Is your child at-risk for problem gambling? It may sound like a silly question, but in a recent survey, 90% of youth reported that they had gambled in the past year. Yet most parents say they have never talked to their kids on the subject.

Why is that? Likely it’s because when many of us think of gambling, we tend to think of slot machines, horse races and lottery tickets, places and things to which our underage youth do not have access to, so we don’t think of discussing it with them. That is where we fall short.

According to the problem gambling awareness campaign Change The Game Ohio, gambling includes any act that involves risking money or valuables on the outcome of a game or contest that is mostly determined by chance.

We know that many young people spend hours on their phones and computers playing a variety of games in their free time. Many of these games, with bonus points, coins, gems, loot boxes and other rewards, replicate real-life gambling situations. These seemingly harmless games can easily become a habit for children that can then subtly develop into problematic behavior.

Parents are encouraged to report any positive test, or case of COVID-19, to their school by calling in to the building principal or reporting to the building when they call in their child’s absence.

Known positive COVID-19 tests will be communicated by building, on the district website, if that information is confirmed.  It will be reported by building case number only.  No identifiable information will be shared or discussed.

Sept. 21, 2021 

The Greenville City School District has one additional positive COVID-19 cases.
 
 The local health department is aware of the cases and will do appropriate follow up and contact tracing.
 
 In order to keep our students and staff healthy, we ask you to keep a safe social distance, wash your hands often, and we recommend wearing masks to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
 
 Thanks for your ongoing cooperation with our guidelines to deal with the COVID-19 virus.
 
 Go Wave!

The following general principles will guide Greenville City Schools reopening for the fall 2021-2022 school year related to COVID-19:

 

 

After much consideration, the Greenville City School District has decided that masks/facial coverings will be optional for students and staff at Greenville City Schools to begin the 2021-2022 school year.  This is optional in the buildings and at school events.

 

However, in an effort to stay compliant with the Center for Disease Control federal orders that apply to all public transportation including school buses as named all passengers and drivers must wear a face covering while on school bus.  The driver does not have to wear a mask/face covering when on the bus by themselves. 

 

Please note that although masks/facial coverings are optional in the buildings during school and at events the Center for Disease Control, the Ohio Department of Health, the Darke County General Health District, and Greenville City Schools continue to recommend their use indoors.  

 

Again, this year daily self-monitoring to assess for symptoms should take place.  Family and students should monitor their own temperature and their health on a daily basis before coming to school.  

G-CTEC Construction students receive a donation of tools

8/26/2021 — This week Greenville Career Tech Education Center’s newest program received a generous donation.  Bruns Construction donated 20 tool bags, fully stocked with construction tools for students.  These tool bags included hammers, safety glasses, speed square, hard hat, screwdrivers and more to be used in the construction lab as students apply new technical skills through authentic and hands on experiences. 

In addition to the tool bag donation, Bruns generously donated over $3,000 for the addition of new larger tools for the lab.  “This money can go toward additional shop tools for students to learn on, such as cordless drills,” Adam Eberwein, Construction Technology Instructor shared at the donation. G-CTEC Director, Andrea Townsend said, “Community partnerships like this one make it possible for us to continue to offer high quality Career Technical Education that benefits students and our community.”   “We are so proud to partner with this new program and see students succeed in our community and the industry,” said Nick Koesters of Bruns Construction.  

The 2021-2022 school year will be the first year for the Construction Technology Program at G-CTEC.  Students have the opportunity to participate in the program as Juniors and Seniors at Greenville High School.  The Construction Program will be taught by Mr. Adam Eberwein and will concentrate on multiple foundations and fundamentals of entry-level processes of?construction?technology. In the first year, students are introduced to materials, methods and equipment used in carpentry and masonry.??Students will also learn blueprint reading as it relates to the architecture and?construction.??Students will also develop an estimate of material, time, personnel, and equipment needs, availability and cost.? The second year of this program will focus on students exploring many basic skills involved in?construction?of a building.??Students will learn physical principles and fundamental skills across mechanical systems in?construction, basic electrical circuits, copper and plastic plumbing fixtures, and the operation and maintenance of heating and cooling.????? 

Heading back to school is a transition that impacts many aspects of life, including our tweens’ and teens’ sleep schedules. Sleep, as we know, is fuel for the brain and getting the right amount of quality sleep is essential to their health.

A good night’s sleep is important for everyone but especially our growing and developing children. According to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, children who regularly get an adequate amount of sleep have improved attention, behavior, learning, memory, and overall mental and physical health. On the flip side, inadequate sleep can lead to high blood pressure, obesity and even depression.

So how much sleep do our tweens and teens need?

It’s not just about hitting the numbers though, it’s important our children get high-quality sleep. Experts agree there are certain steps we can all take to promote more restful sleep. The Sleep Foundation has broken it down into the following four categories:

There are certain times in an adolescent’s life where they are at greater risk for the onset of alcohol and other drug use due to increased stress—particularly during periods of transition. When students start at a new school, it’s natural for them to experience a great deal of stress regarding new teachers, new friends, new social status and new expectations. While a little bit of stress can be a positive motivator, an overwhelming amount of stress can be detrimental and dangerous. Sometimes, to cope with their strong negative emotions, young people may turn to risky behaviors.

It’s important to keep this in mind as youth transition back to school this fall—even if they are returning to the same school, with the same group of peers. Due to the uncertainty and ever-changing regulations students experienced last year, many are likely to feel apprehensive as to what to expect for this year. What will the classrooms be like? What will the hallways be like? Will we be required to wear masks in the school building? Will there be social distancing? Will the plexiglass barriers still be up? 

After much consideration, Greenville City Schools has decided that masks/facial coverings will be optional for students and staff at Greenville City Schools to begin the 2021-2022 school year.  This is optional in the buildings and at school events.

 

However, in an effort to stay compliant with the federal orders of the Center for Disease Control that apply to all public transportation including school buses as named all passengers and drivers must wear a face covering while on school bus.  The driver does not have to wear a mask/face covering when on the bus by themselves. 

 

Please note that although masks/facial coverings are optional in the buildings during school and at events the Center for Disease Control and the Ohio Department of Health continue to recommend their use indoors.   

 

Again, this year daily self-monitoring to assess for symptoms should take place.  Family and students should monitor their own temperature and their health on a daily basis before coming to school.  

Published in the Scientific American Mind magazine, “The Parents’ Ten” is listed in order from the most to least important skill areas in predicting positive child-rearing outcomes.

There has been a lot of talk about the benefit of “letting kids be bored”. Those in favor will argue that young people are overscheduled and need downtime. They believe boredom sparks creativity and encourages autonomy.

Though the research is slim-to-none to back up these claims, they are valid points. Many children are overscheduled and could benefit from some downtime and lazy days over the summer months. And yes, boredom certainly can cause youth to get creative in how they end up spending their time.

However, there are also problems with each of these arguments. Relaxing downtime is not the same as relentless boredom. Relaxing downtime will refresh and recharge a child; relentless boredom will leave a child feeling displeased, discontented, and dissatisfied. And while being bored can cause youth to get creative, that creativity is not always positive, safe or healthy.

Spring has sprung and the changes are plentiful; the trees are awakening, flowers are blooming, the sun is shining longer and warmer. You may notice changes in your children as well this time of year. They may have increased energy, impulsiveness and restlessness. Teachers may catch them daydreaming more in school and fidgeting during class. While doctors do not consider this an official medical or psychological condition, this real phenomenon has a name—it’s called SPRING FEVER.

There is an abundance of research on how seasonal changes impact children’s moods and behaviors. The problem with spring fever is, when restlessness and impulsiveness rise, trouble tends to follow. It is common for young people to experience attitude changes and display acting-out behaviors, and unfortunately, teachers seem to get the brunt of it. Additionally, schools see a drop in attendance this time of year, as well as their students’ ability to focus and stay on task.

So how can we help children finish out the school year strong, while keeping the attitudes and behaviors in check?

It’s spring, and love is in the air, regardless of there being a pandemic taking place. In fact, while COVID may be creating additional complexities for romance, young love is still blooming. Though some parents cringe at the thought of talking to their child about romantic relationships, it’s a must-have discussion. As we think about the ongoing “talks” we will have with our sons and daughters, it’s important to know that we would be amiss if those conversations focused solely on sex education, abstinence, how to prevent pregnancy and how to avoid sexually transmitted diseases. While these are all necessary and vital topics, there is another monumental part of the teen romance talk that needs to be addressed, that is, what it means to have a healthy romantic relationship and how to recognize when it’s not.

According to LoveIsRespect.org, all relationships fall somewhere on The Relationship Spectrum from healthy to abusive, with unhealthy being somewhere in the middle.
Healthy relationships involve:

Respect.
Good communication.
Trust.
Honesty.
Equality.

It is no surprise that young people are racking up more time on their electronic devices for both work and play due to the pandemic. What you may not know is that the presence of online predators has also increased as well as their chances of gaining access to our children.

Human trafficking is a $150 billion global industry that experts say is on the rise, especially online. In an interview with a local television station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, prosecutors Melissa Hoppmeyer and Kathryn Marsh shared that children between the ages of 11 to 14 are being highly recruited by sex traffickers. They say these abusers are master manipulators that seek out both girls and boys they believe to be vulnerable. They are commonly connecting with unsuspecting youth through online gaming and in chatrooms.

When one of the world’s most secure buildings recently came under siege, many young people witnessed the live images of protestors creating chaos and engaging in acts of violence. With the pandemic causing many families to be homebound, more young people were likely to have watched the assault taking place in real time. In addition to traditional TV media coverage, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and other social media outlets were quickly flooded with not only live images, but videos, memes, and individuals and groups sharing every viewpoint possible.

It was difficult for many of us adults to process, and likely even more so for our youth. In a recent survey, 63% of tweens and teens said watching the news makes them feel afraid, angry, sad and/or depressed. With all the disturbing and despicable acts that took place and were shown on the news that day and the days to follow, there was plenty to invoke fear and anger, in addition to worrying about what may happen next.

We’ve happily kicked 2020 to the curb and welcomed in 2021 with open arms. Now it is time to figure out what we want to make of this fresh, new year. If we learned anything in 2020, it is the importance of self-care and connection for a healthy mind and body. We may still be wearing masks, social distancing, and dealing with other COVID-related regulations, however, the time to get motivated, set new goals, and create joy is now. Children of all ages can and should be encouraged to do the same.

When it comes to New Year resolutions, experts say that 60% of people abandon them within the first six months, while another 25% do so after just one week. With that in mind, instead of getting stuck on repeat, let’s focus on meaningful, achievable goals that promote well-being for ourselves and others.

COVID-19 continues to present new challenges, burdens, and consequences in our daily lives and that of young people. A sneeze or cough in a public setting may have once elicited a “bless you,” but nowadays it’s more likely to prompt heads turning with looks of disapproval. For people who have, or have had COVID, they may feel as if they contracted the plague, based on the way others treat them. They may experience feelings of isolation, depression, and abandonment. The stigma that surrounds this disease must end, not only for the physical health and mental wellbeing of those who have COVID, but in order to help bring an end to this pandemic in communities throughout our nation and world.

Psilocybin, the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms, is in the spotlight in America. Studies are currently evaluating its potential for medical benefits—a measure that may provide a false sense of safety around its use, especially among teens. In the previous tip, “Know! What’s Up With Psilocybin,” we discussed the shift in attitude toward psychedelic drugs in the U.S., as voters in Oregon legalized psilocybin and voters in Colorado decriminalized its use. In turn, this can reduce young people’s perception of psilocybin’s harm.

Regardless of law or potential medical uses however, psilocybin is a powerful, dangerous hallucinogenic drug. Youth must be made clearly aware of these dangers and empowered to steer clear of this drug.