Reardan Weekly

Hi Parents,

This week I took some info from an article from the CHILD MIND INSTITUTE:

By the time they’re in middle school, kids are often eager to go on social media apps like Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp to share things with their friends. But parents are wary because social media can be harmful to kids’ self-esteem. And kids who post impulsively can create serious problems for themselves

While some experts and parental groups recommend waiting until kids are at least in the eighth grade to let them have access to social media, others note that it really depends on your child’s maturity level. But experts agree that when you do allow access to social media, it’s important to monitor what kids are posting on it. They recommend having your child’s password as a condition of allowing them access to the app, and regularly discussing what they’re posting. The goal is to help them learn the do’s and don’ts of posting rather than hoping they’ll figure out what’s appropriate and what’s not.

Fortunately, TikTok and other popular apps now offer parental controls that can limit how much time kids can spend, control privacy settings and turn off comments and direct messaging. There are apps that enable kids to create fun videos without sharing them with a broad audience. There are also tools like Bark that parents can use to monitor and limit kids’ exposure on not only social media apps but YouTube, email, texting, TV and movies. (For details, see the full story below.)

And for kids who are struggling with mental health issues like depression, experts recommend extra caution as social media algorithms tend to serve kids content that reflects their mood, and can perpetuate negative feelings.

Social media and games are designed to be very stimulating to kids’ brains. Technology negatively impacts kids if they spend so much time on screens that they skimp on eating, sleeping, doing their homework, or spending time with friends and families. Research suggests that heavy social media use can also be a risk factor for anxiety and depression in teenagers.

At the same time, it’s important to remember that a lot of what kids do online is age-appropriate and healthy. Using tech to talk to friends, listen to music, explore interests, and play games isn’t a problem in moderation. If your child still has enough time for all the other important activities in their life, then you probably don’t need to worry about their screen use.

If you do think that your child is spending too much time on activities like video games, the real issue might be an underlying mental health problem. Anxiety, depression, ADHD, and learning disorders can all lead kids to take refuge in online activities. Once their underlying issue is treated, they may feel more able to engage with offline friendships and activities.

Officer Brad

This week in Mrs. Hamilton’s Introduction to Family and Consumer Science, students are working on a variety of projects that include learning to crochet, sewing, and a type of needle point. Students are loving learning these skills and being creative.

We want to thank families for supporting our amazing music program this week at our winter concert. Our bands sounded absolutely fabulous, and we are blessed to have Billy Taylor and Kellen Morgan working with our students in grades K-12.

This week we also had a Middle School tailored Fentanyl education assembly by the Spokane Alliance for Fentanyl Education (SAFE). Students learned about where Fentanyl comes from, how it affects the brain and body, and safety precautions they can take to avoid Fentanyl poisoning. Thank you Barbara Hamilton for bringing this assembly to our students.

Over winter break you might be interested in this list of 10 family friendly documentaries recommended by Screenagers. The link provides a summary of the documentaries and what type of audience they are intended for. Check them out below:

https://www.screenagersmovie.com/blog/7-documentaries-family-holiday-break?utm_source=TTT+and+Movie&utm_campaign=dc6a67d86b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_TTT429_COPY_03&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-e0518a1e9b-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=dc6a67d86b&mc_eid=747e8d0e17

This week the Marine Corps recruiter was here with our former RHS Student Quentin Bundy. Quentin now serves in the Corps and is doing a little local recruiting before heading to his next assignment. They brought the pull up bar, and Ayden Chillson did a record 18 of them in short order! Way to go!

Elementary students experimented with the roller coasters that Middle School students created. Successes as well as areas of improvement on potential future designs were exposed, but fun was had by all.

Two elementary musicians were featured in the December 13th music concert. Thank you to our music department staff for all the hard work they put in with our students in order to put on an amazing performance.

REMINDERS FOR PARENTS:

1. Monday, December 18th is NOT a one-hour late start day. Please make sure that you have your kids ready for the bus as if it were a Tuesday-Friday.

2. Parents - if at all possible, please call for all change-of-plans no later than 2:00 PM in order to reduce chaos for our transportation department, classroom teachers and our office staff.

Happy Holidays from Reardan Elementary Staff, and we will see you on January 4th.

On January 4th, the Superintendent Adventure Club will be headed snowshoeing. Our next adventure will hopefully be skiing/snowboarding in February (more information to come).

Although not at all connected to our school, please see the link below that was passed along by one of our parents:

https://skinwrockies.com/5th-grade-ski-passport/?fbclid=IwAR24xxwUkZK93h1651TvBHgsej_35WrpWuTxmIoB_SbGz2fnMFz7rBThTRc_aem_AbmxDVI1zCVXn3Y9NdV_KBKjYR_FB0A_OXdz1i98C0ehYUWP_q1sA_Tt7W9z-Hln6S0

1. Examining ice crystals with magnifying glasses

2. Practicing our math and literacy skills with our new file folders

3. Lining up for "fresh lemonade" at our new lemonade stand

4. Learning Kelso's choice with Mr. Mattozzi