Tiffany Ridge Heart to Home
Social-Emotional Resources to support your family.
Hello Tiffany Ridge Families!
From our hearts to your home, we wish you well!
Leslie Andes
School Counselor
816-359-5719
Gayle Laney
Social Worker
816-359-5747
SOLID PARENTING ADVICE
Dr. Ovid, pediatric neurologist, warns of a silent tragedy that is unfolding in our homes today.
There is a silent tragedy unfolding today in our homes, and concerns our most beautiful jewelry: our children. Our children are in an emotionally devastating state! Over the past 15 years, researchers have given us more and more alarming statistics on an acute and constant increase in childhood mental illness that is now reaching epidemic proportions:
Stats don't lie:
• 1 in 5 children have mental health issues
• A 43% increase was observed in ADHD
• An increase of 37% in teenage depression has been observed
• A 200% increase in the suicide rate among children aged 10 to 14 has been observed.
What's going on and what's wrong with us?
Kids these days are over-Stimulated and over-given material objects, but they are deprived of the foundations of a healthy childhood, such as:
• Emotionally available parents
• clearly defined boundaries
• Responsibilities
• Balanced nutrition and adequate sleep
• Movement in general but especially outdoors
• Creative gaming, social interaction, informal gaming opportunities and spaces for boredom
Instead, the last few years have been filled with the children of:
• Digital Distracted Parents
• Pampering and permissive parents who let children "rule the world" and be the ones who make the rules
• A sense of law, to earn everything without earning it or being responsible for getting it
• Inappropriate sleep and unbalanced nutrition
• A sedentary lifestyle
• Endless stimulation, technological teddy bears, instant gratification and absence of boring moments
What to do ?
If we want our children to be happy and healthy individuals, we need to wake up and get back to the basics. It is still possible! Many families are seeing immediate improvements after weeks of implementing the following recommendations:
• Set boundaries and remember that you are the captain of the ship. Your children will feel safer knowing you have the government in control.
• Offer children a balanced lifestyle filled with what children need, not just what they want. Don't be afraid to say "no" to your children if what they want isn't what they need.
• Provide nutritious food and limit junk food.
• Spend at least one hour a day outdoors doing activities such as: Cycling, hiking, fishing, bird / insect watching
• Enjoy a daily family dinner without smartphones or technology distracting them.
• Play table games with the family or if the kids are too small for board games, let your interests be carried away and let them be the ones sending in the game
• Involve your children in a task or housework according to their age (folding clothes, ordering toys, hanging clothes, unwrapping food, setting the table, feeding the dog etc. The whole world
• Implement a consistent sleep routine to ensure your child sleeps long enough. Times will be even more important for school-age children.
• Teach responsibility and independence. Don't overprotect them from frustration or error. Being wrong will help them develop resilience and learn to overcome life's challenges,
• Don't load your children's backpack, don't carry your backpacks, don't take them the task they forgot, don't peel their bananas or peel their oranges if they can do it themselves (4-5 years old). Instead of giving them the fish, show them how to fish.
• Teach them to wait and delay gratification.
• Provide opportunities for "boredom", because boredom is the moment when creativity awakens. Don't feel responsible for always keeping kids entertained.
• Do not use technology as a cure for boredom, nor offer it at the first second of inactivity.
• Avoid using technology during meals, in cars, restaurants, shopping malls. Use these moments as opportunities to socialize by training the brains to know how to function when they are in "bored" mode
• Help them create a "Boredom Bottle" with activity ideas for when they're bored.
• Be emotionally available to connect with children and teach them self-regulation and social skills:
• Turn off the phones at night when kids have to go to bed to avoid digital distraction.
• Become an emotional regulator or coach of your children. Teach them to recognize and handle their own frustrations and anger.
• Show them to greet, to take turns, to share without being left without anything, to say thank you and please, to recognize the mistake and apologize (don't force them), be a model for all these values that it instills.
