Counseling Update
March 21-22
DC Sports Results
Boys Wrestling Regional Tournament results:
*Max Black placed 1st and is Regional Champion/will wrestle next week at the State Championships
*Ivan Morris placed 1st and is Regional Champion/will wrestle next week at the State Championships*
*Justin Kelchen placed 2nd/will wrestle next week at the State Championships
*Ryan Aguiar placed 2nd/will wrestle next week at the State Championships
Chase Firenz placed 4th
Victor Madrid placed 4th
3rd place overall as a team.
Girls Wrestling Regional Tournament results:
*Emma Burk placed 2nd/will wrestle next week at the State Championships
*Molli Pinello (CV) placed 4th/will wrestle next week at the State Championships
7th Place as a Team
Boys Basketball-:defeated Chaparral and Ponderosa last week and will play tomorrow night at home at 7pm in the 1st Round of the State Playoffs.
Girls Basketball: Finished the regular season on Friday with a tough loss to Ponderosa.
Girls Swim & DIve:
Margaret Kroening (200 free) placed 2nd at the League Championships and will be competing at the State Championships on Thursday March 11th at the VMAC.
Cecily Terranova (50 free) also qualified for the State Championships this week as well.
*Both girls will also be competing in the 200/400 Relays at State.
Poms:
Varsity Jazz placed 3rd at the League Championships on Saturday with the highest score (90) that the program has ever achieved!!! That score ranks with the best in the State..
JV Pom finished in 6th place
Wish Week!
Wish Week 2021 is just around the corner (starts NEXT Monday, 3/1) and I wanted to put the dress-up days and restaurant nights out there so you can post in your classroom as well as get the student body excited about supporting our Wish Kid - Aidan. Due to the craziness of the year, Wish Week 2021 will be a two-week adventure and the closing assembly will commence the Monday AFTER Spring Break. Both assemblies will be VIRTUAL so we really need your help with tuning into the announcements and online for those as the Student Council kids have worked tirelessly on this year's event within the confines of the pandemic so any opportunity you can provide to support them (have your announcements on, show the opening assembly, encourage kids to dress up [maybe extra credit if they do] try to collect extra funds, etc.) but we NEED YOUR HELP!
Monday, March 1st
- Class Color Day -
- Seniors Black (Darth Vader)
- Juniors - Blue (R2D2)
- Sophomores - Yellow (C3PO)
- Freshmen - Orange (BB8)
- VIRTUAL OPENING ASSEMBLY - during Homeroom at 9:20 am
- Restaurant Night - MOD PIZZA from 10:30 am - 9:00 pm (make sure you tell them you are there for DCHS Wish Week 2021 (address: 4989 Factory Shops Blvd, Castle Rock, CO 80108)
- Event - Powderpuff - Juniors vs. Seniors ONLY - 7:00 pm in the DCHS Stadium - NO SPECTATORS
Tuesday, March 2nd
- Class Color Day -
- Seniors Black (Darth Vader)
- Juniors - Blue (R2D2)
- Sophomores - Yellow (C3PO)
- Freshmen - Orange (BB8)
- Restaurant Night - PARRY'S PIZZA from 11:00 am - 8:00 pm (make sure you tell them you are there for DCHS Wish Week 2021 (address: 5650 Allen Way, Castle Rock, CO 80108)
Wednesday, March 3rd
- Clone Day (Dress up as twins with someone else)
- Restaurant Night - Coldstone Creamery from 3:00 pm - 9:00 pm (make sure you tell them you are there for DCHS Wish Week 2021 (address: 312 Metzler Dr Ste A, Castle Rock, CO 80108)
- Event - Ruff-n-Tuff - Juniors vs. Seniors ONLY - 7:00 pm in the DCHS Stadium - NO SPECTATORS ALLOWED - only participants
Thursday, March 4th
- Clone Day (Dress up as twins with someone else)
- Restaurant Night - Sonic from 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm (make sure you tell them you are there for DCHS Wish Week 2021 (address: 210 Founders Pkwy, Castle Rock, CO 80104)
Friday, March 5th
- Old Wish Week T-Shirt Day- Wear one of your old Wish Week t-shirts (don't have one - see Mrs. Shuck in the South Office to buy one for $5.00)
- Restaurant Night - Chick Fil A from 6:00 am - 10:00 pm (make sure you tell them you are there for DCHS Wish Week 2021 (address: 346 Metzler Dr, Castle Rock, CO 80108)
- Restaurant Night - Sugar Sisters Bakery from 11:00 am - 6:00 pm (make sure you tell them you are there for DCHS Wish Week 2021 (address: 34 E Allen St #300, Castle Rock, CO 80108)
Saturday, March 6th
- Restaurant Night - Dutch Brothers from 6:00 am - 11:00 pm (make sure you tell them you are there for DCHS Wish Week 2021 (address: 248 Metzler Dr, Castle Rock, CO 80108
- Event - Aidan's DRIVE-BY PARADE - 11:00 am (Drive through the NORTH BUILDING Parking lot to meet Aidan and drop off donations.
