Comet Weekly Update
Thursday, February 2nd
Thursday, May 16th, 2024
*Please click on the newsletter to see the entire document*
Recently at LPS
5th grade students interviewed Michelle and Bill at 5Loaves2Fish NMI about food security for their exhibition project! Thank you to 5 Loaves 2 Fish.
"Now that it's May, 5th graders were able to come over to my backyard to read in the garden during library time. In a busy time of the school year, it has been wonderful to take the time to relax with a book together under the tree canopy!" -Mrs. Clark, Media Specialist
During Teacher Appreciation Week, students used their lunch hour to write the most thoughtful notes of appreciation to their teachers. Way to spread the love, ladies! Photo credit: Stacey Brugeman
"Third through Fifth Grade continues to work on learning the recorder in music class! Two of our third graders, Carter and Hayley, have earned their black belts this week!" - Eryn Sluiter
"Josh Roman takes advantage of the beautiful spring weather by conducting gym class at the Village Green." - Stacey Brugeman
9th graders visited MI Career Quest in Traverse City. MI Career Quest is a career and college readiness event which gives them an opportunity to interact with dozens of employers representing numerous occupations. MI Career Quest is a ton of fun and also exposes students to exciting careers and endless possibilities! Students have the chance to talk one-on-one with experts from the region's high-demand jobs.
Water Safety at the YMCA for 3rd and 4th Graders
Over the past five weeks, the third and fourth graders have learned about water safety at the YMCA in Traverse City. Half of our time was spent learning water safety such as pool and boating rules. They also practiced "Throw don't Go" when trying to help someone in the water or to "Flip, float, and follow" the shoreline when in a rip current. The other part of our time was spent in group swim lessons focusing on treading water, floating, being able to submerge their face in the water, and swimming the width or length of the pool. Many thanks to the YMCA and their wonderful swim instructors for providing these classes free of charge.
Updates from the HS Finland Forest Exchange trip coming soon...
Important Information & Events
Important Dates
Monday May 20th - BOE Regular Meeting 6pm
Thursday, May 23rd - 5th Grade Exhibition Night 6pm
Thursday, May 23rd - Student/ Faculty Fine Arts Scholarship Cabaret 7pm in PAC
Friday, May 24th - Senior's Last Day
Friday, May 24th - Senior Harbor Night 7pm at the Leland Harbor
Monday, May 27th - No School, Memorial Day
Monday, May 27th - Thursday May 30th - Senior Trip
Friday, May 31st - Graduation
Monday, June 3rd - LEF K-5 Fun Run 12-3pm at Hancock
Friday, June 7th - Last Day of School!
Monday, June 17th - BOE Regular Meeting & Budget Hearing
PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION SEEKS BOOK STUDY INTEREST
Superintendent Stephanie Long and staff-parent Ellen Keen are currently working with the PTO to determine parent and staff interest in a book study group for members who are interested in reading “The Anxious Generation” together. This title covers the shift to a “phone-based childhood,” the ways in which that shift has affected children’s social and neurological development, and things small communities like Leland can be doing to mitigate those effects. Long and Keen have offered to facilitate a book club that comes together to openly talk about our different perspectives on this topic, and the PTO is helping them determine how many parents and staff members would be interested in this opportunity. If this piques your interest, please click here before Memorial Day Weekend. Image credit: Emily LaDrig
If you are interested in donating to the Al Bodary family who unfortunately was the target of an online scam, please bring any monetary donations to Jen Nowak in the office by the end of the day tomorrow, Friday or donate at the Go Fund Me below.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-elder-scam-victims-al-and-kathy-bodary
Support Norah's group for 5th Grade PYP Exhibition by donating children's books!
Northwest Michigan Girls’ Fundamental Skills Clinic and Team Camp
Tia Brandel-Wilhelm and the Ferris State Bulldogs are coming to Leland for our annual volleyball camp!
Skills Camp: June 24, 25, 26
Middle School ($60) - 9:00-11:30am
High School ($90) - 12:00-3:00, 4:00-6:00pm
Wednesday 12:00-3:00 only for HS
CONCUSSION INFO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM
Questions? tbaker@lelandschool.com
Our LEF Fun Run fundraiser is kicking off soon! Lookout for more information in the coming weeks. For now, mark your calendars with these key dates!
● REGISTRATION OPENS - 05/06/2024
Register on MYBOOSTER.COM
● LEF Fun Run Kickoff - 05/20/2024
● Event Day - 06/03/2024
Social media use is a double-edged sword for teens. What can caregivers do?
In the wake of a Surgeon General’s advisory, experts offer tips for families of teens and tweens
A recent advisory by the United States Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, M.D., discusses the complex interaction between youth social media use and mental health(link is external).
Michigan Medicine experts agree that young people are particularly vulnerable.
The adolescent brain
The answer has to do with what’s going on in the brains of tweens, teens and young adults.
Brain development continues from childhood into the teen years and lasts through the mid-20s.
The prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain involved in decision making and emotional and behavioral regulation, does not fully develop until ages 21 to 25.
