Substance Use Prevention Week Review

During the week of February 6th, Lighthouse School students participated in Group Therapy lessons focused on various aspects of addressing substance use and abuse.  The issue of substance abuse is a reminder of the challenges and devastating effects our youth face today.  Our younger students learned about making healthy choices and how the things we put in our bodies can help or hurt us.  Our older students had discussions that focused on what a drug is, facts vs. myths about various substances, how to manage their emotions around peer pressure, and the real-life effects of their choices regarding substance abuse.  Some of our students were able to share that friends and family members use substances even though they know they can be dangerous, such as cigarettes, which opened an opportunity for the students to talk about their feelings surrounding this.  While some of our students were overwhelmed by this topic, most were able to remain respectful and appropriately engage in conversations about the topic.  Research has shown that students can benefit from receiving ongoing and age-relevant drug education.  We at Lighthouse School understand the need to pay greater attention to the emotional struggles and needs of our youth surrounding the issue of substance use and abuse and will continue to provide ongoing support and education

With the change in quarter, electives were chosen for the 300 and 400 cluster students to participate in.  Electives play an important role in helping our students to learn, focus and achieve.  Elective classes reveal the skill sets of some students that might not be obvious in their traditional academic classes, helping them see their strengths, and tap into reading, writing, listening and speaking while adding a layer of engagement to those students' learning of core standards.

Electives this quarter are:

Grade 9 - STEM, World Cultures and Food, Digital Photography and Anime Art                Grade 11 – War & Conflict, STEM, Digital Photography and Anime Art               

Grade 10 – World Cultures and Food, Visual Arts and Anime Art                                                Grade 12 – STEM, Visual Arts, Anime Art

MCAS Testing

Lighthouse School is committed to making state-mandated testing as successful as possible for all participating students. There are several things that we do to help prepare the students for these required tests and to create a positive test-taking experience. We provide them with opportunities to become familiar with different test formats, terminology and test-taking strategies for multiple-choice and open-response questions.

In addition, students should be encouraged to participate in all testing opportunities offered at school.  Encourage your child to carefully listen to or read all directions, ask questions if anything is unclear or confusing, and try to maintain a positive attitude. It is important to validate any feelings of fear, anxiety, frustration, and stress experienced by students participating in any of these assessments.   

Lastly, you can help your child to prepare for these tests by ensuring they are well rested and have had a good breakfast.

March Theme of the Month: Identity

The Bioeducational Theme for March is Identity.  Identity is who or what a person is.  Often one’s identity is how you define who you are.  It also is how others define you.  Many of our students do not have a strong understanding and sense of who they are.  During the month, we will work with the students and help them to discover who they are and what makes them unique.  There will be discussions about values, beliefs, goals, and also their disabilities.  We will be asking questions such as - How are they the same or different from their peers?  What are their likes and dislikes, strengths, and struggles?  They will be participating in homeroom activities as well as in Group Therapy lessons to discover more about themselves and how that can impact how they believe others see them.  Having a positive sense of self/identity is very important to one’s general health and well-being.  Having these discussions, activities, and lessons will hopefully provide students with a better understanding of who they see themselves as.

If you would like to participate in activities at home, here are some suggestions:

Books:

·         I’m Glad I’m Me: Poem About You by Jack Prelutsky

·         The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

·         I wish that I had Duck Feet by Dr. Seuss

Movies:

·         I Am Sam (PG-13)

·         The Outsiders (PG)

·         Mulan (G)