I’ve heard that cheating is easier these days because of electronic devices.

What can I do to prevent my son from cheating?

A Cheating has, unfortunately, been around

for a long time. What’s different now is that,

with instant access to information, it’s easier

for students to look up test answers or copy others’ words.

One way to help keep your son from cheating is to share your expectations. Tell

him that you expect him to behave with integrity. Then, mention that you’ve heard

reports of kids texting themselves answers or downloading reports from the Inter-

net. Make sure he realizes these activities are just as dishonest as old-fashioned

cheating, and let him know they can lead to failing grades and—in his case—loss

of his phone or tablet privileges.Finally, remind him to listen carefully to his teachers’ instructions about which

apps or windows he can have open during a test or quiz. Anytime he’s unsure

about whether he’s allowed to look at a device, he should ask his teacher.

Middle school dating? lunch together in the cafeteria. When her middle graders asked to go on actual dates, she had their dates come over when she was home instead.

I told Anna that if she has a boyfriend one day, he would be welcome to come

over for dinner or to hang out in the family room when we’re home. She doesn’t seem interested in dat-ing yet, but it’s nice to have a heads-up on what might be right around the corner.

Parent to

Parent

Q&A

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Talking regularly with youth about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs reduces their risk of using in the first place.

Know! encourages you to share this Parent Tip with friends and family.

Learn more at: DrugFreeActionAlliance.org

Drug Free Action Alliance6155 Huntley Road, Suite HColumbus, Ohio 43229PH: (614) 540-9985FX: (614) 540-9990

Tis the season for gift-giving. Whether you’re a parent, educator or community member, you have an opportunity to give a gift that keeps on giving - your positive influence and consistent messaging when it comes to preventing teen substance abuse.

Adolescence is the crucial period for the onset of substance use and its many negative consequences. The teen brain is at its peak for risk-taking and is more vulnerable to damage at this stage in development. The earlier a child begins to use, the more likely he/she is to become addicted later in life. In looking at the adult population, 90% of those currently battling substance addiction say they began smoking, drinking and using other drugs before 18 – so as we see, time is of the essence!

Parents, educators, and community members, YOU are the first line of defense in the fight against drug abuse. What YOU say and do can have a life-saving impact on your children, your students and other young people in your community.

The following are five key objectives to assist in your prevention efforts.

1. Talk to the children in your lives about the dangers of drug abuse and the importance of impulse control.

2. Parents must set clear rules for their children about not using drugs; you must monitor your children’s behavior and enforce appropriate consequences at home - so that the rules are respected and followed.

3. Parents, educators and community members should work to create a positive home, school and community environment; you must serve as good role models and always strive to help build children’s self-esteem.

4. Parents, educators and community members should also encourage and support school/community attachment among youth. Youth are much more likely to avoid risky behavior and thrive in all aspects of development when they believe the adults in their school and community truly care about them as individuals.

5. Everyone should share this information with family and friends so that they may follow the same guidelines to discourage substance abuse and create a community of caring.

Know! Parents, Educators and Community Members Make the Difference

Know! is a program of:

Drug Free Action AllianceLIFETIME PREVENTION | LIFETIME WELLNESS

Click here to print a PDF of this article so you can start a conversation with your child

Link to the article on the Drug Free Action Alliance Facebook page

Link to the Spanish archives

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Talking regularly with youth about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs reduces their risk of using in the first place.

Know! encourages you to share this Parent Tip with friends and family.

Learn more at: DrugFreeActionAlliance.org

Drug Free Action Alliance6155 Huntley Road, Suite HColumbus, Ohio 43229PH: (614) 540-9985FX: (614) 540-9990

All children have the right to grow up healthy, safe and drug free. Youth have the best chances for this to happen when parents, educators and community members work together to help youth understand the dangers of drugs, and when the importance of being healthy and making good choices at home, at school and within the community, are consistently reinforced.

Stay with Know! throughout the upcoming New Year, as we will continue to arm you with information, updates and insight on alcohol and other drugs, assisting you in your prevention efforts among youth.

Source: CASA Columbia: “National Study Reveals: Teen Substance Use America’s #1 Public Health Problem,” June 2011.

Know! is a program of:

Drug Free Action AllianceLIFETIME PREVENTION | LIFETIME WELLNESS

Click here to print a PDF of this article so you can start a conversation with your child

Visit starttalking.ohio.gov to get the conversation going !!!