To All Our 7th Grade Parents and Guardians:

As you may know, suicide is one of the top three causes of death for young people ages ten through twenty-four. Because we at Marlboro Township Public Schools take the safety and well being of our students very seriously, we are planning on providing our 7th grade students with some basic information about youth suicide and more importantly, teaching them what to do if they are worried about themselves or a friend. 

The program we have selected, Lifelines Prevention, shows effectiveness through research, sends accurate messages about suicide that are grade level appropriate, and emphasizes the importance of help-seeking behavior.  This program is also comprehensive. Because research has demonstrated that programs presented only once have little lasting impact, the Lifelines Prevention curriculum is designed to be delivered in four forty- to forty-five minute modules that reinforce messages about help-seeking. The interactive curriculum teaches basic information about potential warning signs for suicide, but its emphasis is on what to do if a student is worried about either themselves or a friend.

All staff have been trained in what to do if a student approaches them as a trusted adult to talk to about this sensitive topic. In addition, the program includes training for our resource and support staff, the members of our crisis intervention team, and faculty. 

As parents and guardians, we invite you to watch the attached Lifelines Prevention presentation to learn more about the program. 

If you have questions, we encourage you to reach out to your school counselor.