The Battle of Screentime v Sleep ... and guess who is losing

So, let me begin by admitting, I am a worrier.  Always have been, and I expect, always will be.  These days we call it anxiety, but when I was growing up, I was just considered a big worrier.  My mom said it's because I care very much about things, which made me feel like it was a good thing!  These days I worry a lot about ... your children (and my children).  I worry that our digital age is wreaking havoc on our young people's hearts and minds, and I get incredibly overwhelmed in trying to figure out how to make it better.  It is an issue that is waaaaaay bigger than any one person, so I am trying to look at how we at KRMS can help in any small way possible.  I feel that a big step in the right direction was our updated cellphone policy that I spoke about in my last blog post on December 3 .... if you missed it, be sure to check it out.  My next focus is on the issue of cellphones in our children's bedrooms, so here I go.

Sleep.  Sweet, beautiful, brain growing, re-energizing, immune boosting, stress relieving, hormone balancing, cell repairing sleep.  Our children are not getting enough of it, and it is affecting their well-being in all kinds of ways. (Please look here to read about what I, as a School Counselor, am seeing as a result of sleep deprivation.)  Let's start by acknowledging that a middle schooler's sleep pattern is in flux -- when boys and girls hit puberty, their biological clock shifts to a preference for evenings, and this shift will last until about age 20.  During this phase, melatonin production (the sleep hormone) is produced later in the evenings - usually around 10:30 or 11:00, and remains elevated later in the mornings, which is why adolescents are so difficult to wake up!  To compare it to us adults, an adolescent waking up at 6:30am is comparable to an adult having to wake up at 4:30am or earlier.  (I have more compassion for my teenage boys already.)  Our middle schoolers need from 9 to 11 hours of sleep a night, and from the conversations I have with students, most kids are getting at least 2 hours less than that a night.  

The biological clock shift is certainly a culprit, but I am concerned about the effect that screen time has on our kids' sleep habits. It's not just the irresistible pull of Instagram, SnapChat, TickTock, Twitter, YouTube, etc, etc that is keeping our kids up later, it is the blue light that is emitted from our electronics that is a problem as well.  When the blue light frequency hits receptors in the eye, a signal is sent to the brain which suppresses the production of melatonin and keeps a child from feeling tired.  I know many students who take melatonin supplements to help them fall asleep and stay asleep ... maybe we can help their bodies produce it more effectively to begin with by limiting their exposure to screens in the evenings.  Kids are up at all hours of the night chatting, checking social media, or using the internet, unable to limit themselves from these distractions, and creating a stimulating environment which inhibits their ability to fall asleep.  If you have not done so already, it is time to develop some enforceable limits around technology and sleep.  

A very reasonable and easy-to-enforce rule is to have your child charge her phone (or other device) overnight outside of the bedroom.  I know many families who have a family charging station in the kitchen where everyone parks their respective devices for the evening.  Not only does this keep them from the middle-of-the-night texting that can really throw off a person's sleep, but it keeps that blue light from emitting in their room.  You are likely to hear the argument that they need to listen to music to fall asleep, or they need it for their alarm ... but honestly, it was not that long ago that we had to ability to listen to music or set an alarm without the invention of the smartphone.  I'm willing to bet you have that old school technology lying around somewhere in your house, and if not, it's awfully cheap nowadays.  It's definitely worth it to get an alternative in your child's room.  

All of that being said, any top-down directive will likely be met with resistance.  It is always a good idea to involve your middle schooler in setting up these new rules around a sleep plan, keeping in mind that you cannot force your child to sleep.  Having a conversation about the bigger picture - what kinds of things your child wants to achieve in life, and how those things are fueled by sleep - can bring you together on what is reasonable and why.  And maybe, just maybe, you can work towards making bedrooms device-free altogether :-) 

There is a Tech Talk Tuesday blog post on this same topic that you can read here.  Sleep deprivation is such a serious concern that I am seeing so much more of ... please talk to me if you need help in addressing this issue with your child.  And please share any ideas or successes you may have in the Comments section!!  Thank you!

 

Google Classroom Guardian Email Summaries

Many teachers at KRMS use Google Classroom with students.  This technology tool allows students to have assignments all in one place for easy reference.  When a student joins a Google Classroom, a new folder is created automatically in Google Drive.  All files from that Google Classroom are stored automatically in this folder.  Google Classroom has a built in calendar for students with due dates and students are able to turn in assignments directly in Google Classroom.  Google Classroom allows for an efficient work flow management solution for both students and teachers.