• Connect emotionally - smile, kiss, kiss, tickle, read, dance, jump, play or spoil with them.
Article written by Dr. Luis Rojas Marcos, psychiatrist.
Live Homework Help connects students with expert tutors for live, one-on-one help with homework assignments. Use Live Homework Help from your home computer or inside the Library to complete your homework assignments and improve your grades. Available seven days a week for English and Spanish-speaking students in grades K-12 from noon to midnight. In addition, the Skills Center is open 24/7 and offers thousands of worksheets, tutorials, study guides, practice tests, and more.
Tutor.com's live tutoring services are available on all but four days a year: New Year's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Live Homework Help is available on iOS and Android.
Go to: TUTOR.COM
Free And Reduced Meals
Due to funding from a federal program, we were able to supply free meals to all children ages 18 and under for the past two years. That program is ending on the last day of school. After the last day of school, we can no longer provide universal free meals or bulk frozen meal kits.
This means students attending summer school will need to pay for breakfast and lunch, or they can bring their own food. Families who think they might qualify for free and reduced meals should apply for these benefits. If you applied for the 2021-2022 school year, you do not need to reapply for summer school, and you can check with our social worker, Gayle Laney, or our Nutrition Services department if you are unsure.
The application for the 2021-2022 school year and 2022 summer school will extend to the first 30 days of the 2022-2023 school year, and then eligible families will need to reapply to receive the meal benefits for the remainder of the upcoming school year.
If your child is eligible for free and reduced meal benefits and you apply, you can also receive additional benefits like fee waivers, activity scholarships, free screenings, school supplies and more. You can find more information on our website: https://www.parkhill.k12.mo.us/families/menus-and-nutrition/free-and-reduced-meals
Nutrition Services Department Contact Information:
Phone - 816-359-4090
Fax - 816-359-4099
Address:
Park Hill Support Services Center
9501 N Seymour Avenue
Kansas City, MO 64153
_________________________________________________________________________________________
The information provided on the application is confidential. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email or call Gayle Laney!
CONFIDENTIAL RESOURCE CHECKLIST
Park Hill School District seeks to partner with parents/guardians to support your student’s well-being both within school, as well as in the home and community. If you need any of the resources below, please fill out this form and return to your child’s teacher or the TR front office.
This checklist will also be sent home Back to School night on August 19, 2021. Gayle Laney, TR Social Worker will contact parents with resources and/or information requested.
This form may be submitted online at:https://forms.gle/fJ9XvBCGMztv8NvU9
RENT & UTILITY ASSISTANCE
Please see the information below for families who have been impacted by COVID-19 and need assistance with rent and/or utilities. This may not impact you, but you may have friends or family members who may be in need, so please feel free to pass this information.
US Treasury Department Emergency Rent Assistance Program
The ERAP program is designed for RENTERS only. If you have a mortgage on your home or own the home outright, you are not eligible for assistance through this program for either rental or utilities assistance.
https://gkcassistanceprogram.org/
Missouri State Assistance For Housing Relief (SAFHR)
may be able to help – learn more and find out how to apply!
Apply online at mohousingresources.com/safhr
SAFHR for Renters is an assistance program administered by the Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC), funded by the federal government COVID stimulus package. Applications are open now!* If you can not apply online or need help with your application, please call 833-541-1599 or email: mo.safhr@mhdc.com
Distance Learning Help
How can caregivers keep kids parents and focused, interested, and balanced while learning from home?
https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/parent-tips-and-tricks-for-distance-learning
Breathing Icons
Instructions for Breathing Icons
Tips to help students with anxiety
Are You Unemployed Due to COVID-19?
You can visit this website for updated information and instructions on how to file for unemployment in Missouri: https://labor.mo.gov/coronavirus#mini-panel-coronavirus-tabs2
For updated and local health information on COVID-19 you can visit the Platte County Health Department’s website.
