April is Drug Free Washington Month

Talk to Your Students About Being Drug Free

You have probably heard it time and time again: "Talk to your kids about drugs!"  It is good advice as kids who learn about the risks of drug use from their parents and other positive adult figures are less likely to use drugs than kids who have not had such conversations. Teachers, counselors, coaches and others at school can have a big impact! Where do you start? Below are some tips for getting the conversation started and places to learn more so that you feel better prepared with correct information about drugs.

• Use those “teachable” moments that come up when there are events in the media – news reports, anti-drug commercials, alcohol/drug use portrayed in movies – all can lead into a conversation with your students about alcohol and other drug use.
• Give honest answers.  If you don’t know, find out or seek out the answer together with your student.  Where can you begin searching?

At www.theantidrug.com/ you will find lots of facts about drugs specifically geared towards parents. It also contains useful information about how educators can talk to students about drugs.

At www.talkingwithkids.org/ are more tips about talking to kids about drugs and a variety of other topics.

Visit www.drugfreeamerica.org/.  The Partnership for a Drug Free America has gathered a great deal of information for adults and students on this site.

The Prevention Center at Puget Sound ESD is dedicated to helping school communities establish and maintain supportive learning environments. Our goal is to establish comprehensive, integrated models of service delivery that foster safe school environments, promote healthy childhood development and prevent violence, alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse. Our mission is to provide leadership and resources for school communities to create systems that promote equitable, safe and healthy learning environments, ensuring the academic success of every student. Learn more about the Prevention Center's prevention activities and other services at www.psesd.org.

Let’s celebrate Drug Free Washington Month in April throughout the Puget Sound region! Use it as an opportunity to open up a dialog with students about being drug free!

For more information, contact Kim Beeson at (425) 917-7821, (253) 778-7821 or at kbeeson@psesd.org.

 

April is "Month of the Military Child"

The Washington State Military Kids & Families Partnership encourages our communities to take the time in April to do something special for children who have a parent serving in the military. This year's theme is "Military Children - Everyday Heroes In Your Community." The theme stresses the heroic sacrifices military children and youth make every day, especially during this time of persistent conflict. It also emphasizes that military children and youth are in every corner of the world, not just on military installations.

The Washington State Military Kids & Families Partnership is a resource to assist our communities (local youth organizations, family readiness groups, veteran service organizations, military units, etc) with planning events to recognize our military children.

Puget Sound ESD is now seeking middle schools in King County to join in collaborating with the King County Veterans Administration on a pilot support group project called "I am a Military Kid." Are there middle school students in your school who have parents or other loved ones who are actively serving in the military and/or deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan? A lot of these kids and families can benefit from our continuing investment in their social and emotional welfare through specific support designed with their unique realities in mind. In continuing efforts to support these students, ample funding is in place for up to ten additional pilot sites for the 2009-2010 school year within King County districts.

For further assistance with the Month of the Military Child or I am a Military Kid Project, contact Dan Bissonnette at PSESD at 253-225-2175 or at dbissonnette@psesd.org.