- Anyone can participate (DCHS families, Feeder School families)
- Decorate your car in Star Wars theme or all blue (Aidan's favorite color)
- Arrive in the South Parking lot at 10:30 am and be ready to drive down Front Street to the North Parking lot to pass Aidan!
- Make sure you bring extra change/cash to drop in buckets while you come past Aidan in order to help us grant his wish!
Sunday, March 7th
- Event - Car Wash - 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm at Chick Fil A. All donations go toward Aidan's Wish (address: 346 Metzler Dr, Castle Rock, CO 80108)
Monday, March 8th
- Hoth Day - wear your Snow Gear
- Restaurant Night - Castle Rock Nutrition from 8:00 am - 2:00 pm (make sure you tell them you are there for DCHS Wish Week 2021 (address: 514 Perry St B 100, Castle Rock, CO 80104)
- Event - 3v3 basketball - 7:00 pm in the North Gym - NO SPECTATORS ALLOWED - only participants
Tuesday, March 9th
- Hoth Day - wear your Snow Gear
- Restaurant Night - Smart Cow Yogurt Bar from 1:00 pm - 9:00 pm (make sure you tell them you are there for DCHS Wish Week 2021 (address: 36 E Allen St, Castle Rock, CO 80108)
- Wish Week Shirt Day - Are you the DARK SIDE or the LIGHT SIDE (white or black DCHS 2021 Wish Week t-shirt)
- Restaurant Night - Crumbl Cookies from 3:00 pm - 8:00 pm (make sure you tell them you are there for DCHS Wish Week 2021 (address: 323 Metzler Dr. Suite 102, Castle Rock, CO 80108)
- Restaurant Night - Raising Canes from 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm (make sure you tell them you are there for DCHS Wish Week 2021 (address: 5012 Founders Pkwy, Castle Rock, CO 80108)
- Event - Dodgeball tournament - 7:00 pm in the North Gym - NO SPECTATORS ALLOWED - only participants
Thursday, March 11th
- Wish Week Shirt Day - Are you the DARK SIDE or the LIGHT SIDE (white or black DCHS 2021 Wish Week t-shirt)
- Restaurant Night - Castle Rock Nutrition from 8:00 am - 2:00 pm (make sure you tell them you are there for DCHS Wish Week 2021 (address: 514 Perry St B 100, Castle Rock, CO 80104)
- Restaurant Night - Panda Express from 11:00 pm - 8:30 pm (make sure you tell them you are there for DCHS Wish Week 2021 (address: 5711 Atrium Dr, Castle Rock, CO 80108)
Friday, March 12th
- Favorite Jedi Day - Who is YOUR favorite Jedi - Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker - show us your best Jedi costume!)
- Restaurant Night - Chick Fil A from 6:00 am - 10:00 pm (make sure you tell them you are there for DCHS Wish Week 2021 (address: 346 Metzler Dr, Castle Rock, CO 80108)
- Restaurant Night- Sugar Sisters Bakery from 11:00 am - 6:00 pm (make sure you tell them you are there for DCHS Wish Week 2021 (address: 34 E Allen St #300, Castle Rock, CO 80108)
Monday, March 22nd (Monday following Spring Break)
- Wish Week Shirt Day - Are you the DARK SIDE or the LIGHT SIDE (white or black DCHS 2021 Wish Week t-shirt)
- VIRTUAL CLOSING ASSEMBLY - during Homeroom at 9:20 am (see who is crowned as Mr. & Miss Huskie)
- VIRTUAL Miracle Minute/Hour - see how much money we can raise online in an hour...
We are excited about the next two weeks of amazing fun and a great time to support Colorado Make-A-Wish and Aidan. #AidanStrikesBack
101 Things to do during a COVID Gap Year
Hi all! For those of you working with high school seniors, or who have a senior in your family, we know what you are feeling! We too have a senior eagerly awaiting his regular decision notifications. We are amazed at the resilience of these kids - we have to constantly remind ourselves that while students' mental health has been an issue during the pandemic, overall we have found our teens to be remarkably adaptable to the ever changing circumstances. Click here for the full post and the rest of the list. We welcome your comments and feedback. Please feel free to forward this on to your students for ideas and to help inspire them about taking a Gap Year, especially now!
This weekend we had a little fun summarizing many of the activities done by our students during COVID. The thing is, Gap Year Solutions students participated in a number of these activities BEFORE the pandemic, and they will do many of these things after too! While travel is sprinkled in throughout here, as we've said many times before, there are so many areas in which to gain life skills and learn through experiential education without leaving your own home town.
