What actually is Valentine's Day?

• Valentine's Day is not just for romance, we can celebrate Valentine's with friends, family, ourselves and even pets!
• Some gift ideas include personal notes/letters, chocolates, flowers, cooked meals, etc.
• Americans spend more than $20 billion on Valentine's Day gifts
• St. Valentius in 269 A.D. wrote a love letter while waiting execution to a woman and signed it "From your Valentine".

Ways to show love for Valentine's Day

• Tell ANYONE important that you love, care and/or appreciate them!
• Give someone a homemade card
• Go out on a date with a significant other
• Write Valentines to anyone you see fit

• Celebrated all month long paying tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society
• There is a known disparity in mental health in the African American community
• Sixteen percent (4.8 million) of Black and African American people reported having a mental illness, and 22.4 percent of those (1.1 million people) reported a serious mental illness over the past year.

For Educators - Please see this link for lesson plans, talking points and classroom activities to do all month long to honor African American History Month

Ways to show love for African American History Month

• Support black-owned businesses
• Attend a local Black History Event in the community
• Incorporate a lesson plan from above into your week

• Only 33% of teens who were in an abusive relationship ever told anyone about the abuse.
• Teens who suffer dating abuse are subject to long-term consequences like alcoholism, eating disorders, promiscuity, thoughts of suicide, & violent behavior.
• Nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a single year.

Ways to recognize healthy and unhealthy love in a relationship (see graphic below)

Groundhog Day (Feb 2nd) - Appreciate the fact that winter is almost over and warmer/longer days are near!

Super Bowl (Feb 12th)- One of the great American sports traditions! Root for whomever you want, have a watch party and go team go!

President's Day (Feb 20th)- Take a few minutes to do an activity regarding the history of US presidents and celebrate their accomplishments!

National School Counseling Week (Feb 6-10th)- Take a few minutes to thank a school counselor for their hard work and support with the student body!

Random Acts of Kindness Week (Feb 12-18th)- Provide as many random acts of kindness as you can think of!

• What is SAP? In Pennsylvania, every school must have a Student Assistance Program (SAP). A SAP team, made up of school and community agency staff, is here to help you access school and community services.
• Who to contact: You can reach out to your child's guidance counselor or look at their school website for SAP information.

Here is a video that explains the Student Assistance Program that is in all K-12 schools.