“In adolescence, the area of the brain that’s involved in reward, the limbic system, is operating in a robust way much earlier than the prefrontal cortex,” said Joanna Quigley, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics and medical director of child and adolescent psychiatry at Michigan Medicine.
“Sensation seeking, risk taking and the reward system is really lighting up while our executive function, the prefrontal cortex, is developing over that period, and there can be a big disconnect.”
In other words, teen brains are more primed to value the rewards of social media use than to heed the risks.
Social media use and mental health trends in teens
As a result, “it’s no surprise to learn that teens are on screens and online a lot,” said Emily Bilek, Ph.D., ABPP, clinical associate professor in psychiatry.
In 2022, 95% of teens reported having a smart phone and nearly all teens report having a smart phone by age 13. Most teens use YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and/or Snapchat daily and 46% of teens say they use the internet “almost constantly.”
At the same time, teen mental health issues are on the rise. A recent national study(link is external) of high school students found an increase in symptoms of depression including consideration of attempting suicide, making a suicide plan or attempting suicide.
This simultaneous rise, documented in other studies, has fueled concern that social media use has combined with other factors to fuel a sharp rise in mental health issues in teens.
Three mental health experts from Michigan Medicine address the pros and cons of youth engaging in social media and offer tips for caregivers and families.
What influences mental health and social media use?
But in fact, Bilek said, “we should remember that most of the studies are not causal, meaning they cannot tell us whether social media is what caused a change in mental health.”
Even without cause and effect studies, research has suggested three factors that are correlated with the relationship between social media and mental health outcomes:
- Age of access – youth who report gaining access or owning a smartphone earlier have worse scores on standard mental health scales
- Amount of use – in younger teens (11-15) more social media use may be worse for mental health but in older teens (16+) some use seems helpful for mental health
- Sex – the impact of social media on mental health is typically worse for girls
Pros and cons of social media
When it comes to social media, it’s not all bad news.
Youth can form online friendships or a sense of belonging in an online community, which can help them feel “feel understood, supported and that their identity matters,” said Bilek.
The vastness of social media can foster creativity, too, as every possible interest, hobby or craft has an online community. Social media channels, particularly YouTube, host high-quality educational content which can be an enriching study tool.
However, not every space is safe and supportive on the internet. Teens can face exposure to harmful content, dangerous people, privacy concerns or cyber bullying.
“It’s really important to talk about internet safety with kids to tell them how to handle one of these issues when it arises,” Bilek said.
“They can feel a lot of despair and problem solving goes out the window, so feeling like they can always come to a caregiver who they trust will be a safeguard in scary or dangerous situations.”
Advice from teens
A recent Michigan Medicine study asked youth aged 14-24 across the United States about how they perceive and regulate their own social media usage, and what advice they’d give to others their age and younger. The study was conducted via the text message based MyVoice program(link is external), and found that young people were very aware of the mental impacts social media might have(link is external).
“We really wanted to get a perspective from youth themselves, to understand how they are feeling about their own social media use and what advice they would give their peers,” said Jane Harness, D.O., a clinical assistant professor in psychiatry who led the study when she was doing advanced training at U-M.
Some advice young people offered coincided with professional guidelines(link is external) including:
- Avoid interacting with people you don’t know online
- Mute negative accounts
- Use in-app reminders of time spent on the app in a day
- Be kind online
- Don’t forget about real life
Young people in the study also offered additional advice to their peers that the professional guidelines didn’t cover:
- Avoid basing your worth on likes or comments
- Do your own research because not everything presented as fact is true
- Remember the widespread use of photo editing apps
- Take breaks from social media or delete the app or account when you need to
Practical guidelines, healthy habits
Although more data is necessary to fully understand how social media use impacts mental health outcomes in teens, “caution and moderation are beneficial regardless,” Bilek said.
It can be difficult to implement at first, but having an open conversation with your children and modeling good behavior is a good starting point.
Strike up a conversation about creating a family media plan(link is external). “You can start with humble inquiry or curiosity with your kid around this because a lot of them will have more self-awareness than you might realize,” Quigley said.
“Youth really learn from their families about social media use. Model healthy social media use by keeping family time screen free and learn about app settings and tools together,” Harness said.
“There is no perfect amount of social media time for all individuals. Think about your values, what’s right for you and your family and for your child, and hopefully make some decisions that feel sustainable or you and your family,” Bilek concluded.
Summer Program for Elementary Students
Again this summer LPS will offer a summer program for our students who will be in grades 1-5 in the 2024-2025 school year. Registration is open now and families may sign up for as many weeks as desired. The fee per student will be $50/week and a $50 deposit per student is due upon submitting the form. We will accept cash or a check made out to LPS. Scholarships are available for program attendees.
The program will meet at the school Mondays-Thursdays from 8am-3pm. A daily snack will be provided. Students will need to pack a cold lunch and wear comfortable clothing for playing. Weekly themes are currently planned (No program the week of July 1):
June 17-- Oceanic Explorer
June 24-- Traveling Artist
July 8-- Case of the Missing Money (Forensic Science)
July 15-- Wild Side (Animals)
July 22-- Sports STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)
July 29-- Dirt Camp (Earth Science)
August 5-- Superhero Science
August 12--Coding with Scratch
If you have any questions, please contact Annie Clark (aclark@lelandschool.com).