Park Hill Online Resources
- Parent University: https://www.parkhill.k12.mo.us/teaching_and_learning/online_learning/ph_parent_university
- The online learning support line is answered Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between 8am and 5pm. The number is 816.359.4044
2. A new addition to Parent University is the Virtual Relaxation Room. This is a space created for all staff, parents, students and community members. Many of the tools included in this website are designed to calm, comfort and create a space for relaxation. This is a great spot to practice self-care.
- Virtual Relaxation Room: https://sites.google.com/parkhill.k12.mo.us/phsd-calming-room/home.
Have You Lost Your Job And Are Now In Need Of Food And Financial Assistance?
Any low-income individual or family who are in need of Food Stamp or other benefits should reach out to the Family Support Division for help. Missourians can apply for services 24/7 online by visiting MyDSS.mo.gov, or by sending completed applications and verification documents by email to FSD.Documents@dss.mo.gov, or by fax to 573-526-9400. Missourians can also apply for Family Medicaid over the phone by calling 1-855-373-9994 during business hours Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Also, please see the Community Resource List below as there are several food pantries around our community. If you have any questions about how to access food pantries, or are concerned about meeting you family's food needs, please contact me for support!
PHSD Internet Assistance
As part of our commitment to ensuring success for all students, Park Hill School District is offering free wireless hotspots to families without reliable internet access at home. High-speed internet access is essential to one-to-one learning, as it allows students to have continuous access to school resources and to make full use of their district-issued laptop or iPad for learning.
Families who do not have high-speed or reliable internet access at home are encouraged to apply by contacting their student's teacher, school counselor or filling out the Pdf form below and emailing it to servicedesk@parkhill.k12.mo.us.
The form may be found at:
- Hotspot service is provided for the 2020-2021 school year by T-Mobile's Project 10Million.
- Students will be issued hotspots as they become available. Early signup up is ideal for getting a hotspot sooner.
- Hotspots have 10GB of data per month, which is about 500 hours of internet browsing. Please note that streaming and downloads use up more data than basic browsing.
- Students who are returning to school the following year may keep their hotspot through the summer. If a student leaves the district, they must return their hotspot along with their school-issued device.
PHSD Clothing Center IS OPEN!
PTA CLOTHING CENTER
The PTA of the Park Hill School District runs a clothing center that provides free, gently used clothing and new socks and underwear to district students.
The PTA Clothing Center serves all Park Hill School District students from kindergarten through 12th grade, and the PTA asks you to bring some proof that you are enrolled in a Park Hill school. This could be a student ID, bus pass, dated letter from a principal or social worker, class schedule or enrollment form.
Donations are welcomed at the Clothing Center, which is at 8009 N Atkins, just south of the Gerner Family Early Education Center. Please make sure your donations are clean, in good condition and bagged in kitchen-sized bags that the volunteers can lift.
All shopping days are on Tuesday. On the second shopping day of November, December, January, February, March and April, the center will be open for morning hours only.
Mental Health Wellness
Tri-County Services message during COVID-19:
Tri-County is still receiving new clients. To begin services at Tri-County, all you have to do is call to request and intake appointment. Services will most likely be provided via telehealth until pandemic restrictions have been cleared.
To schedule an intake appointment please call: 816.468.0400
Tri-County's Crisis Line can be reached 24/7 at: 1.888.279.8188
Mental Health Services for Non-Medicaid/Medicare clients:
A great way to find community mental health providers is by calling the number on your insurance card. The number is likely labeled as Behavioral Health Services. When calling your insurance provider, you can ask for a list of local in-network therapists. You can also look on PsychologyToday.com, as this is a great website to find local providers. ...and as always, please email Mrs. Laney or Ms. Andes if you need or want any help finding a mental health provider.
Please look at the Community Resource List below for a few other community mental health providers in our area.
Tiffany Ridge Elementary
Email: andesl@parkhill.k12.mo.us
Website: https://tiffanyridge.parkhill.k12.mo.us/home
Phone: 816-359-5719