Eighth Grade Students Shed Project
The Collaborative is thankful to the Flood Brook students putting their skills to work building a new shed for us! THANK YOU! It’s looking great!
West River Trail Run Time Results
Thank you to all who helped support the first annual trail run! We couldn’t have done it without our partners, sponsors, staff, volunteers and runners! Below you will find the results for time. We had a blast putting this run together and hope to see everyone plus more next year!
1st trail run times
AmeriCorps VISTA Position Open
The Collaborative is looking for a person who likes to work with youth, be a team player and has lots of energy to be our AmeriCorps VISTA!
Check out some of the benefits, here!
Give us a call to find out more about the position!
West River Trail Run
One month before the run…
Register
Entries are limited to 100 runs, sign up today!
April: Alcohol Awareness Month
Drinking too much alcohol increases the risk of health-related problems; injuries, violence, liver disease, and some types of cancer. This April during Alcohol Awareness Month, The Collaborative encourages you to take this time to educate yourself and your loved ones about the dangers of drinking too much. In Vermont alone, there have been 716 drunk driving accidents in 2009, the last year statistics are available from the state. To spread the word and prevent alcohol abuse, The Collaborative is joining other organizations across the country to honor Alcohol Awareness Month and prevent alcohol abuse in our community.
If you are drinking too much, you can improve your health by cutting back or quitting. Here are some strategies to help you cut back or stop drinking:
• Limit your drinking to no more than 1 drink a day for women and no more than 2 drinks a day for men.
• Keep track of how much you drink.
• Don’t drink when you are upset.
• Avoid places where people drink too much.
• Make a list of reasons not to drink.
Talk to your child about the dangers of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. Knowing the facts will help your child make healthy choices. Start early talking to your children about drugs and alcohol. By preschool, most children have seen adults smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol, either in real life, on TV, or on the Internet. Make sure your child knows right from the start that you think it’s important to stay safe and avoid drugs. It’s never too late to start the conversation about avoiding drugs. Even if your teen may have tried tobacco, alcohol, or drugs, you can still talk about making healthy choices and how to say “no” next time.
Research shows that kids do listen to their parents. Children who learn about drug risks from their parents are less likely to start using drugs.
Mixed Messages
“Hey, Mom? My ear hurts.”
A parent has a few choices when they get surprised by a child’s illness. A parent can call a doctor, administer some over the counter medication, or treat with some tea and TLC (tender loving care). One choice families sometimes make is to reuse a prescription from a past illness or from a sibling’s same illness.
According to World Health Organization’s website, misuse can be defined as “Use of a substance for a purpose not consistent with legal or medical guidelines…” According to Meriam Webster’s online medical dictionary, abuse can be defined as “improper or excessive use.”
Today, misuse and abuse frequently refer to prescription drugs. Misuse and abuse happen with all substances including alcohol and tobacco. What’s the first line supporting prevention of youth substance use? Parents, guardians and a child’s caring adult. Positive parental involvement and communicating with your child about the risk of harm of substance use and your disapproval of teen substance use are the two key factors in decreasing youth substance use, misuse and abuse. [1] Positive parental involvement has many different facets.
Attending your child’s sports event or trying a new activity together, telling your child he or she did a good job, giving your child responsibilities like chores, monitoring screen time and having dinner (or another meal) as a family every day are some examples of being positively involved with your child. Speaking with your child about your disapproval of youth substance use and the risk of harms associated with substance use are the next steps parents can take to support their child in making healthy choices.
We’ve all heard the expression that kids are like sponges. While teachers model to our youth how to do math problems and be critical thinkers, parents are silently modeling positive and negative behaviors to their kids. What are we saying to our youth when they watch us drinking adult beverages celebrating the joys of a job promotion? Is that different than a teen having a beer with friends who are celebrating going off to college? How many times do we inadvertently say to our teens do as I say, not as I do?
by Victoria Silsby
January is Mentoring Month!
Everyone needs a role model, and mentors can be great role models. Although we tend to think that only adults mentor young people, mentors can be of any age. You can become a mentor, encourage your kids to become mentors, or find a parenting mentor for yourself—and a mentor for each one of your children. The possibilities and rewards are endless!
Check out The Collaborative’s Mentor Program about becoming a mentor at Flood Brook Union School today!
Underage Drinking During the Holidays
The Daily News reports significant actions for this holiday season to be safe and jolly!
The holiday season is an important time in the lives of children, and teen-agers.
For teens, this can also be a time of great regret if the wrong choices are made.
Teens and adults face harsh penalties if underage drinking is a part of holiday season activities.
The legal consequences of underage drinking can cause financial hardship, loss of employment and strained family and social relationships.
Not only can a minor be charged with a minor in possession, other minors who furnish alcohol to minors and adults that allow them to drink at their residence or on their property can also be charged.
The Michigan Liquor Control Commission urges parents/guardians who will be hosting holiday parties to think and be safe this season.
When addressing the issue of hosting holiday parties and underage drinking, one of the most compelling reasons for not providing alcohol to underage youth or allowing underage drinking events to occur on property, outside of the risks of alcohol-related injuries and/or death, is liability (both civil and criminal).
The International Institute for Alcohol Awareness offers the following tips for hosting holiday events where there may be underage youth:
- Monitor alcohol use in your home.
- If you keep alcohol in your home, keep track of the supply. Do not keep alcohol in an accessible place.
- Never serve alcohol to underage youth.
- Connect with other parents and caregivers. Getting to know other parents and guardians can help you keep closer touch on what’s going in your child’s life. Friendly relations can make it easier for you to call the parent/caregiver of a teen who is having a party to be sure that a responsible adult will be present and that alcohol will not be available.
- Keep track of your child’s activities. Be aware of your teen’s plans and whereabouts. Generally, your child will be more open to your supervision if he or she feels you are keeping tabs because you care, not because you distrust him or her.
- Develop family rules about teen drinking. When parents/caregivers establish clear “no alcohol” rules and expectations, their children are less likely to begin drinking.
- Set a good example. Parents and guardians are important role models for their children. If you use alcohol, set a good example and drink responsibly.
- Don’t support underage drinking. Your attitudes and behavior toward underage drinking also influence your child. Avoid making jokes about underage drinking or drunkenness, or otherwise showing acceptance of underage alcohol use.
- Never serve alcohol to your child’s underage friends. Underage drinking is illegal.
- Help your child build healthy friendships. If your child’s friends use alcohol, your child is more likely to drink, too.
- Try to encourage your child to develop friendships with kids who do not drink and who are otherwise healthy influences on your child. A good first step is to simply get to know your child’s friends better. You can then invite the kids you feel good about to family get-togethers and outings and find other ways to encourage your child to spend time with those kids.
- Encourage healthy alternatives to alcohol. One reason kids drink is out of boredom. Therefore, it makes sense to encourage your child to participate in supervised after-school and weekend activities that are challenging and fun. Studies indicate that the availability of enjoyable, alcohol-free activities is a big reason for deciding not to use alcohol. Full article
Sticker Shock!
Students Against Destructive Decisions and OVX group went out in the Manchester area to help spread the knowledge of the legal ramifications of buying for a minor. Thank you to participating stores; Kilburn’s, Discount Beverage, Mac’s Market, Shaw’s, Price Chopper, Maple Fields, Short Stop, and Stewarts!
