Underage Drinking

As stated in an earlier post, April is Alcohol Awareness Month.  Underage drinking is a large problem among our youth.  Check out this article on what you can to do to help keep your child from participating in underage drinking.
Stand Firm Against Underage Drinking

Summer Reading, Writing and Speed Reading Programs

Miami University, Corporate and Community Institute, is offering reading programs this summer in Hamilton, Middletown and West Chester.  The programs meet once a week, and the cost varies by the program and grade.  If your child is entering grades 6 - 9, there are programs that will work on developing reading comprehension skills.  The programs will also work on techniques to improve writing skills and build their confidence as writers.  For more information on the classes, you can call 1-800-470-3728.  It is suggested that you inquire early as class sizes are limited.

Alcohol Awareness Month

April is alcohol awareness month.  Alcohol continues to be the number one drug abused by teens.  Check out this link:   Alcohol Awareness.  Learn about the risks involved with adolescent drinking and tips to help prevent underage drinking.

Talking to your Kids about School Violence

 Below is a helpful article on how to talk to your child about school violence.  This can be a difficult subject and can cause your child much anxiety.  The best thing we can do is be there for them, open up conversation, and listen to their concerns.  Take a minute to check out the article below!

school violence

MVCTC Summer Camp

Career Camp is a free one week exploration program designed to give students entering 8th, 9th and 10th grade a hands-on experience in various careers to help them make good career choices.  The camp runs June 4 - 8 from 9:00 - 11:30 a.m. each day.  Applications are available in the counselor's office at the junior high.  The deadline for applications is May 4, 2018.  This is a great experience for your child to continue career exploration!

College Credit Plus

College Credit Plus (CCP) gives students in grades 7 - 12 the opportunity to take college courses for free and earn high school and college credit before graduating high school.  Students interested in participating in CCP must turn in a letter of intent to Mrs. Carmack before April 1st.  Students must also take a placement test to determine if they are college ready before being able to participate.  The majority of Valley View students take their CCP courses through Sinclair.  You can go to the following link to learn more about CCP

Sinclair College Credit Plus

If you have any questions concerning CCP, please feel free to contact me at stephanie.carmack@valleyview.k12.oh.us or 696-2591.

Teen Relationships and Dating

The following website is a great resource for parents -- current topics and ways to talk to your teens about these topics are provided.  Go to the following link to check it out!

Start Talking

Below is a sample article on the website to help you talk to your teen about relationships and dating.

2/21/2018

February is the month of romance, so what better time than now to bring up the subject with your teen? Whether your teen has shown interest in dating, it has more than likely crossed his or her mind. It is vitally important for our daughters and our sons to hear from us on this subject. They need to know what a healthy relationship entails; they need to be clear on the family rules regarding teen romance and dating; and they need to be keenly aware that no means no, and “love” does not equal sex.

Uncomfortable with the topic? Understandable, but their understanding of a healthy relationship is a must, and it’s up to parents to discuss and shar this important topic. If you don’t answer your teen’s questions, they’ll look elsewhere for the information, including their friends and the internet. This is a critical subject that needs to be discussed regularly with our children throughout adolescence.

Here are some specific topics to address:

Healthy Teen Relationships: Role modeling is the most effective tool in teaching your child what a healthy relationship looks like. But in addition to seeing it in action, young people need to be taught that a healthy relationship includes mutual respect, understanding, trust, honesty, communication and support. It also involves setting healthy boundaries that are respected by both partners (including NO means NO), as well as the freedom to maintain outside interests and friendships.

Unhealthy and Abusive Teen Relationships: Unhealthy relationships consist of any type of imbalance of power and control, which can develop into an abusive relationship as well. One in three adolescents in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner. Abusive relationships in adolescence additionally place youth at a greater likelihood for making other hazardous life choices, which oftentimes lead to substance misuse, eating disorders and risky sexual behaviors. Click here to be taken to LoveIsRespect.org for a comprehensive list of the various types of dating abuse and their warning signs.

Differences between Infatuation, Lust and Love: During adolescence infatuation and lust are oftentimes mistaken for “love,” as they can all elicit those feel-good butterflies and goosebumps. But there is a difference, a big difference. Typically based on physical attraction, infatuation can happen instantly, and even with someone you don’t know. It is short-lived and once those momentary feelings wear off, so does the desire to be with that person. The same goes with lust - which is the intense desire for someone or something. Unlike infatuation and lust, love builds and develops over time. Where infatuation and lust can cause people to act selfishly, for their own pleasure, love is unselfish, kind, respectful and honest, and desires only positive outcomes for the other person. The key here is that love does NOT equal sex. And if a partner truly loves you, he or she will not pressure you to do anything you are not ready to do.

Sex: At this point, your teens are likely familiar with the birds and bees, but give them a chance to get clarity and ask questions. It’s fine to acknowledge that the subject is a little uncomfortable, but it is important to be direct and share with them the risks of sexual activity objectively, including the emotional pain, sexually transmitted infections, and unplanned pregnancy. They also need to hear that oral sex, which is popular among teens, isn’t a risk-free alternative to intercourse. This is also a good opportunity to talk about your personal family values and religious beliefs.

Setting Your Expectations and Boundaries: We’re talking about things like curfews, restrictions on who you allow your child to date, who will pay for the date, and, of course, your expectations regarding sexual activity. Be aware that your influence on this topic matters! Research shows that sexual activity is delayed when parents communicate their disapproval of teen sex.

Offer Your Support: Your teen needs to know they can count on you for support. It’s about showing compassion when needed, lending an attentive ear, and reminding them they can always come to you with questions or concerns about their relationship and/or sex. When, and if, they do come to you for support, be sure to give them words of affirmation and praise for their good decision.

As you talk to your teen, you may want to consider using gender- inclusive language regarding sexual preference. If a young person is questioning their sexual orientation, this may provide the open door they’re looking for to share their feelings with you. It may also help your teen feel more comfortable with his or her identity.

And finally, the most important thing you can do when talking with your teen about relationships and dating is to show them respect; respect for their opinions and beliefs, and respect for their individuality. This will help to set the foundation for a lifetime of trust and open dialogue between you and your child, on a variety of important topics.

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Learn how to get the drug prevention conversation started at StartTalking.Ohio.Gov.

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