Communi-Key
Cumberland, North Smithfield & Lincoln Prevention Coalitions
May/June 2019
The smell of the barbeque & fresh cut grass, the taste of lemonade, and the sounds of kids once again playing outside can only mean one thing.....Summer is ALMOST here! For so many of us, May was an extremely busy month filled with proms, communions, college graduations and of course, barbeques to "kick start" the summer!
We've had an incredible school year.....Our partnerships with our schools, law enforcement, community members and youth are truly priceless and treasured.
We wish everyone a restful, enjoyable and safe SUMMER! Your friends at North Smithfield, Lincoln & Cumberland Prevention Coalitions are so very excited to share with you our successful endeavors and appreciate all of the support & dedication from our communities!
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
Congratulations to the Class of 2019!
The big day is almost here!
For parents, it is bittersweet to think the small child you watched climb those giant steps onto the bus for Kindergarten is now completing this era of their academic career.
And for our graduates, you have grown into amazing young adults, future leaders and outstanding members of our communities.
We have had the honor and privilege to work with so many of our graduates, throughout the years. We value the time that you have spent with our ATI groups, after school programs and the knowledge about substance abuse prevention you have shared with your peers.
"You will move mountains, kid" and we will proudly watch from afar as you do just that!
Congratulations.....your future awaits!
Cumberland High School Graduation Ceremony:
Mon, June 10, 6pm – 8pm, CCRI (Lincoln Campus)
Lincoln High School Graduation Ceremony:
Friday, Jun 7, 2019 6:00pm, CCRI Field House
North Smithfield High School Graduation Ceremony:
Thu, Jun 6, 2019 NSHS Athletic Complex
National Drug Take-back Day! SUCCESS!
National Drug Take-Back Day was a success! The results are in for the Blackstone Valley Region: Burrillville: 168.5lbs, Central Falls: 34.5lbs, Cumberland: 215lbs, Lincoln: 198lbs, Pawtucket: 236.5lbs North Smithfield: 19.5lbs, Woonsocket: 266lbs
As a reminder, Cumberland & Lincoln Police Stations are equipped with a safe Drug Disposal box, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
For a safe location spot near you, click HERE!
Congratulations, Principal Kevin McNamara
Lincoln High School Principal Kevin McNamara was named the Rhode Island Association of School Principals 2019 Secondary Principal of the Year in a ceremony held on April 24, 2019 at Lincoln High School. This special award is so well deserved and is a very high honor for Mr. McNamara, Lincoln High School, and the Town of Lincoln. Kevin will now go on to compete with colleagues from across the country for the National Principal of the Year Award in Washington, D.C. in the Fall. Congratulations Mr. McNamara! We are all so very proud of you!
Summer and Substance Abuse ....
Loose summer schedules mean kids will have less contact with parents and other adults who would notice signs and symptoms of drug use during the school year.
It’s common for substance abuse to go unnoticed in the summer months. Schedules get turned around. Parents are at work while teens are sleeping in. Kids stay out late with friends, coming home late when parents are asleep. People are missing each other.
In the spirit of summer, we offer these tips for parents:
- Establish a schedule for teens. It may include chores, a job, volunteer work, summer school, park district programs or other healthy activities.
- Set boundaries and establish a curfew.
- Insist on daily face time, even if that means staying up late until your children come home. Then talk with them.
- Make expectations clear and assign responsibilities, then follow through with positive and negative consequences.
- Know the signs and symptoms of substance abuse, including mood swings, changes in sleep patterns, loss of appetite, changes in friends, secret phone calls and shortages of money.
- Seek help at the first sign of a problem, before substance abuse worsens.
Stay Connected!
Stay on top of all the latest news, trends and events by "Liking" & "Following us! Our Facebook page is, Blackstone Valley Prevention Coalition! Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bvprevention/
And last, but not least, we are on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BVPrevention. Be sure to "Like" and "Share" us with your friends and family!
Have questions? Any suggestions? Please email Pam Shayer, at pshayer@lincolnri.org.
We want to hear from you!
Parents, Don't Serve Alcohol at Graduation Parties!
As summer draws nearer, students of all ages grow more and more antsy. Soon enough, school will let out for the most marvelous break of all, summer vacation. While all students look forward to the end of this school year, one group is more excited than all of the others. This group is, of course, the seniors in high school.
For high school seniors, the end of this school year is the end of their public school career. While some will be heading off to college, others may be heading off to a trade school or straight to a new job. Whatever a student is heading to, this is an exciting time. Naturally, this leads to a lot of celebrating and parties.
While many of these soon-to-be ex-students will be legal adults, they will still be too young to consume any alcohol. Since no one wants to end up breaking any laws, parents need to be careful when they are hosting graduation parties. If they aren’t careful, they could find themselves liable for a drunk driving accident.
Minors, Alcohol, and Host Liability in Rhode Island
When it comes to raising young adults, parents all have their own, unique approach. For some parents, being over 18, but under the age of 21, means that their child cannot have alcohol no matter what. Other parents feel it is okay to allow their child to have a few drinks, provided they have adult supervision. Unfortunately, for those latter parents, that is actually against the law here in Rhode Island!
Here in the state of Rhode Island, it is illegal for anyone, including the parents, to allow a minor to consume alcohol in public or in their own household. If the minor then leaves the house and drives or causes a traffic accident, not only will the minor face legal charges, the adult who gave them the alcohol will face misdemeanor charges.
This makes things very difficult for anyone planning on hosting a graduation party. Party hosts are responsible for ensuring that the minors at their parties stay safe and healthy. Responsible adults need to take all reasonable steps to ensure that no underage drinking occurs at any of their parties. This means doing more than just telling the minors that they can’t have any alcohol if the host is providing alcohol to the adults at the party. If a minor does have alcohol, and then drives away from the party, the host could be held responsible for any accidents caused by the drunk minor.
If a drunk minor were to get into an accident, they would face harsh repercussions related to DUI. Aside from that, the adult in charge of the party could face legal charges such as contributing to the delinquency of a minor and furnishing a minor with alcohol. Plus, the adult could be held liable for paying for any of the damages caused by the minor, which depending on the size of the accident, could be very costly.
It Is Better for Everyone to Keep Things Safe and Sober
Nobody wants to deal with a drunk driving accident, especially if it involves a minor on the verge of graduating from high school. The results of an accident like that could be utterly devastating. That is why it is best to keep alcohol far away from graduation parties.
While graduating seniors are on their way to becoming full-fledged adults, they aren’t quite there yet. They are still in the tail end of that teen phase, and as all adults will attest to, teens don’t make the best decisions. That is why the legal drinking age across the country is 21. By then, teens have typically matured a little more and are more prepared to take on all of the responsibility that comes with consuming alcohol.
FREE TRAINING! Responsible Beverage Server Training
Seating is limited and registration is required for this free training! Please contact the Lincoln Prevention Coalition @401-333-8426 to reserve your seat!
Interested in becoming a member of the Cumberland, Lincoln or North Smithfield Prevention Coalition?
Interested in finding out or becoming a member of the Blackstone Valley Prevention Coalition? Please join us for our monthly meeting!
(For Lincoln Residents) Tuesday, June 18th at 6:30pm, Lincoln Police Department
(For Cumberland Residents) Tuesday, June 18th at 4:00pm, McCourt Middle School
(For North Smithfield Residents) Thursday, June 20th at 2:00pm, NS High School
Please join us & learn how YOU can be a part of prevention for the community!
Please watch our Facebook page, Blackstone Valley Prevention Coalition, for more exciting news!