Promoting Resiliency in Children

HOW NOT TO BUBBLE WRAP KIDS 

Learning How to Use Daily Stress to Develop Resilience

If you’ve paid attention to the media recently, you might now believe that any stress is bad for a child’s physical and mental health, that stress has reached epidemic proportions, that you need to do everything you can to reduce the amount of stress in your life and that various products from supplements to special water to squeeze balls will decrease your child’s stress and make them healthy.

BUT the science says that this isn’t true. In fact, experiencing and learning how to use stress is an important part of having good mental health and there is no evidence that any of the highly marketed stress reduction products are any more helpful than going for a brisk walk!

Mental health is the capacity to successfully adapt to life’s circumstances. It does not mean happiness nor does it mean not having negative feelings, worries, or difficulties. It includes the experience of stress and the use of that experience to help your child learn new skills and effectively address the many and frequent challenges of life, now and in the future.

This means that someone with good mental health isn’t someone who avoids or is protected from experiencing stress, but instead, someone who uses the stress they experience to learn and grow.

THE LANGUAGE OF STRESS

Stressor: An event that triggers the stress response in your body. It can be an internal event, like a thought, or an external event, like a social interaction, sound, chemical, etc.

Stress Response: Your body’s signal that you need to adapt and change in order to accommodate or deal with the stressor. This signal includes your heart racing, palms sweating, shortness of breath, butterflies in your stomach, and more

DIFFERENT TYPES OF STRESS

There are different types of stress and, actually, most daily stress is good for you!

Positive: Positive stress is short-term and it helps us learn how to adapt and grow. Situations that cause positive stress can be positive or negative (e.g., writing an examination, giving a presentation, calling someone you don’t know, not making the school team, etc.) and happen daily – often multiple times a day.

Tolerable: Tolerable stress is also short-term but involves situations where there is more serious impact (e.g., someone dying, parent’s divorce). It occurs multiple times throughout your life and as long as you have supportive relationships around, is unlikely to have any lasting negative consequences.

Toxic: Toxic stress is prolonged and extreme (e.g., abuse, neglect, violence), but for most young people, this is rare. Many will go their whole lives without experiencing toxic stress.

Toxic stress is the only type of stress that’s actually bad for you. Experiencing positive or tolerable stress actually makes us stronger, healthier and more understanding human beings!

Think about your immune system. Exposure to germs on a regular basis helps to make your immune system stronger. It teaches your body how to react so that when your body is faced with a larger challenge, such as an infection, it has the tools it needs to fight it off. Exposure to daily stressors works in much the same way. It teaches your brain how to react (or cope) so that when you are faced with a more intense stressor, you’ve already developed and practiced the skills you need to handle the situation successfully. You have learned to adapt. You are becoming resilient. If we deprive children and teens of the opportunity to learn how to cope with stressors by eliminating stressors or by intervening to solve their problems, we’re actually making it harder for them to grow into healthy and competent adults.

Young people need to be taught that the stress response is normal and a call to action, not anxiety. They also need to learn problem solving and healthy coping skills and be given the opportunity to practice those skills without adults hovering over them. If we remove kids from a stressful situation before they’ve had a chance to use their coping skills, the situation is going to feel even more stressful the next time they encounter it. And they will encounter those stressors again because no one lives a stress-free life. Persistent avoidance of stressful situations can lead to learned helplessness!

SO WHAT CAN WE DO?

Change how we think about stress. Reframe the stress response as your body preparing to tackle this challenge. Stop using the word anxiety when you mean stress response.

                 See Kelly McGonigal’s TedTalk for more: https://youtu.be/RcGyVTAoXEU

Model or teach effective coping. This includes problem solving, using social support, making healthy choices about food, exercise, and sleep, and much more.

Using stress reduction or relaxation exercises sparingly. This includes deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness, meditation, and more. These techniques may be useful for some people to help calm themselves but they do nothing to solve the problem causing the stress response. They should be used when a person feels so overwhelmed that they cannot effectively apply problem solving/coping strategies and they should always be linked to developing or using an effective coping strategy designed to solve the problem causing the stress response. Over-reliance on stress reduction techniques without changing the way we think about the stress response or learning how to solve the problems that this response is alerting us to may provide temporary relief but is not a substitute for engaging with life and learning how to navigate the often challenging and stormy seas of life.

Source: http://teenmentalhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Stress-Two-pager.pdf

Screenagers Film Screening for Parents

Please join Avon Lake City Schools and the PTA Council for a screening of the film Screenagers at Avon Lake High School on January 22 at 7pm in the Performing Arts Center (PAC). Screenagers explores how screen time can affect the mental health and wellbeing of children and adolescents. Parents of district students, as well as students over 10 years old are welcome to attend.

