LPMHS Newsletter
Vol. 7, Issue 17 January 10, 2020
School Closing Schedule
Martin Luther King Jr Day: Monday, January 20th
Half Day for Students: Friday, February 14th
Winter Break: Monday, February 17th and Tuesday, February 18th
Upcoming Important Dates
Thursday, January 30th-Saturday, February 1st: 77th Annual LPMHS Winter Carnival
Friday, January 24th: End of Semester 1 and Quarter 2
Sweetheart & Heroes Parent Video's
Videos #1-4 were shared to your email before break. We have included the links below in case you didn't have the opportunity to view them yet. Please watch our newsletters for future videos.
Video #1:Parent 1: Background
Video#2: Parent 2: Someone’s Bully
Video#3: Parent 2: Someone’s Bully
Positive Psychology Corner....By Dr. Miller, LPMHS School Psychologist
Negativity Bias
The last column addressed the purpose of positive emotions, but aren’t negative emotions important too? Yes, negative emotions are important, but in some cases they may not work as well in modern society as they did thousands of years ago. The growing rate of anxiety among adolescents provides evidence that something isn’t working so well. One factor that may be contributing to this uptick in anxiety is “negativity bias.” Negativity bias is a thinking strategy that focuses on negative, dangerous, or fearful possibilities; the worst case scenario. This can be a good thing and served a survival purpose in the past. In our present day society, negativity bias helps us see possible negative outcomes and motivates us to plan for the “what ifs” in life. But negativity bias has a dark side. It often doesn’t mesh well with modern society and can drive nagging worry and anxiety. Consider for example the communications that we receive on a regular basis through social media. They are not always clear and it is easy for negativity bias to kick in. We might wonder what our friend means by the communication (or lack of communication). Are they mad at me? Did I do something to make them upset? Maybe they don’t want to be friends with me anymore. Will my other friends turn against me? On and on this thought train rolls and soon we are feeling upset and anxious. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to this type of trigger since their need for friendship and to be a part of a group is so important at this stage. There are many other events in our daily life that switch on negativity bias and start the negative thought train. For me, the nightly news is a trigger. So what is the solution? As usual, there are no easy answers, but psychologist Martin Seligman suggests one strategy is to “hunt the good stuff.” Over the next few weeks we will explore ways to do that.
Volunteer Opportunities!!!
Please see Mrs. McConvey in the library for any upcoming opportunities. Or contact her at pmcconvey@lpcsd.org or 518-523-2474 ext. 4130
**Please note Community Service forms are now available online on the schools website. Check it out at the link below.**
Board of Education Meeting Dates 2019-20
The LPCSD Board of Education meets every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month in the Board Room of the District Office unless otherwise noted. Upcoming meeting dates are as follows:
January 21, 2020--Initial Budget Work Session
February 4, 2020--Budget Work Session from 6-7 p.m. and Board Meeting 7 p.m.
February 18, 2020(during winter break)-- Board Meeting and if needed a Budget Work Session
March 3, 2020
March 17, 2020
LPMHS
Email: ktaylor@lpcsd.org
Website: http://www.lpcsd.org
Location: 34 School Street, Lake Placid, NY, USA
Phone: 518-523-2474
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lake-Placid-Central-School-386848035780/?__tn__=%2Cd%2CP-R&eid=ARBWETBXIrXiChH2KQDAAMhpN4Xnm5SR9frLDmnWF6M3BVh1yqJ47Iw1zLIQW-kZ7AwoEBY734LoABGn