Last week, we had a wonderfully informative parent meeting with John Tummon, our representative from FCD (Freedom from Chemical Dependency). It is important that all parents get the important messages from this meeting and that you should look to talk to parents who were in attendance as well as reviewing the contents of the slides that John graciously shared with us:
Some of the key myth-busting facts that are important to note:
- Myth: students learning to drink alcohol in the home at earlier ages protect them later in life. WRONG! All research supports the opposite for adolescents – the earlier an adolescent drinks, the greater the risk for later problems.
- Myth: Cigarette alternatives (vaping, chewing, etc.) are better for your health than smoking – WRONG! There are a number of slides in the presentation that dispel this myth and confirm that marketing campaigns are trying to sell this message in order to market newer products to adolescents, who are more likely to develop lifelong habits and negative health impacts when starting during adolescence. You should be VERY concerned about the ease of access to vaping products in our general area!
An important book reference for the above and consistent with much of the presentation can be found here: Age of Possibility by Dr. Laurence Steinberg.
There is much more to continue to discuss and we are awaiting our compiled survey results in the coming days that will help us understand the challenges we face here at ASW. We are fully prepared to continue this conversation and make plans to address any concerns as warranted. We are not done with this topic and are already planning for the enhancements to our health curriculum and policies as we identify areas of needed impact. If you have any questions, please reach out to us!
Maker Faire
Maker Faire is still looking for adult helpers. We need everyone to help make it a great success for our students! Signup is here: