Calm, Cool, & Colt-Connected
A student mental health & wellness newsletter...
October 19, 2020
National "Coming Out" Day
School Violence Awareness
CRHS Spirit Week 2020
Mental Health Awareness
Colt Connection Support Groups!
Red Ribbon Week
About Colt Connection...
Colt Connection School-Based Youth Service Program
The School Based Youth Services Program (SBYSP) initiative was started throughout the State of New Jersey in 1987 to help young people navigate their adolescent years, finish their education, obtain skills leading to employment or continuing education, and graduate healthy and drug free.
Adolescents have numerous concerns and problems. Since a substantial number of teenagers have multiple problems that call for several different services, SBYSP provides an array of employment, health, and social services. Services are available to all youth and recreation is provided. In addition to the following core services, each site develops services which respond to local needs, such as on-site child care, so that teen parents can stay in school.
The major services are:
Mental health and family services
Healthy youth development
Access to primary and preventative health services
Substance abuse counseling
Employment services
Pregnancy prevention programs
Learning support services
Family involvement
Referrals to community based services
Recreation
One-Stop Shopping
SBYSP sites, which are located in each of the 21 counties in or near schools in urban, rural, and suburban communities, are open to all youth ages 10-19, and provide services before, during, and after school, as well as throughout the summer. The comprehensive "one-stop shopping" design helps break down barriers and bureaucratic roadblocks that too often prevent young people from obtaining services and supports. School-Based Youth Service Programs exist in about 100 schools throughout the state of New Jersey
Email: Lawrence-evans@crhsd.org
Website: https://www.crhsd.org/domain/59
Location: 90 Silver Lake Road, Bridgeton, NJ, USA
Phone: 856-451-9400
Mental Health Awareness
Learn about anger and tips for mindfulness and relaxation...
Do you lose your temper and wonder why? Are there days when you feel like you just wake up angry?
Some of it may be the changes your body's going through: All those hormones you hear so much about can cause mood swings and confused emotions. Some of it may be stress: People who are under a lot of pressure tend to get angry more easily. Part of it may be your personality: You may be someone who feels your emotions intensely or tends to act impulsively or lose control. And part of it may be your role models: Maybe you've seen other people in your family blow a fuse when they're mad.
No matter what pushes your buttons, one thing is certain — you're sure to get angry sometimes. Everyone does. Anger is a normal emotion, and there's nothing wrong with feeling mad. What counts is how we handle it (and ourselves) when we're angry.
Tools to Tame a Temper: Self-Awareness & Self-Control
Because anger can be powerful, managing it is sometimes challenging. It takes plenty of self-awareness and self-control to manage angry feelings. And these skills take time to develop.
Self-awareness - is the ability to notice what you're feeling and thinking, and why. Little kids aren't very aware of what they feel, they just act it out in their behavior. That's why you see them having tantrums when they're mad. But teens have the mental ability to be self-aware. When you get angry, take a moment to notice what you're feeling and thinking.
Self-control - is all about thinking before you act. It puts some precious seconds or minutes between feeling a strong emotion and taking an action you'll regret.
Together, self-awareness and self-control allow you to have more choice about how to act when you're feeling an intense emotion like anger.
The Five-Step Approach to Managing Anger:
If something happens that makes you feel angry, this approach can help you manage your reaction. It's called a problem-solving approach because you start with the problem you're mad about. Then you weigh your choices and decide what you'll do.
Each step involves asking yourself a couple of questions, then answering them based on your particular situation.
Here's what to do:
1) Identify the problem (self-awareness). Start by noticing what you're angry about and why. Put into words what's making you upset so you can act rather than react.
2) Think of potential solutions before responding (self-control). This is where you stop for a minute to give yourself time to manage your anger. It's also where you start thinking of how you might react — but without reacting yet.
3) Consider the consequences of each solution (think it through). This is where you think about what is likely to result from each of the different reactions you came up with.