Here is a short except from our latest blog post, "101 Things to do during a COVID Gap Year":
Upcoming Webinars
We have ten free, live webinars scheduled through early May. Here are those set for the next few weeks. Please visit our website to watch recorded presentations, and to see the full schedule of upcoming events.
Email us or send your information through the contact page of our website if you would like to have Gap Year Solutions provide a free Gap Year information session at your school. We usually schedule an hour long webinar (presentation and Q&A) for students and parents around 7PM local time. We also have a shorter 15-20 minute talk prepared specifically for students.
Transgender/Gender Fluid/Non-Binary Group
A vast amount of studies show this group is the most at risk for many different mental health issues, and the Counseling Department wants to support our at-risk students as best we can. You do not have to go through difficult issues ALONE.
What’s a parent to do when your kids are expressing their emotions this way?
The first, and often dismissed, step for parents is looking within yourself.
“Until parents acknowledge our own annoyance, disappointment or other emotions around our current situation, it’s difficult to see our children in a sympathetic light,” says Dr. Bela Sood, child and adolescent psychiatrist. “Recognizing our emotions – adults and kids alike – is the first step in addressing them and working to make the situation better.”
Take the time to process these feelings in whatever ways work for you. This could include meditation, exercise, outside time, phone calls with friends or anything else that proves helpful. The combination will look different for everyone.
When your head is a little clearer, you’re in a better place to help your child. Taking a good look at a child’s actions, or reactions, can help with assessing the meaning behind them.
“If these reactions are very different from a child’s baseline personality, I would sit down with them and acknowledge how everything has changed recently. Address that it looks like they have changed too and talk through ways you can make the situation better, together,” adds Dr. Sood.
Step-by-step approach: Helping kids process emotions during COVID-19
The same principles apply here as with other situations where children may feel a loss of control over a situation. Parents can help them process the situation by:
1.Validating their feelings
Let them know you understand it’s a hard time and it’s okay that they feel sad or frustrated. You can share how you’re feeling so they know they’re not alone.
2.Helping them accept the loss
In this case, it’s the loss of control and of daily life as they knew it. Once you’ve validated their feelings about the situation, help them accept that certain things are outside their control and refocus on moving forward within the situation. This may include making sure they do their school work so they are not behind when they return to the classroom.
3.Normalizing the situation
Create routines, including pieces that are familiar to them such as consistent wake-up and bedtimes. A structured day may also include time for reading, school work, relaxing, fresh air and chores. Ease their concerns as much as possible by letting them know you’re there for them and that things will eventually get better.
4.Suggesting alternative activities that will allow them to feel in control of their participation
When many things feel out of control, it can be helpful for kids to take on responsibility when possible. This could include being accountable for keeping their bedroom clean, picking up toys, making lunch, folding laundry or other household tasks, depending on their age. Invite them to join you in a game or other activity, without pressure if they decline.
A gentle firmness: Remember there is no miraculous formula for handling emotions during this challenging time
No matter what is going on in the world around them, children look to their parents for guidance, support, parameters and unconditional love.
Just as there is no magic cure for COVID-19, there is no miraculous formula for handling the emotions that come along with it – but you’ll never go wrong by loving yourself, embracing your children and understanding that some moments will be better than others.
Announcing the Inaugural Colorado Virtual Career Fair for Youth!
Announcing the inaugural Colorado Virtual Career Fair for youth!
Date: April 19-22, 2021
Time: 4:00pm to 6:30pm each evening (4-5p Career Panel, 5-6p Career Panel & 6-6:30p Special Topic Presentation)
Format: via Zoom
No-cost
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD BROADLY!!
This explorative & informative fair for youth will feature career panels representing a wide variety of industries throughout the state. REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for youth attendees, parents, educators, and potential career panelists via the website: www.youthcareerfair.org!
The Colorado Virtual Career Fair is a collaboration between the Colorado State Youth Council, Colorado Workforce Development Council, Colorado Association of Career & Technical Education, other Colorado professional education agencies & organizations; and many Colorado school districts.
The design of this fair has an intention of facilitating access and awareness of career path opportunities to students who may or may not have been able to access the options before. Beyond the barrios of geographic location, beyond zip code, beyond regional location and beyond school district - students & families, youth & individuals of any age or grade level are welcome to attend. Explore more: www.youthcareerfair.org
Panelists will represent diversity of backgrounds, ethnicities and races and are intentionally recruited to help our students ‘see themselves’ in that future career.** If you are interested or know of others (think of your own friend, family and contacts) who would be a perfect fit, please see the attached Panelist Flier AND extend the ‘application’ here: https://forms.gle/6Gf1mFtZ1N64jvfm8
Equity and Mental Health within our youth communities is an investment the design committee wanted to focus on and the Attendee Registration form reflects this.