Parent Vaping Night

Avon Lake City Schools - The Truth About Vaping: What Parents Need to Know

Thursday, January 15 - Learwood Middle School Auditorium & Thursday, February 7 - Avon Lake High School Performing Arts Center (PAC) 7:00-8:30 pm.

Please join us for a presentation by Lisa Goodwin, Prevention Specialist at the LCADA Way & School Resource Officers Brian Hurd and Robert Walborn to learn about the rising concern of vaping in middle and high school students.

Resource tables and take home materials will be provided by local organizations and the district social worker, Kristin Acton.

NEW! LEAPS Parent Support Group

NEW! LEAPS Parent Support group

BEGINS Jan. 22, 2019

6-7 pm

LEAPS Preschool is excited to host a new monthly support group for parents and caregivers of LEAPS students.  The parent support group is an opportunity for parents to gain support, share ideas, and learn from other parents who may be experiencing similar issues. The parent support group will be hosted by our school social worker, Kristin Acton. Groups will take place on the last Tuesday of the month, from 6-7pm at LEAPS preschool. Our first meeting is January 22^nd.

RSVP is helpful, but not required.  Light refreshments will be provided.

To RSVP, or to learn more, contact Kristin Acton at 440-933-6290 ext. 1500 or Kristin.acton@avonlakecityschools.org

We look forward to having you!

FREE to parents & caregivers of LEAPS students.

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Grow your support system.

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Learn new strategies.

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Share successes.

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MEETINGS HELD AT LEAPS PRESCHOOL (IN REDWOOD ELEMENTARY)

32967 REDWOOD BLVD. AVON LAKE, OH 44012

LEAPS SUPERVISOR

JENNIFER FAZIO, 

PHONE: 440-930-8226

 

Holiday Assistance for Families

HOLIDAY ASSISTANCE

Dear Avon Lake Parents & Families,

As the weather gets colder and the holiday season draws near, local organizations are sending out information for families in need of winter clothing, food, and/or holiday toys. As a school district, we are aware that some families may need assistance providing a memorable holiday for their children. See below for available programs:
Coats for Kids (winter coat) – To request a coat for your child (prek-8^th grade), please email Kristin Acton, School Social Worker – Kristin.acton@avonlakecityschools.org with the following information:
·       Your name
·       Your telephone number
·       Number of children for which you would like to request coats
·       Children’s sizes and gender requested
·       Name of school the child(ren) attend

Toys for Tots (Holiday toys for children up to 16 years old.) - Click to register: Toys for Tots Registration (Opens: November 11, Closes: December 7, 2018). Use a computer to register, as cell phones may not submit correctly. For questions, email: tftlorain@gmail.com

Community Resource Services – (various) - Santa’s Workshop - Families can come ‘shop’ for their kids and receive coats, pajamas, toys and stocking stuffers for their children. Also - Family Basket program - Families can select a themed basket (e.g., Family Game Night, Baking Basket, Italian Dinner Basket). CRS also provides gifts for teens, usually in the form of small denomination gift cards to place like Speedway and McDonalds, and holiday food boxes filled with all the fixings for a holiday meal. CRS holiday programs are open to anyone with a current CRS file, and distributions are done the week of December 10^th. For more information call (440) 933-5639.
As always, if your family is ever in need of any resources or assistance, please feel free to contact your school counselor or school social worker. Every effort will be made to link you to the appropriate resources. All requests are handled in a confidential manner.  

Lastly, feel free to check out Avon Lake City School’s Community Resource Page to see other available resources in our community.

Happy Holidays,
Kristin Acton, School Social Worker
440-933-6290 ext. 1500

October is National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month. 

Here is some information from the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America on Teen Medicine Abuse: 

The medicine abuse problem: 

Each generation of kids looks for new ways to get high. Recent trends indicate they are increasingly turning to prescription (Rx) or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. Teens report getting many of these medicines from home medicine cabinets and mistakenly believe that abusing them is “safer” than other drugs. According to surveys from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 20 percent of teens say they have taken a prescription drug without having a prescription for it themselves, and 5 percent report abusing OTC cough medicine to get high. 

What types of medicines do teens abuse? Rx Drugs: While prescription medicines benefit many different people – for many different conditions – when used appropriately, they are being increasingly misused and abused. In fact, behind only marijuana, the most common drugs teens abuse are prescription medications. 

