Zimplicity!

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:

ASW FCD Parent April 10 2019

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:

• https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080b44a9af28a6fd0-makerfaire

Badges

First, a thank you to all the parents who have been working hard to remember to wear their badges on the school campus at all times.  We appreciate your attention to this important regulation and practice!

Please be reminded that showing your badge at the entrance, whether in a car or on foot, is just the first step.  You should then promptly put your badge on and wear it while on campus.  Please register all visitors that you are escorting with the guards at the gate or at the front security desk.  Parents and visitors not wearing badges will be increasingly stopped and checked for this necessary credential.

School Hours

Just need to confirm with everyone that official school hours (except holidays) are as follows:

Monday to Friday – 8:00 am to 4:30 pm

Access to the campus outside of these operational hours (including weekends and holidays) is as follows:

• Students who are on campus during operational hours, but depart after these hours may not return except according to the following stipulations.
• Students in Grades 6-12 must show school identification to be allowed on campus after hours and only for approved activities.  
• Elementary students in grades PK-5 may be on campus after hours only under the direct supervision of their parent/adult guardian.
• Adults must have a parent identification to gain access to the campus after hours and must wear this identification at all times.
• No outside visitors or guests are allowed on campus after hours without prior arrangement.  Visitors at all times require prior approval by the appropriate divisional or departmental office and clearance by security.

The school will announce in advance our operational hours during vacations and holidays and campus closures when the school will not be accessible to anyone due to maintenance or other concerns.

Parent Meeting – Wednesday, April 10 in the ASW Theater for all parents…

In a couple of previous Zimplicity articles, I suggested that we should all be diligent in combating the issues that our children are facing.  Articles on sleep and, more recently, electronic cigarettes were well received.

As part of our ongoing commitment to prevention and wellness, we have invited prevention specialists from FCD Prevention Works to join our community during the week of April 8-13. A part of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, FCD (Freedom from Chemical Dependency) is a non-profit organization that provides substance abuse prevention services for schools. Since 1976, they have taught over a million students of all ages. Their mission is to:

• Encourage and support the non-use of alcohol and other illegal or illicit drugs during the growing years.
• Empower young people to make healthy, responsible choices regarding alcohol and other drug use
• Teach students and adults how to recognize the early warning signs of substance abuse and to intervene appropriately
• Educate students, parents, teachers, and administrators on the physiological and psychological effects of alcohol and other drugs
• Promote awareness of drug addiction, including alcoholism, as a progressive, chronic, and often fatal disease
• Provide educational communities with the guidance and training necessary to implement comprehensive, effective approaches to substance abuse prevention

FCD prevention specialists are highly trained professionals who have achieved healthy recovery from alcohol or other drug addictions. This unique perspective enhances the credibility of their message and provides students with role models for happy, healthy, drug-free living.  The FCD prevention specialist will present a parent workshop to offer support and guidance in helping your children enjoy drug-free adolescence on Wednesday, April 10 at 6:00 p.m. in our ASW Theater. This is appropriate for parents of children of all ages.  Some of the topics to be addressed include:

• Effective ways to communicate with your child about drugs and drug use
• Up-to-date facts about current drug use and trends
• What to say about your own experiences with alcohol and/or drug experimentation
• How to spot early warning signs of use and effective ways to respond.

This program presents a perfect opportunity for discussing alcohol and other drug-related issues with your children. Parental involvement is crucial to our efforts to reduce the risks teenagers face. We want our students to hear from both school and home that we are concerned about alcohol, nicotine, and other drugs use by adolescents, and that we are committed to keeping our children safe.

See you all there!!

Board Member Application/Nomination

This is a reminder that your applications are due this Friday if you want to become a member of the Board of Trustees. You can find more information about the BoT, including the composition of the board and qualifications at the following link:

https://www.aswarsaw.org/community/board-of-trustees

The link to our form is here:

https://goo.gl/forms/3Vg4LemowAyfBTNA3

Serving the students of our school in this capacity is a truly rewarding experience.  Please consider whether you can potentially contribute and fill out our simple application form today.  We’ll be in touch with you shortly thereafter.

Spring Forward

It’s our turn to push clocks forward this weekend, catching up with most states in the U.S. and other countries that observe this strategy.  At 2:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, all clocks will “spring forward” to 3:00 a.m.  Suggest you get to bed early to avoid the sleep loss!

Shuttle Service

We are coming up on your last chance to try the shuttle bus service before our deadline of March 29.  Numbers are currently low and it is not clear whether we price and continue the service.  If you haven’t had a chance to ride it yet, this would be the week to try it and give us an indication of interest by doing so.