Blue Jay Broadcast
News and Notes from the Hallways of MHS
Coffee talk with Mr. Guzman
Welcome to a special prom edition of the Blue Jay Broadcast. I wanted to send this out focusing on the prom because I want to remain focused on students and assisting them in making good choices. Over these next weeks, our students will be attending formal and informal social events, including prom and graduation which is a little over a month away. I want to remind our students of some of the challenges adolescents face today. They may not be completely aware that their bodies, brains and minds are still maturing and we need to keep reminding them to continuously evaluate the personal, ethical and safety impact of their decisions. For young adults who will be graduating and transitioning to the next part of their life, these social events mark a time of initial “independence” and comes complete with the opportunity to make as many mistakes as they want, without them really “counting.” There will be life experiences that are positive, some that are negative but most will leave impressions.
Substance abuse is seen as one of those “mistakes”. Students may experiment with alcohol, prescription drugs, marijuana and other illegal drugs. They will see and record Snapchat stories filled with pictures and videos of the party of the night, and hear rumors in class of the weekend before or the weekend to come. One of the topics I’ve touched on is social media and helping our students to be good digital citizens. It is important that our students understand the complexities of social media use and the consequences of their decision making.
As the High School Administration, we ask parents to have open, honest conversations with students about substance abuse, expectations, and the potential consequences of their actions. By providing students with information on both the use and the resulting consequences, they can make an educated decision for themselves. This also provides them with the foundation to have difficult and challenging conversations, a skill that will serve them well in the future.
Students of this generation have all of the information they could possibly ever need or want at their fingertips. Unlike prior generations, they do not respond to scare tactics and stories/lessons of what they should and should not be doing. They have an awareness of what is legal and illegal, what is against policy and what is not. They understand they are taking a risk. What they do not know or do not have are the skills to navigate difficult situations if something gets out of hand or the confidence in their ability to say “no”.
We want our students to have fun but we also want them to be safe and make good choices. In the Birds Eye View, you will see some of our gym teachers sharing this information and having fun while doing it. I am also including some resources that we think can help you and your child have the conversation.
I would like us to continue to work together to support our students in making the right decisions.
http://powertotheparent.org/parenting/prom-safety/
https://www.cdc.gov/family/prom/index.htm
https://www.edgarsnyder.com/blog/2017/04/10-safe-driving-prom-tips.html
https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/domain/2523
Woodbridge School District shared information from the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office
Email: guzmana@middlesex.k12.nj.us
Website: http://www.middlesex.k12.nj.us/msd/HS/
Location: 300 John F Kennedy Drive, Middlesex, NJ, United States
Twitter: @MHSMiddlesexNJ