Counselor Kennedy
Mrs. Kennedy, Anderson-Crawford Elementary School Counselor
❄️ Learning in a Winter Wonderland ❄️
Let's Talk about Bullying
When it comes to bullying, there are three important questions: "Is my student being bullied?", "Is my student bullying?", and "What can adults do to prevent and stop bullying behavior?" Here is some guidance on answering those questions:
"Signs a Child Is Being Bullied
Look for changes in the child. However, be aware that not all children who are bullied exhibit warning signs.
Some signs that may point to a bullying problem are:
- Unexplainable injuries
- Lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics, or jewelry
- Frequent headaches or stomach aches, feeling sick or faking illness
- Changes in eating habits, like suddenly skipping meals or binge eating. Kids may come home from school hungry because they did not eat lunch.
- Difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares
- Declining grades, loss of interest in schoolwork, or not wanting to go to school
- Sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations
- Feelings of helplessness or decreased self esteem
- Self-destructive behaviors such as running away from home, harming themselves, or talking about suicide
If you know someone in serious distress or danger, don’t ignore the problem. Get help right away.
Signs a Child is Bullying Others
Kids may be bullying others if they:
- Get into physical or verbal fights
- Have friends who bully others
- Are increasingly aggressive
- Get sent to the principal’s office or to detention frequently
- Have unexplained extra money or new belongings
- Blame others for their problems
- Don’t accept responsibility for their actions
- Are competitive and worry about their reputation or popularity
What You Can Do
"Parents [and guardians] play a key role in preventing and responding to bullying. If you know or suspect that your child is involved in bullying, there are several resources that may help.
- Recognize the warning signs that your child is involved in bullying. They could be being bullied, bullying others, or witnessing bullying. Although these signs could signal other issues, you should talk to your child if they display any sort of behavioral or emotional changes. Many times kids won’t ask for help, so it is important to know what to look for. If your child is at immediate risk of harming himself or others, get help right away.
- Learn what bullying is and what it is not. Understanding what bullying is is the first step in forming a plan to prevent or respond to bullying with your child. Many behaviors that look like bullying may be just as serious, but may require different response strategies. You can also learn about:
- The frequency of bullying;
- Who is at risk for being bullied and bullying others; and
- The effects of bullying
- Cyberbullying often requires different strategies than in-person bullying. Learn how to work with your kids to prevent cyberbullying and how to respond when it occurs.
- Utilize tips and tools to talk to your child about bullying. Opening lines of communication before your child is involved in bullying makes it easier for them to tell you when something happens. It is also important to work with a school to help prevent bullying before it starts.
- If you know or suspect bullying has occurred, learn how to find out what has happened with your child. Understanding what has happened can also help in communicating with school or community officials about the situation.
- If you have determined bullying has occurred, learn how you and school or community officials can work together to support your child, whether they were bullied, bullied others, or witnessed bullying. Learn also about considerations for specific groups.
- If bullying is occurring at school, learn about what your state requires schools to do in your state’s anti-bullying law. Learn also about federal laws that require schools to address harassment based on race, color, national origin, sex, and disabilities and ways to report situations that have not been adequately addressed to the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice.
- If you have worked with your child and your school and need additional assistance, find resources to help address the situation."
(2021 November 10). Stop Bullying. What You Can Do. https://www.stopbullying.gov/
Winter in Alaska and Mental Health
"Living in Alaska – or anywhere that sees few days of sunshine during the winter – can have a dramatic impact on your mental health. The "winter blues" are a very real phenomenon. Sometimes, people in these areas experience a more serious clinical diagnosis called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD.
Symptoms of winter blues
It's fairly normal for people living in Alaska to feel lethargic, unmotivated, and sad during the winter months. However, most people will only feel this way once in a while, and the symptoms do not interfere with daily life. If you can perform your daily tasks without much trouble, you're probably experiencing the winter blues.
Symptoms of SAD
If your symptoms are more severe and impact your daily routine, you may be suffering from seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. These symptoms include:
Feeling hopeless or depressed most days, for many hours out of the day
Feeling like things will never get better
Experiencing extremely low energy
Problems sleeping or sleeping too much
Losing interest in things you once enjoyed
Changes to your appetite or weight
Difficulty concentrating
Thoughts of suicide, self-harm, or hurting someone else
SAD is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition. If you are experiencing these symptoms, seek help from your physician or a licensed mental health professional. Thoughts of suicide require immediate action: call 911 or a mental health crisis line as soon as possible.
If you're struggling with the Alaska winter, you are not alone. Thankfully, several tried and true remedies can help you feel better.
- Light therapy
- Vitamin D
- Physical activity
- Keep healthy sleep patterns"
Foster Parents needed in the Fairbanks Area
The Alaska Center for Resource Families (ACRF) is in need of foster parents. If you're interested in becoming a foster parent or would like to donate to the ACRF, visit the link below to get more information and get started!
Check out these local winter activities:
Food Donations from ACES
PTO
If you'd like to see what our PTO is up to, please visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/crawfordpto
Merry & Bright
Email: ann.kennedy@k12northstar.org
Website: k12northstar.org/crawford
Location: 692 Ravens Way, Eielson Air Force Base, AK, USA
Phone: 907-372-3306