The most commonly abused prescription medications are listed below, and all can be dangerous or deadly when abused: 

1. Opioids and pain relievers: examples include hydrocodone (Vicodin®), oxycodone (OxyContin®) 2. Barbiturates and benzodiazepines: examples include diazepam (Valium®), alprazolam (Xanax®) 

3. Btimulants: examples include dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine® or Adderall®), methylphenidate (Ritalin® or Concerta®) OTC Cough/Cold Medicine: 

While millions of Americans safely rely on OTC cough medicine to temporarily relieve their cough, some teens intentionally take large amounts – sometimes more than 25 times the recommended dose of these medicines – to get high. This means some teens ingest multiple packages or bottles of OTC cough medicines that contain dextromethorphan (DXM). 

• DXM is the active ingredient in most OTC cough medicines. Approved by the FDA in the 1950s, DXM is the most widely used cough suppressant ingredient in the United States. 
• When taken in excessive amounts DXM can cause serious side effects including rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, memory problems, nausea and vomiting. 
• More than 100 OTC medicines containing DXM are on the market today. These medicines come in the form of liquids, capsules, gelcaps, lozenges, and tablets. Common DXM- containing cough medicines include many forms of Coricidin™, Delsym™, Dimetapp™, Mucinex DM™, Robitussin™, Triaminic™, Tylenol Cough & Cold™, Vicks DayQuil™/NyQuil™, Vicks Formula 44™ and more. 

Help prevent medicine abuse: 

TALK to your teen about prescription and OTC cough medicine abuse. Teens listen, even if they act like they don’t. In fact, teens who learn about the risks of drugs from their parents are 50 percent less likely to use drugs. 

SAFEGUARD your medicine cabinets. Take steps to protect your teens by safeguarding all the medicines you have in your home. Know what you have and how much, so you will know if anything is missing. Discard any medicines you no longer need. 

SHARE what you have learned. 

SPEAK UP at school meetings, sports events, community events and other gatherings of parents – to make sure others active in your teen’s day-to-day activities know about the dangers of medicine abuse. Circulate articles via your school listserv or write an opinion editorial to your local newspaper. Blog, Facebook or Tweet about it to alert your friends and peers. 

REACH OUT to your child's school counselor, school social worker, or principal if you have questions or concerns about your child's drug use, or need linked to a resource in the community. 

Learn more at: www.PreventRxAbuse.org www.StopMedicineAbuse.org

Local Resource: https://thelcadaway.org/ 

Source: http://www.preventmedabuse.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/FactSheet-Teens.pdf 

Introduction

Welcome Avon Lake City Schools Parents & Students,

I wanted to introduce myself as the School Social Worker at Avon Lake City Schools. I am a trained mental health professional with over 6 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and families in Lorain County.

My goal as a school social worker is to ensure that students have the support and resources that they need in order to be successful in school. The role of the school social worker is to strengthen the home, school, and community partnership in order to eliminate barriers to student learning. This flexibility allows me to meet with students and families in a variety of contexts - including in their home.

School social workers collaborate with school administration, school counselors, school psychologists, and outside agencies to address social, emotional, behavioral, or academic concerns that are impeding a student's progress. We can answer questions, address concerns, and provide with information on school or community resources that may help your child be a stronger student.

Please do not hesitate to contact myself or your child's school counselor if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child.

Kristin Acton, MSW, LSW
District School Social Worker
kristin.acton@avonlakecityschools.org
440-933-6290 ext 1500

High School Counselors: 

Allen Skierski
Allen.Skierski@avonlakecityschools.org
(Serving all students A-G)

Erin Grieger
Erin.Grieger@avonlakecityschools.org
(Serving all students H-O)

Michael Kaminski- Department Chair
Mike.Kaminski@avonlakecityschools.org
(Serving all students P-Z)

Learwood School Counselors:

Mike Kaiser
Mike.Kaiser@avonlakecityschools.org
(8th grade students)

Linda Schanz
Linda.Schanx@avonlakecityschools.org
(7th grade students)

Troy School Counselors:

Pat Walsh
pat.walsh@avonlakecityschools.org

Hope Hayden
Hope.Hayden@avonlakecityschools.org

Eastview & Westview School Counselor

Amanda Kelber
Amanda.Kelber@avonlakecityschools.org

Erieview & Redwood School Counselor

Ann Speier
Ann.Speier@avonlakecityschools.org

LEAPS Preschool Coordinator
Jennifer Fazio
Jennifer.Fazio@avonlakecityschools.org


If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the 24-Hour Crisis Hotline at 1-800-888-6161

If you want to learn about non-emergency mental health services that could help you or your chlid, contact the Navigator at 440-240-7025.