Drug and bully free You and me… Special Edition Newsletter from the counselor You and me… October is National Bully Prevention month National Drug awareness week Oct 29-Nov 2 Check out the Desoto School district Project Wellness Website for excellent parent resources! http://www.usd232.org/education/dept/dept.php?sectionid=3541&  POP Quiz: Test your bullying knowledge ***Answers on last page*** 1. How many students in the U.S. miss school each day to avoid being bullied? A. 40, 000 B. 80,000 C. 160,000 D. 240,000 2. What percentage of kids that bully will have a criminal record by the time they are 30? A. 15% B. 25% C. 35% D. 45% 3. How many, out of every 10 American teenagers, witness bullying at least once a day? A. 1 B. 3 C. 6 D. 8 4. How many students report experiencing being bullied during a school year? A. 10% B. 33% C. 50% D. 65% 5. Bullies come in all shapes and sizes. A. True B. False 6. Bullying is just for boys. 7. Words will never really hurt you. 8. If you see bullying, you can help stop it. 9. Kids who are bullied may not want to tell anyone, especially an adult. 10. Bullying is just a normal part of growing up. 11. Fighting back will hurt the situation, and turn it into a conflict instead of a bullying situation. 12. If I don’t hear from the school about punishments to bullies, then nothing was done.

Answers to Pop Quiz on page 1: Myths about Bullying · Bullying only occurs at school. Reality check: It can happen anywhere including home, work, online, etc. · It is only considered bullying if it is physical. Reality check: bullying comes in many forms, physical is just one. · Teachers are always responsible to end a bullying incident. Reality check: it is up to anyone who witnesses the bullying to put an end to it. · There are no laws that prevent bullying or address it when it happens. Reality check: 47 states have passed anti-bullying laws · Bullying is harmless. Reality check: suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among young people · Fighting back the bully physically will put an end to bullying. Reality check: This is actually the last thing you should do. Getting physical only escalates the situation and will make things worse. · Reporting bullying will make everything worse. Reality check: It may make things worse for the bully, but not the target. · Bullies have low self-esteem and have no friends. Reality check: many of the most aggressive kids are confident and popular among peers. Most bullies believe that bullying will create attention, giving them more friends and power.   What can parents do? · Get the story of the bullying as correct as possible...listen to your child with an open heart and mind.   · Monitor use of all technology in your house...this includes anything that can text or has on-line capabilities. · Contact your child’s teacher...and follow up with both the teacher and your child. · Contact the School Counselor or Principal. · Understand that the school can not share any information about other students with you. This includes anything found during an investigation, and any discipline that may have taken place. · Look for signs of bullying in your children...this could include sudden mood changes, not wanting to go to school suddenly, changes in friendships, etc. · Keep the lines of communication open between you and the school. · Get to know your child’s friends, as well as their families. Answers to Pop Quiz on page 1: C 2. B 3. C 4. B 5. A 6. B 7. B 8. A 9. A 10. B 11. A 12. B 

HOW RED RIBBON WEEK STARTED Creating a PEACEFUL school starts with making healthy choices. That’s why we celebrate Red Ribbon Week! Here’s how it all began… This is the 30th birthday of the first Red Ribbon Club. It was started in 1985 by students at Calexico High School in California to honor one of its former graduates who later became a law enforcement officer. Enrique Camarena, or “Kiki” as he was called by his friends and family, was killed by drug dealers while working as an undercover drug enforcement agent. To honor him and all the law enforcement officers who work to keep drugs out of our country, students at his former high school wore red ribbons. They pledged to keep themselves drug free, to become educated on the dangers of drugs and encourage others to stay drug free. We will wear our red ribbons this week to honor the memory of Officer Camarena and to learn all we can about how to resist the pressure of our friends to make bad choices and to keep our bodies healthy, strong free from harmful drugs.

What do YOU know?? Take the drug awareness QUIZ… Instructions: Answer each question. 1. Drugs are ________that change the way a person’s body and mind works. 2. True or False: Medicines are legal drugs. T or F 3. List three illegal drugs: 4. List two reasons why illegal drugs are dangerous: 5. A person who uses drugs can become__________or dependent on them. 6. List three signs that someone may be using drugs: 7. A_________ is a drug that slows you down. 8. A __________is a drug that changes people’s moods and makes them hear or see things that aren’t there or think things that aren’t true. 9. Name one thing you can do if you think someone you know is using drugs. 10. When someone your age tries to influence how you act or get you to do something, it’s called_______. 11. List two reasons why kids give into peer pressure: 12. List two ways you can “walk away” from peer pressure: 13. Who can you talk to if you’re feeling pressured to do something that’s not healthy?

How did you do? Check your answers… 1. Drugs are chemicals that change the way a person’s body and mind works. 2. True or False: Medicines are legal drugs. T F 3. List three illegal drugs: Any three of the following; nicknames are acceptable: marijuana, cocaine, crack, heroin, tranquilizers and other depressants, methamphetamines, inhalants, LSD and other hallucinogens, Ecstasy 4. List two reasons why illegal drugs are dangerous: Any two of the following: damage the heart and other important organs; lead to addiction; lead to death; lead to prison; result in harmful behavior; make kids less able to do well in school, sports, or other activities 5. A person who uses drugs can become addicted , or dependent on them. 6. List three signs that someone may be using drugs: Any three of the following: lose interest in school; change friends (to hang out with kids who use drugs); become moody, negative, cranky, or worried all the time; ask to be left alone a lot; have trouble concentrating; sleep a lot (maybe even in class); get in fights; have red or puffy eyes; lose or gain weight; cough a lot; have a runny nose all of the time 7. A depressant is a drug that slows you down. 8. A hallucinogen is a drug that changes people’s moods and makes them hear or see things that aren’t there or think things that aren’t true. 9. Name one thing you can do if you think someone you know is using drugs. Tell an adult you trust OR choose not to try or use drugs 10. When someone your age tries to influence how you act or get you to do something, it’s called peer pressure . 11. List two reasons why kids give into peer pressure: Any two of the following: to be liked, to fit in, worry they will be made fun of, everyone’s doing it, poor judgment 12. List two ways you can “walk away” from peer pressure: Any two of the following: listen to your own feelings, enlist a friend to resist as well, choose friends wisely, stay away from peers who are doing things that are wrong, ask an adult to help, say “No” 13. Who can you talk to if you’re feeling pressured to do something that’s not healthy? Any one of the following: parents or guardians, adult relatives, teachers, school counselors, older siblings, clergy