- Educator/Adult/Family Registration form: https://forms.gle/dmFeLaFnG41YqWHy8
- Youth Registration form: https://forms.gle/Ud9BMuHqtCcfg7GB6
- See the attached fliers!
- Visit: www.youthcareerfair.org
Follow us on Social Media!
Via Twitter: @career_youth.
Also, hashtags to follow: #OwnMyFuture, #YouthCareerFair, and #ColoradoYouth.
Looking forward to ‘seeing’ you and your students & families there!
If any questions arise, please contact: admin@youthcareerfair.org
Grants…Loans…FAFSA…OH MY!
On Wednesday, March 10th, from 6 to 7pm, admissions counselors with four universities from around the state of Colorado will be hosting a Virtual Financial Aid 101 Webchat.
Join representatives from Adams State University, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Colorado School of Mines, and the University of Colorado Boulder, to learn some basic financial aid terminology, get advice on what questions to ask, and gain some confidence on how to navigate the financial aid process.
This event is open to Colorado incoming first-year students and families that are curious about the college financial aid process. No matter the university you are hoping to attend, we just want to be a resource for you!
All the registration information can be found below and we hope to connect with you in March.
To deal with emotions, you have to know them.
Dangers of Self Diagnosis
In this day and age of limited time with doctors coupled with ample opportunity to Google anything, the temptation for people to reach their own conclusions about their illness is strong. In this piece, I will describe when self-diagnosis is dangerous, and what you might know overtly about this danger. Here are a few truths to consider and how self-diagnosis affects this.
When you self-diagnose, you are essentially assuming that you know the subtleties that diagnosis constitutes. This can be very dangerous, as people who assume that they can surmise what is going on with themselves may miss the nuances of diagnosis. For example, people with mood swings often think that they have manic-depressive illness or bipolar disorder. However, mood swings are a symptom that can be a part of many different clinical scenarios: borderline personality disorder and major depression being two examples of other diagnoses. The clinician can help you discern whether you swing from normal to down or down to up, and by considering how long the mood swings last, the clinician can make the appropriate diagnosis. Here, the danger is that you may misdirect the clinician or even yourself.
One of the greatest dangers of self-diagnosis in psychological syndromes is that you may miss a medical disease that masquerades as a psychiatric syndrome. Thus, if you have panic disorder, you may miss the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism or an irregular heartbeat. Even more serious is the fact that some brain tumors may present with changes in personality or psychosis or even depression. If you assume you have depression and treat it with an over-the-counter preparation, you may completely miss a medical syndrome. Even if you do not want conventional treatment for depression, you may want conventional treatment for a brain tumor.
Self-diagnosis also undermines the role of the doctor, which is not the best way to start the relationship. While doctors are generally very enthusiastic about getting packaged information, it would help if you actually trusted your doctor. If your doctor is someone whom you cannot trust, then think again about why you see this doctor. Your doctor should respect your opinion, but the discussion should be an active one. If you doubt the doctor's diagnosis, tell him or her that you do and say why. This is much better than silently diagnosing your own syndrome.
Then there is the fact that we can know and see ourselves, but sometimes, we need a mirror to see ourselves more clearly. The doctor is that mirror. By self-diagnosing, you may be missing something that you cannot see. For example, you may be overwhelmed by anxiety and think that you have an anxiety disorder. The anxiety disorder may be covering up a major depressive disorder. Approximately two-thirds of people who present to outpatient clinics with anxiety have depression as well. In general, when two or more syndromes occur in the same person, we call this comorbidity. When people self-diagnose, they often miss the comorbidity that exists.
Another danger of self-diagnosis is that you may think that there is more wrong with you than there actually is. For example, if you had insomnia, inattention, and depression, you may believe that you have a sleep disorder, ADD and major depression. However, major depression can account for all of these symptoms. Thus, you may make things worse by worrying more as well.
Self-diagnosis is also a problem when you are in a state of denial about your symptoms. You may think that you have generalized body aches that started when your mood got worse, but a doctor may elect to do an EKG for chest pain that reveals possible coronary artery disease. You may have been trying to avoid the chest pain or you may have minimized this.
Lastly, there are certain syndromes that may not seem like problems to you even though they are very disruptive to your life. For example, with delusional disorder, people do not think that they are delusional and because they are not overtly psychotic, they may not think to report paranoid symptoms that add up to delusional disorder. Also, many personality disorders are not spontaneously reported since they are usually problematic to other people.
Thus, self-diagnosis can have tremendous negative repercussions on the patient. For this reason, while reading is helpful and informative, it is always best to discuss your impressions with a doctor before you decide on the treatment you want.