4) Make a decision (pick one of your options). This is where you take action by choosing one of the three things you could do. Look at the list and pick the one that is likely to be most effective.
5) Check your progress. After you've acted and the situation is over, spend some time thinking about how it went.
Anger is a strong emotion. It can feel overwhelming at times. Learning how to deal with strong emotions — without losing control — is part of becoming more mature. It takes a little effort, a little practice, and a little patience, but you can get there if you want to
RED RIBBON WEEK - OCTOBER 19-23, 2020!
Colt Connection!
CRHS Virtual Spirit Week 2020!
Check out what we have to offer...
Grief Group w/ Mrs. Kennedy - support for students who have experienced a past or present death of a loved one.
Young Men's Group w/ Mr. Eric - for young men of all grades, focusing on issues related to relationships / dating, self-control, responsibility, and positive decision-making.
Youth In Color w/ Mr. Matt - a support group for those who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Questioning (LGBTQ).
Young Women's Group w/ Mrs. Kennedy & Mrs. Cindy Angel-Leon - for young women of all grades, focusing on issues related to dating, confidence, self-control, and positive decision-making.
Topics Group w/ Mrs. Prater - an open discussion support group for any teen, focused on building healthy coping skills to combat daily stress in school, home, and with peers.
Connections Group w/ Mr. Seth - a skill building support group focused on improving communication, healthy peer interactions, and creating connection to support in school, family, and community.
October 11th is Annual National Coming Out Day!
National Coming Out Day was launched more than 30 years ago, commemorating the anniversary of 1987’s National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.
Each year, the day raises awareness of the importance of coming out and creating a safe world in which LGBTQ people can live openly as their authentic selves.
Just under 2 million young Americans ages 13-17 identify as LGBTQ, or about 9.5% of the youth population in the US.
Fully embracing their identities has been an issue for LGBTQ youth around the nation. Being out and open can also come with a cost. The overall LGBTQ population is nearly four times more likely than non-LGBTQ people to experience violent victimization.
This year has been difficult for everyone, but it has been especially challenging for LGBTQ youth, and particularly Black LGBTQ youth. Media outlets and news headlines continue to be plagued by stories of violence towards Transgender people of color.
For those youth beginning a coming-out process for the first time, its recommended to consider joining some form of LGBTQ+ support group such as GSA - Gay/Straight Alliance.
GSA's bring LGBTQ-identified youth and ally students and teachers together to create inclusive and safe school environments where open dialogue about gender and sexuality is welcomed. Youth often need peer support to be able to navigate coming out... First and foremost, find your community, find your people.
Interested in joining the CRHS Gay/Straight Alliance? Email Mrs. Campbell for more information at campbelle@crhsd.org.
School Violence Awareness - A Word About Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying
Definition of Bullying
In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Department of Education released the first federal definition of bullying. The definition includes three core elements:
- unwanted aggressive behavior
- observed or perceived power imbalance
- repetition or high likelihood of repetition of bullying behaviors
What We’ve Learned about Bullying
- Bullying affects all youth, including those who are bullied, those who bully others, and those who witness bullying. The effects of bullying may continue into adulthood.
- Youth who bully can be either well connected socially or marginalized, and may be bullied by others as well. Similarly, those who are bullied sometimes bully others.
- Bystanders, or those who see bullying, can make a huge difference when they intervene on behalf of someone being bullied.
- Solutions to bullying are not simple. They involve the entire school community—students, families, administrators, teachers, and staff such as bus drivers, nurses, cafeteria and front office staff—in creating a culture of respect.
The Cumberland Regional School District strongly believes that student safety is a fundamental right. Students must be given the opportunity to learn in an environment of trust and support.
Do not hesitate to call the High School Building Principal/District Anti-Bullying Coordinator with any questions or concerns. Reach out to any trusted adult - parent, friend, teacher, coach, counselor, or principal to report Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying!