FOR OUR BLUE DRAGON FAMILIES
Thanks for visiting my site! I'll post information about trends and tips for the parents to follow here.
Click on the buttons and you will be lead to more information about each topic.
Keep checking back, the information will change throughout the year.
I can't say that these are all trends that we are seeing in our school. There is always something new!
PS...I don't know of any teenagers that are actually eating Tide Pods or listening to MoMo. I do hear a lot about making slime in our middle school though. That's a good thing!
With vaping continuing to be a significant heath concern, SD Department of Health has come out with a couple different resources to assist schools. We can all have meaningful conversations with our students about vaping and our student's health. May these resources be helpful!
The Netflix series “13 Reasons Why” has highlighted the impact of bullying, sexual assault, violence, grief and teen suicide. If peers, friends and families aren’t prepared to intervene and provide support when a student needs help, problems can arise.
In anticipation of the May 18, 2018 release of the second season of “13 Reasons Why,” we wanted to provide some resources that may be valuable to you and your student as you discuss the issues presented in the series.
Some of these difficult topics include:
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Bullying
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Grief
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School violence
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Mental health concerns (stress, depression, anxiety, etc.)
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Sexual assault
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Unhealthy peer relationships
To begin the discussion with your student, here are some sample conversations starters you can present before or after watching each episode of “13 Reasons Why.” Additional conversation starters can be found in the “13 Reasons Why” discussion guide at 13reasonswhy.info
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What do you think about what happened in this episode?
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Do you think the characters in the show are behaving in ways that are similar to people you know? How so? How are they different?
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Did parts of the story make you think about how people who are struggling do not show the full picture of what they are dealing with to others?
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What did you learn about “so-and-so character’s” situation from this episode? For example, what did you learn about what happened to Jessica and sexual assault?
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How does what you have seen change how you view some things that happen in real life?
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Do you think the adults did anything wrong? What could they have done better?
Students’ personal struggles often come to light when triggered by a tragic event, uncomfortable experience or viewing/hearing a form of media (television show, film, music, etc.) that touches on sensitive topics. It’s important for peers, families and school staff to be on the lookout for warning signs that indicate a student needs support:
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changes in school performance (e.g. grades, attendance)
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changes in mood
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increased disciplinary problems at school
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complaints of illness
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problems experienced at home or family situations (stress, trauma, divorce, substance abuse, poverty, domestic violence)
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communication from teachers about problems at school
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withdrawal
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difficulty dealing with existing mental health concerns
