we@sel * June 2015
student support services * high schools * parents/teens
Hello!
Thank you,
Linda Campbell
Talk to Your Kids Now About Underage Drinking
Memorial Day, prom night, high school graduation, school’s out: These are times teenagers may be especially pressured or tempted to try alcohol—the most widely abused substance among teens. In fact, more kids take their first drink in June or July than at any other time of year.
It’s comforting to know that most kids don’t engage in alcohol abuse. But those who do face huge risks to their health and safety.
Education and parental involvement play big roles in curbing underage drinking. Whether you are a teacher or parent, these free resources may provide a good starting point for this important conversation:
- Lesson: Brain Power! Challenge—Legal Doesn’t Mean Harmless (grades 6-9)
- Make a Difference: Talk to Your Child About Alcohol
- Underage Drinking: Myths vs. Facts (PDF, Download Adobe Reader)
- Parents—Talk With Your Grads About Celebrating Safely (PDF, Download Adobe Reader)
- The Cool Spot: The Young Teen’s Spot for Info on Alcohol and Resisting Peer Pressure
- Too Smart to Start
linda campbell
student support services 57
itinerant counsellorwe@sel
Email: lcampbell@sd57.bc.ca
Website: https://www.smore.com/u/lindacampbell9
Location: Prince George, BC, Canada
Phone: 0
Twitter: @weaselwe
sel pro d
May Updates and Information from Learning Innovations
Professional Learning Opportunities
Date
Event
Registration and Contact
June 5
Aboriginal Education 101- Cultural Competencies
Pro D Reg- Shelly Niemi
June 9
Pro D planning PGSS family of Schools
Pro D Reg- Cindy Heitman
June 10
Inclusivity In Our Schools
Pro D Reg- Susan Trabant
June 10
Pro D planning CHSS family of Schools
Pro D Reg- Cindy Heitman
June 16
Pro D planning Duchess and CLA family of Schools
Pro D Reg- Cindy Heitman
June 17
Pro D planning DPTodd and Kelly Road families of Schools
Pro D Reg- Cindy Heitman
June 22
Aboriginal Education 101- Cultural Competencies
Pro D Reg- Shelly Niemi
June 30
Non Violence Crisis Intervention- 1 day refresher
Pro D Reg- Natashia Bacchus
July2
Non Violence Crisis Intervention
Pro D Reg- Natashia Bacchus
youth trends, rcmp
Lifestyles
Summertime is an exciting time for many youth. The warm weather and break from school allows for exciting plans and activities with friends and family. Much of these activities however, may be unsupervised, which may lead to some sticky situations.
End of School Year and Spare Time
June is accompanied by exams, proms, graduations and a wealth of celebrations! Stresses from exams can take a toll on senior students whose future plans may depend on successful grades. As far as free time goes, many youth will embrace their newfound freedom by hanging out with friends, often without the presence of an adult or any form of direct supervision. Being young, unsupervised, bored and untethered can lead to an array of problems including drug or alcohol experimentation, risky online activity, and neighborhood loitering, to name a few.
Many young people may opt to get summer jobs in the hopes of making a bit of spending cash. The most popular jobs for youth include working in the family business, babysitting, retail and service industries. Due to their lack of experience, youth looking for jobs may be at risk for being exploited by their employers, or scammed by illegitimate opportunities.
Father’s Day
Father’s Day falls on Sunday, June 21st. For a young person whose father isn’t an active or healthy influence in their life, Father’s Day may be a sensitive or stressful day. Some youth may have another male role model like a stepfather or family friend who they can relate to, look up to and participate in activities with on this special day.
Body Image Issues
For many, summer weather means more heat and consequently, less clothing. Layers, sweaters and scarves are replaced with more revealing options, including shorts, tank tops and bathing suits. Many youth’s self-confidence may take a hit under the pressure to have a great body to show off. Youth may feel self-conscious and anxious about their bodies, which may lead to self-isolation and depression. Other youth may develop unhealthy habits in order to slim down and bulk up. Youth struggling with eating disorders experience this to an extreme level all year round, but it might be amplified at this time.
Family Vacations
Going on family vacations may be either the highlight or nightmare of many youth’s summer break. Unfortunately, high levels of conflict between family members may make the vacation less enjoyable for everyone. For youth who can’t travel for whatever reason, be it financial or personal, listening to friends’ stories about their vacation may be upsetting and could cause some rivalries.
Through social media, it is relatively easy to figure out which homes are unattended during the summer holiday months. For instance, many people will post pictures and make announcements from their vacation spot for a large amount of people to see. As a result, making social media posts about vacations may increase the risk of becoming a victim of break and entry, theft, and/or vandalism since many people may know that their home will be unattended.
Long Weekends and Statutory Holidays
This year, Canada Day (July 1st) falls on a Wednesday. In addition, many Canadians have a Civic Holiday on Monday, August 3rd. Residents of Québec celebrate St. Jean Baptiste Day on Wednesday, June 24th. During the long weekends, there is often an increase of underage drinking, and so impaired or distracted driving are of concern. Dangerous driving may result in accidents, injuries, deaths, and even charges.
Distracted and Impaired Driving
As discussed, summer vacation often includes a lot of travelling. Whether it is for a road trip, long weekend, or trip to the cottage, many youth with be on the road, at times on their own. Joy rides may also occur due to boredom, and can get out of control quickly. Impaired driving is a possibility due to the increase of substance use and the party-atmosphere of summertime. Distracted driving is also a concern for everyone on the road, especially youth. Having too many people in the car, eating while driving, texting, and playing music extremely loud are all examples of distracted driving that can lead to an accident.
live tutoring - and it's free
Extended hours for Live Tutor - just in time for exam prep!
June 17, 18, 21, 22, 23 from 4pm to 10pm
Plus, Social Studies 11 Live Tutor available:
June 17, 21, 22, 23 from 4pm to 10pm
he second annual Canadian National Farm to School Month is kicking off in October 2015! Farm to School month is a celebration of all the great things happening across our country to connect children and youth to healthy, local and sustainably produced foods. Click here for more information and fun ideas.
Healthy Living for Teens
New resource available from Healthy Families BC
The new Healthy Living for Teens booklet was created for youth, with youth. It contains tips that will help teens to feel their best and make the most of their potential, and it is available in both English and French on the Healthy Schools BC website here.