September is U.S. Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. Let's talk a little bit about the effects of marijuana. A brain imaging study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) found that "regular users of marijuana have less gray matter than nonusers of the drug in the orbitofrontal cortex" (Para. 1, 2016). This part of the brain is what contributes to impulse control, decision-making, and learning (NIDA, 2016). The study also found that the reduction in gray matter could make make it harder for regular marijuana users to change learned behaviors, such as discontinuing drug use (NIDA, 2016). The below links have some really great information on drug and alcohol use in teens. If you or someone you know needs helping quitting drugs or alcohol, please seek help. Partnership for Drug Free Kids is a great place to start.
https://www.teenrehabcenter.org/resources/high-school-drug-use/ https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/high-school-youth-trends Resources National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2016). "Regular Marijuana Use Is Associated With Differences in Brain Gray Matter and Connectivity". Retrieved September 19, 2016 from https://www.drugabuse.gov/news-events/nida-notes/2016/09/regular-marijuana-use-associated-differences-in-brain-gray-matter-connectivityNatS SRSS
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Lets talk a little bit about bullying today. So what is bullying? Bullying can be defined as "unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance" (Stop Bullying, n.d., Para. 1). In order for behavior to be considered bullying, it must be aggressive, repetitive, and use an imbalance of power in order to control or harm someone (Stop Bullying, n.d.). Bullying can include different things such as name calling, making threats, purposefully excluding someone from a group, physical attacks, or spreading rumors (Stop Bullying, n.d.).
So how do we handle it? If you can, please immediately notify a staff member about any bullying behavior. However, we all know that sometimes students may feel uncomfortable telling and may feel like a "snitch". Then what? It is important to know that your options include an option to report it over the computer through a website set up by the district. This website is: http://report.sprigeo.com/district/rowan-salisbury-school-system Students and parents can make reports on this website that will go to the district administrator via email. Reports can be made about yourself, or for someone else. The great part about this reporting tool is that it can also be used to report incidents of safety threats in our school, such as weapons, drugs, safety threats, bullying in and out of school (to include cyberbullying), and instances of suicide prevention (for yourself or someone else). If you want to remain anonymous in the report, you can choose to do so. You can also elect to be contacted for resolution. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact anyone in the guidance department. Stop Bullying. (n.d.). Bullying Definition. Retrieved September 15, 2016 from http://www.stopbullying.gov/what-is-bullying/definition/index.html. |
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