LIFE IN THE MIDDLE ~ MAy 2021 ~
A Mental Health and Wellness Newsletter from CMS Counselors
IMPORTANT DATES
Upcoming STAAR Testing Dates - Please avoid absences on these dates if at all possible.
7th Grade DVA DATES FOR STAAR:
May 10th: Algebra EOC
May 11th: 7th Grade Math, 7th Grade PAP Pre-Algebra
May 13th:7th Grade Reading STAAR
7th Grade F2F DATES FOR STAAR:
May 11th: 7th Math, 7th PAP Pre- Algebra, Algebra EOC
May 13th: 7th Reading
8th Grade DVA DATES FOR STAAR:
May 10th: Algebra EOC
May 11th: 8th Pre-Algebra, 8th Grade PAP Geometry (take 8th Pre-Algebra STAAR)
May 14th: 8th Grade Reading STAAR
May 20th: 8th grade Social Studies STAAR
May 21st: 8th grade Science STAAR
8th Grade F2F DATES FOR STAAR:
May 11th: 8th Pre-Algebra, 8th PAP Geometry (take 8th Pre-Algebra STAAR), Algebra 1 EOC
May 13th: 8th Reading
May 20th: 8th Social Studies
May 21st: 8th Science
_____________________________________________________________________________________
8th Grade Promotion Ceremony
May 24th – 2:30 Team 8C
May 25th – 9:30 Team 8B
May 25th – 2:30 Team 8A
Other Important Dates:
May 26th - Early Release at 12:40
May 27th - Early Release at 12:40 and LAST DAY of school!
Social Media Safety
Social Media Safety for Teens & Tweens
September 17, 2019 by Center City Pediatrics
Social media represents a major form of social interaction and communication. This is particularly the case for teens, who rely on social media in the same way telephone calls or email used to predominate. The types of social media have also expanded from Facebook to Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, texting and phone apps.
Social networks offer positives for teens in that they offer a place to “hang out” and be social, thereby helping to increase social skills. It also can allow teens to maintain contact with others who do not attend their school, such as camp friends, and provide access to a wider social group with varied points of view. The variety of social networking opportunities can also help to increase computer and internet skills, as well as creativity.
Parents worry about their children’s safety on the internet. We worry that our children will share identifying information that will become available to strangers, that our children will get scammed or ripped off, that they will fall victim to cyber-bullying, that they will be put in physical danger through contact with strangers, that they will reveal private information that will become an embarrassment to them in the present or future.
Teens are at risk for these possibilities due to their impulsivity and difficulty anticipating long-term outcomes. They also may not have developed internal controls. Lastly, teens may have a limited sense of their own vulnerability and so may not think something bad can happen to them.
Rules for Children to Promote Social Media Safety
There are important rules to establish about social networking. They include:
- Making privacy settings high so that only friends can see posts – Help your child set privacy settings in such a way that those who can see their posts are limited to acquaintances. The privacy settings should be re-evaluated periodically.
- Being selective about who they accept as friends (this helps to avoid spam bots or fake profiles that might lead to cyber bullying) – While teens can get into a competition about who has more friends or followers, it is helpful to talk to your teen about the importance of limiting who sees their posts and the potential for problems.
- Never agreeing to meet someone in person that they met online – This represents one of the most important rules for your teen to follow.
- If someone sends inappropriate or provocative pictures, telling an adult. Teens can be hesitant to tell an adult – Some may not want to “tattle” and others may think they and their friends can handle the situation. However, it is important to reinforce the value of telling an adult.
Social Media Safety Tips for Parents
- “Friend” your child and check in on their social network sites periodically – Parents may feel that they do not want to invade their child’s privacy. However, consider that your child’s entire social network has access to their information, so what they post is not private. If you choose not to friend them, you might also sit with them to see their social network sites and posts.
- Sit with your child and talk to them about what they are doing when they are connected, what their favorite sites are, and what do they do on the site – For example, if they have a favorite music site, are they posting pictures, chatting?
Should Parents Limit Teenagers’ Use of Social Media?
- Laptops and tablets are best used in public spaces – While this may be difficult to follow in some homes, it is often recommended as a way for parents to see what is going on without intruding on the details of your child’s social networking. A parent’s quick glance at what is on the screen and your child’s knowledge that you are around can be a reminder to them to follow the social networking rules of the household.
- Set time limits for technology use, including setting a time and place to put the cell phone before bedtime – Teens do not like this limit but will adjust to it. Technology use close to bedtime can make it difficult for some teens to wind down and go to sleep. Also, depressed mood and anxiety can be heightened when there is not a break from social pressures or stimulation from music or videos that reinforce those feelings.