News From The Library
News From the Athletic Department
Athletic Events This Weekend
Friday, May 17th
Varsity Baseball (LLSM Co-op) vs TC Christian - 4:15pm
Saturday, May 18th
Varsity Track @ MHSAA Regionals (East Jordan) - 9:00am
Varsity Baseball (LLSM Co-op) @ Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart - 8:00am
News From The Comet Clinic
When should a child stay home from school?
Our goal is to keep kids in school as much as possible. However, children may be excluded if the illness prevents the child from participating comfortably in school activities or if there is the risk of spreading harmful disease to others.
Criteria include:
· Severely ill: A child that is lethargic (extremely tired) or less responsive, has difficulty breathing, or has a rapidly spreading rash.
· Fever: A child with a temperature of 100.4°F or greater AND behavior changes or other signs or symptoms (e.g., sore throat, rash, vomiting, or diarrhea). The child should not return until 24 hours of no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications.
· Diarrhea: A child has two loose or watery stools. The child should have no loose stools for 24 hours prior to returning to school. Exception: A healthcare provider has determined it is not infectious. Diarrhea may be caused by antibiotics or new foods a child has eaten. Please contact your healthcare provider for further guidance. For students with diarrhea caused by Campylobacter, E. coli, Salmonella or Shigella, reach out to the school nurse for disease specific exclusion periods.
· Vomiting: A child that has vomited two or more times unless a healthcare provider has determined it is not infectious. The child should have no vomiting episodes for 24 hours prior to returning.
· Abdominal pain: A child with abdominal pain that continues for more than two hours, or intermittent pain associated with fever or other symptoms.
· Rash: The child with a rash AND has a fever or a change in behavior. Exclude until the rash subsides or until a healthcare provider has determined it is not infectious. For students with a diagnosed rash, please consult with the school nurse for exclusion dates and required clearance criteria. Note: Rapidly spreading bruising or small blood spots under the skin need immediate medical attention.
· Sores: A child with weeping sores on an exposed area that cannot be covered with waterproof dressing.
· Certain communicable diseases: Children and staff diagnosed with certain communicable diseases, including COVID-19, may have to be excluded for a certain period. Please consult with the school nurse for disease specific exclusion dates.
Resources: MDHHS and AAP
News From the Counseling Team
News From The Cafe
Around the County
Leelanau County 4-H Farm Camp in June
Leelanau County 4-H is offering two farm camps this summer. For youth ages 7-10, held a total of three days, June 24, 26, and 28 (with either a morning or an afternoon camp to choose from). 9:00-12:00 or 2:00-5:00, with 8 spots in each camp. The camps will be run by local 4-H volunteer Linda Oosse with the help of other 4-H teen leaders and volunteers. Cost is $75 per child. Some scholarships are available. Activities will include farm tours, animal care and handling, a farm scavenger hunt, safety tips, games, snacks, and more! Be sure to wear clothing that can get dirty and closed-toe shoes or boots. Meet at the red barn at 234 N Popp in Lake Leelanau. To register, email Leelanau County 4-H Program Coordinator Rosali Collier at collierr@msu.edu. First come, first served. Once each three-day camp session is full, we will create a waitlist.
4-H Sail Champion Adventure 2024
Leelanau County 4-H and the Maritime Heritage Alliance are partnering again to offer our annual 4-H sailing adventure camp aboard the 39-foot classic sailboat Champion this summer. Champion is guided by a licensed captain, a crew of trained volunteers including a 4-H volunteer, and six youth participants ages 11-19. The camp takes place Monday, July 15th with a rain date of Wednesday, July 17th, from 9:30 am to 4:00. The sail will include a trip to Power Island, the chance to swim in West Bay, eating lunch on the boat, and learning how to tie knots, navigate a course, sail the boat, and more. Want to join the crew? Cost is just $30. Thanks to the Leelanau County 4-H Youth Association, costs for youth are minimal. Meet the crew at Discovery Pier, 13268 S. W. Bayshore Drive, in Traverse City. Bring a packed lunch, water bottle, hat/sunglasses, swimsuit (optional), and a towel. Questions or ready to register? Please reach out to Rosali at collierr@msu.edu or by calling our MSU Extension/Leelanau 4-H office at 231-256-9888.
LCYL Baseball & Softball Sign Ups Now
Registrations closes May 15th
Village Voices of Northport
"We are about to begin our rehearsal season in preparation for our June concert and are trying to spread the word. Anyone high school age and up is invited to join the choir, no auditions required!" - Amanda Kruk, director of the Village Voices of Northport community choir.
Submit photos & information for the weekly update to epiro@lelandschool.com
Leland Public School
Website: https://www.lelandschool.com/
Location: 200 North Grand Avenue, Leland, MI, USA
Phone: 231-256-9857