The Ranger Pride
What's up at PISD
Vaping
Earlier today, I received a letter from the Texas Education Agency, which is not an especially remarkable event. The Agency sends a lot of letters to school districts. The topic of this one caught my attention. It was about the growing number of cases across the state of students vaping.
Vaping is the use of an electronic device, such as an electronic cigarette, vaporizer, or a vape pen, to inhale a substance. There are many substances that our adolescents are inhaling in this manner. Nicotine, marijuana, THC, and synthetic cannabinoids are some of the more concerning.
According to TEA, in 2018, more than 330,000 middle school and high school students reported that they are vaping. This is more than 13% of all Texas students in grades 6 - 12, and is an increase of more than 400% in the past 6 years.
One of the most dangerous aspects of vaping is the potential to introduce lipids and other potentially toxic substances into the lungs. This can lead to respiratory illness, pneumonia, and other serious, even life-threatening, problems. As of last month, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has reported 289 cases of respiratory illness related to vaping. The DSHS website characterizes the problem as an epidemic.
PISD recognizes that some of our students are engaging in this behavior, and we are very concerned. The District is already taking steps to ensure that we have the tools to keep this activity out of our schools. We are anticipating a grant from the Texas Education Agency that will enable us to purchase Halo Vape Sensors for Perryton High School, Perryton Junior High and the Ludi Peña Martin AEC.
Parents are encouraged to talk to their children about the dangers of this activity. To learn more about vaping and how to talk to your children about the danger it presents, visit the following resources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention- E-Cigarette, or Vaping, Products Visual Dictionary
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - E-Cigarettes: Talk to Youth About the Risks
U.S. Surgeon General's Office - How to Talk with Young People
American Academy of Pediatrics Richmond Center - E-Cigarettes: Information and Resources
Texas Health Steps- Escape the Vape: Help Stop the E-Cigarette Epidemic Among Adolescents Course
#TheRangerPride #RPND
Employee of the Week
Congratulations to our PISD Employee of the Week; Sheila Barnes from Wright Elementary!
Sheila makes her third grade teams job a little easier. She took the time to dig into the TEKS and the scope and sequence and lined out the order in which we need to teach units. She consistently gives the entire team effective teaching ideas along with always having book recommendations. She helped me out, personally, this week because we were doing a novel study with our classes combined and she offered to grade a set of my class papers. Sheila takes in to consideration the busy life and stress other teachers with young children have and goes the extra mile to help out. She also goes above and beyond to make children feel special. We learned about the fundamental five this week and she knocks the building relationships piece out of the park.
Tables To Donate
Earlier this school year, Perryton Kinder purchased new tables for the Kinder cafeteria. These tables are a shorter size appropriate for Kinder-aged students.
Unfortunately, in the first shipment, a number of the tables were damaged or scratched. Some only have slight scratches, while some are very bent or have more damage to the tops. The manufacturer has replaced the entire order and does not want the damaged tables returned.
PISD is looking for churches and other organizations that might have a need for these less than perfect tables. If you would like to look at them, please contact the Kinder office at 806-435-2463 and set up a time to check them out.
Your Opinions Matter
We want to hear from you. If you have an idea about something we can do better, or a question, concern, or suggestion, please leave a comment below, or send an email to tlittle@perrytonisd.com. Comments are not published to the blog, but we read and respond to every one. If you would rather speak to us directly, then please give us a call at 806-.435-5478.
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Perryton ISD
Email: tlittle@perrytonisd.com
Website: www.perrytonisd.org
Location: 821 Southwest 17th Avenue, Perryton, TX, USA
Phone: (806)435-5478
Facebook: facebook.com/perrytonisd
Twitter: @perrytonisd