- Remind children that “what goes on the internet, stays on the internet” – This may be a difficult concept for teens to grasp. However, it is helpful for them to understand that everything they post may remain there or be resent by someone else. Therefore, their rule for themselves should be to think carefully about what they are posting before they hit the “send” button.
Additional Resources:
- A Teens Guide to Social Media Safety: This page offers suggestions for online safety.
- Teaching Kids to be Smart About Social Media. This page discusses the positives and negatives of social media and provides useful links to other sites for additional information.
- Kids’ Digital Well-Being is Common Sense. This website is particularly useful as it offers a wide range of information about social networking and internet use for families, including recommendations for children by age group.
- Social Networking Advice for Teenagers. This is a website that offers advice to teens about social networking.
SmartSocial.com VIP
SmartSocial.com believes that the internet can be a good thing, but there are a lot of misconceptions about how families should approach it. Their team helps to bring families up to speed on their digital footprint.
Are you AND your students ready for a crash course on the dangers of social media apps? Do you need in-depth walk-throughs of the most popular apps students are using?
Our next round of LIVE events in the VIP (Very Informed Parent) membership starts Thursday, May 13.
Mark your family calendar today!
- Family Kick Off Event: Get a cursory overview of TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Netflix, Discord, Twitch, iPhones, Androids, and more.
May13th @ 4PM Pacific/7PM Eastern - Social Media Agreement Workshop: For Parents & Students: Working together to build healthy habits and everyone will leave with a custom agreement for their family!
May 20th @ 4PM Pacific/7PM Eastern - Navigating Instagram: For Parents & Students
May 27th @ 4PM Pacific/7PM Eastern - Navigating TikTok: For Parents & Students
June 3rd @ 4PM Pacific/7PM Eastern - Navigating Snapchat: For Parents & Students
June 10th @ 4PM Pacific/7PM Eastern - Navigating Fortnite, Overwatch, Call of Duty & Video Games: For Parents & Students
June 17th @ 4PM Pacific/7PM Eastern - Navigating Roblox & Minecraft: For Parents & Students
June 24th @ 4PM Pacific - Navigating LinkedIn: For Parents & Students: How students can shine online using this digital portfolio to start a resume for college
July 1st @ 4PM Pacific/7PM Eastern
All events include a Q & A session with the SmartSocial team.
These 45-minute, weekly events give parents and students an in-depth look at the dangers of these apps, tips to stay safer using them, and how to find a positive use for your time online.
Students are welcome, and encouraged, to attend these live presentations with their parents. We'll give you tips on how to discuss the topics as a family each week.
All these events are included with the VIP membership!
Click here to save your spot for our next LIVE parent & student VIP events!
Not a VIP member yet? VIP members get access to all these live VIP events and on-demand courses with deep dives into specific social media apps and topics to help keep your students safer online.
Click here to join the SmartSocial.com VIP (Very Informed Parent) Membership today.
VIP Members can view the courses on-demand in their VIP dashboard at learn.smartsocial.com.
Withdrawing from CISD?
If your child will NOT BE RETURNING to Carroll ISD next school year, please complete a Summer Withdrawal form and return to leslie.evans@southlakecarroll.edu as soon as possible.
· The withdrawal form can be found by clicking on the following link: 2021 Summer Withdrawal
· Withdrawing students must return laptops to the front office on their last day of school.
Summer Links!
Back to School Information (Including Summer Assignments, Important Dates):
Scheduling Concerns for Incoming CMS 7th/ 8th Graders:
CMS Scheduling Concerns 2021-22
Scheduling Concerns for Incoming CHS 9th Graders: Please contact your HS Counselor:
A - D Melissa Watson
E - K Sherry McCoy
L - Q Becca Piriano
R - Z Kara Cuellar
drowning prevention: information for parents
When we think of water safety, we often think of the potential for only young children to drown. Drowning is a leading cause of death among children, including infants and toddlers, but drowning is also a concern for teens and young adults. Not including boating incidents, on average about nine people die from drowning every day in the United States, according to Injury Facts 2017 the annual statistical report on unintentional injuries produced by NSC. Most infant drownings occur in bathtubs and buckets. Toddlers between one and four years most commonly drown in swimming pools. However, many children in this age group drown in ponds, rivers, and lakes. Children older than five years old are most likely to drown in rivers and lakes, but this varies from one area of the country to another. It is important to know that children can drown in even one inch of water. While drowning is more common for children 5 and younger, it's the second leading cause of death for people age 5-24. According to NSC data, 737 people age 5 to 24 drowned in 2014.
