Sam Houston Counseling Newsletter

October 4th - Parent Forum for Attendance (10 am or 5 pm)

October 6th - School-Wide Guidance Lesson: Bullying Prevention (during Hurricane Time via Zoom)

October 6th - 19th - Junior One-On-One Conferences with Counselor

October 9th - Holiday

October 10th - World Mental Health Day

October 13th - End of 1st 9 weeks Grading Period

October 16th - Student Holiday/Professional Development for Teachers

October 23rd - October 26th - Red Ribbon Week

October 27th - Student Holiday/Parent-Teacher Conferences

Respect means to honor, value, and show consideration to other people, their property, the environment, and yourself. Respect is following the golden rule - treat others the way you want to be treated, even if they act, look, or have a difference of opinion than you do.

How can you show respect to someone?

1. Be an active listener

2. Be open-minded

3. Be honest

4. Be considerate

5. Be fair

Red Ribbon Week is the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation, reaching millions of young people each year. This is an ideal way for people and communities to unite and take a visible stand against drugs.

Red Ribbon Week started when drug traffickers in Mexico City murdered DEA agent Kiki Camarena in 1985. This began the continuing tradition of displaying red ribbons as a symbol of intolerance toward the use of drugs.

Parents can access the website, www.redribbon.org for great ideas about talking to their children of any age about the dangers of substance abuse. Children of parents who talk to their teens regularly about drugs are 42 percent less likely to use drugs that those who don't; however, only 25 percent of teens report having these conversations.

Alcohol and other forms of drug abuse in this country have reached epidemic stages and it is imperative that visible, unified prevention education efforts by community members be launched to eliminate the demand for drugs.

Our school will take a stand to participate in this year's Drug Free campaign by participating in our theme days outlined below. We encourage all students and staff to participate.

"Be Kind To Your Mind"

Red Ribbon Week Theme Days

Monday, October 23rd - Croc it Out - Wear Favorite Crocs

Tuesday, October 24th - Combat Tuesday - Wear Camouflage

Wednesday, October 25th - Wacky Wednesday - Wear Mix Match Clothes

Thursday, October 26th - Throw Back Thursday - Wear 90's Clothes

Friday, October 27th - Student Holiday - Spread the Word to Be Kind to Your Mind by Staying Drug Free

Bullying is unwanted aggressive behavior by a person or group that targets another person or group. There is often a power imbalance that is either real or thought to be real. Bullies use their power to control, frighten, or threaten their victims.

Types of Bullying

• Physical Bullying. Includes hitting, kicking, shoving, spitting, beating up, stealing or damaging property
• Verbal Bullying
• Social Bullying
• Electronic or Cyberbullying
• Racial Bullying
• Religious Bullying
• Sexual Bullying
• Disability Bullying

October was first declared as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in 1989. Since then, October has been a time to acknowledge domestic violence survivors and be a voice for its victims. Domestic violence is prevalent in every community, and affects all people regardless of age, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or nationality. Physical violence is often accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behavior as part of a much larger, systematic pattern of dominance and control. Domestic violence can result in physical injury, psychological trauma, and even death . The devastating consequences of domestic violence can cross generations and last a lifetime.

Although there has been substantial progress in reducing domestic violence, an average of 20 people are physically abused by intimate partners every minute. This equates to more than 10 million abuse victims annually. 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been physically abused by an intimate partner, and 1 in 5 women and 1 in 7 men have been severely physically abused by an intimate partner. Millions of Americans live in daily, silent fear within their own homes. In addition, every year millions of children are exposed to domestic violence. Domestic violence incidents affect every person within a home and can have long-lasting negative effects on children's emotional well-being, and social and academic functioning.

National Domestic Violence Hotline

The National Domestic Violence Hotline is a 24/7, toll-free helpline for victims of domestic violence and their families. Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) to get help.

The hotline has trained experts who can help callers with:

• Crisis intervention
• Education
• Safety planning
• Getting callers in touch with help like local shelters and other programs
• Contact information for agencies that provide legal and financial help, as well as other related programs.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline has an online chat for those who do not feel safe talking on the phone. The hotline is open to anyone in an abusive relationship, friends or family members concerned, and people seeking information about domestic violence.

Hurricane Parents & Students

During the Weeks of October 9th - October 16th, counselors will meet with each junior to discuss the following:

credits, attendance, EOC status, grades, future plans, course selections for next school year

If you have any questions concerning conferences, please feel free to contact your child's counselor