Swimming is a fantastic form of exercise and a major component of many spring break trips and summer break fun. But parents should remember that swimming also comes with risk. Follow these tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics to protect children from drowning.
Pool Safety:
· Whenever children under age 5 are in or around water, an adult – preferably one who knows how to swim and perform CPR – should be within arm's length, providing "touch supervision."
· Install a fence at least 4 feet high around all four sides of the pool. The fence should not have openings or protrusions that a young child could use to get over, under, or through.
· For additional protection, install window guards on windows facing the pool. Drowning victims have also used pet doors to gain access to pools. Keep all of your barriers and alarms in good repair with fresh batteries.
· Keep rescue equipment (a shepherd's hook – a long pole with a hook on the end — and life preserver) and a portable telephone near the pool.
· Avoid inflatable swimming aids such as "floaties." They are not a substitute for approved life jackets and can give children and parents a false sense of security.
· Children over age 1 may be at a lower risk of drowning if they have had some formal swimming instruction. However, there is no evidence that swimming lessons or water survival skills courses can prevent drowning in babies younger than 1 year of age.
· The decision to enroll a child over age one in swimming lessons should be made by the parent based on the child's developmental readiness and exposure to water, but swim programs should never be seen as "drown proofing" a child of any age.
· Avoid entrapment: Suction from pool and spa drains can trap a swimmer underwater. Do not use a pool or spa if there are broken or missing drain covers. Ask your pool operator if your pool or spa's drains are compliant with the Pool and Spa Safety Act. If you have a swimming pool or spa, ask your pool service representative to update your drains and other suction fitting with anti-entrapment drain covers and other devices or systems. See PoolSafely.gov for more information on the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act.
· If a child is missing, look for him or her in the pool or spa first.
· Share safety instructions with family, friends and neighbors.
Boating Safety:
· Children should wear life jackets at all times when on boats, docks or near bodies of water.
· Make sure the life jacket is the right size for your child. The jacket should not be loose and should always be worn as instructed with all straps belted.
· Blow-up water wings, toys, rafts and air mattresses should not be used as life jackets or personal flotation devices. Adults should wear life jackets for their own protection, and to set a good example.
· Adolescents and adults should be warned of the dangers of boating even as a passenger when under the influence of alcohol, drugs, and even some prescription medications.
· Children follow your example, whenever you are on a boat – everyone, kids and adults should wear a life jacket.
Open Water Swimming Safety:
· Never swim alone. Even good swimmers need buddies!
· A lifeguard (or another adult who knows about water rescue) needs to be watching children whenever they are in or near the water. Younger children should be closely supervised while in or near the water – use "touch supervision," keeping no more than an arm's length away.
· Make sure your child knows never to dive into water except when permitted by an adult who knows the depth of the water and who has checked for underwater objects.
· Never let your child swim in canals or any fast-moving water.
· Ocean swimming should only be allowed when a lifeguard is on duty.
· Teach children about rip currents. If you are caught in a rip current, stay calm and float with it, don't try to swim against it, swim parallel to shore until you escape the current, and then swim back to shore.
· Be aware that pools and beaches in other countries may not have lifeguards, and pools may have unsafe drain systems. Supervise children closely.
· At the beach, stay within the designated swimming area and ideally within the visibility of a lifeguard
· Seek shelter in case of storm. Get out of the water. Get off the beach in case of lightning.
· Never drink alcohol when swimming; alcohol is involved in about half of all male teen drownings, according to KidsHealth.org
Every pool, every lake and every warm summer day holds the possibility of new, fun summer experiences. All you need to add is your undivided attention.
How can my child meet with their counselor?
1. Teacher Referral
2. Parent Referral
3. Self Referral
We meet with students for many reasons:
1. Academic - Performance, struggles, test taking strategies, study skills etc.
2. Friendship/ Peer/Social Concerns
3. Personal Concerns
4. Behavioral Concerns
5. Stress/Anxiety
6. Responsive Services - meeting their immediate needs and concerns
If you have a concern and you would like for a counselor to meet with your child, please contact your child's grade level counselor via email or phone.
Thank you!
CMS Counseling Staff
7th Grade Counselor
Paula Lynn
8th Grade Counselor
Paula.lynn@southlakecarroll.edu
Website: http://cmscounselor.edublogs.org/
Phone: 817.949.5400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CMSDragonsCounselors/