About two years ago, Google Classroom added a way for parents/guardians to obtain some information directly from Google Classroom.  This feature is called Guardian summaries.  By default this feature is turned off so that teachers can make the decision to turn it on.  Once it is turned on, parents/guardians can be invited to the Google Classroom.  If the guardian accepts the invite, then the guardian will receive either a daily (Monday-Friday) or weekly summary.  The choice of whether the summary is daily or weekly is up to the guardian.

You've Got Email!  

If a student has late work, this will be part of the email summary sent to that guardian.  Guardians will also know about upcoming assignments that have been posted.  Guardians will also see any instructions given by the teacher about the assignment.  Then parents/guardians can have a clear and specific conversation about the assignment with their children about this work.

Link here to see what Google offers to the Guardians via this email summary.

Teachers are already posting student assignments and instructions in Google Classroom. The goal is to have parents/guardians accept the invite to eliminate the need for the teachers to make additional postings about assignments on their websites and also offer parents/guardians with a window into the classroom.  This keeps the parents/guardians in the loop.

Recently, our trusty guidance secretary, Juliet Valela, began the arduous process of inviting every parent/guardian using the email listed in PowerSchool to our YOG (year of graduation) Google Classrooms.  These Google Classrooms are used by KRMS for summer reading assignments and digital portfolio assignments.

Here is another great thing about Guardian summaries.  Once parents/guardians accept the invite, they will be able to receive Guardian summaries from every Google Classroom that their child is invited to provided that the teacher has turned on the Guardian summaries option.  This is a great way for parents/guardians to stay in the loop and offer some assistance to their children by encouraging them to meet deadlines.  When a parent/guardian can mention the assignment by name because it was listed in the email summary, it can help the conversation be more specific about the actual assignment.

If you receive an invite from Juliet Valela for a YOG Google Classroom, please consider accepting it.

If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below or contact Laurie Prewandowski at lprewandowski@kearsarge.org



Photo Credits:

gezegen. "Clipart - Email-7." Openclipart.org. N. p., 2018. Web. 13 Dec. 2018.

"Google Classroom Icon - Free Transparent PNG Clipart Images Download. Clipartmax.Com." ClipartMax.com. N. p., 2018. Web. 13 Dec. 2018.

Today's topic: Energy drinks.  

If you head to any energy drink website, I think you will find images that are appealing.  Famous athletes and music groups who endorse the drink.  Statements about health benefits, and/or weight loss benefits.  Flavors that are enticing to all age groups. 

Most energy drinks contain large amounts of caffeine, sugar and other substances.  The amount of caffeine and other ingredients vary, so label reading is important.  

As we know, Caffeine can provide a temporary energy boost. This boost is short-lived, usually leaving the person feeling tired, and thinking they need another one to get them out of the slump.  Hence the "addiction" to these drinks.  

Too much caffeine, or caffeine-like substances, can lead to:

• Nervousness/ Anxiety

• Irritability

• Insomnia: Disrupts teens sleep patterns

• Digestive problems

• Dehydration

• Damage to children's still-developing cardiovascular and nervous systems

• Rapid heartbeat or heart rhythm disturbances

• Increased blood pressure

Monster, Rockstar, Kick Start, and Amp seem to be popular.   I was floored with all of the options!   Redline (one I had never heard of), seems to have the most caffeine, at a whopping, 250mg of  in one can!  From what I have read, one cup of Joe has between 45-95 mg of caffeine.  So, these drinks certainly pack a punch!

Please check out these product links and weigh in?  What do you think about this?

Monster Energy

Rock Star Energy

Mountain Dew Products

Resource links

CDC

Department of Health and Human Services

Another Win for The Man ;-) KRMS Policy Change Regarding Cell Phone Use

Hopefully you have seen the notification about our updated policy regarding cell phone use in school.  Our Handbook now states:

Personal Electronic Devices – The use of personal electronic devices (cell phones, ipods, etc.) during the school day (7:35-2:32) is prohibited.  Students needing to contact their parents must go to the main office.  All personal electronic devices must be kept in a student’s locker during the school day.  Cell phones and other personal electronic devices may be used before school and on the bus; however, the taking of video and still pictures is prohibited. Use of all electronic devices, personal or school, during anytime at school or a school event is subject to the KRSD Responsible Use Policy.  The viewing of videos or playing video games with content inappropriate for school is not allowed at anytime.

Personal Electronic Devices may not be used at any other times during the school day (7:35am-2:32pm), including in the hallway and cafeteria.

I, for one, am very glad for the change.  As a School Counselor, I deal with multiple issues that stem from situations regarding cell phones each day – whether it be something hurtful posted on social media; lack of sleep due to the use of a tech device at all hours of the night; struggling to keep up with academics due to the incredibly strong distraction of a phone (even with notifications turned off!);  and even serious stress due to the constant comparing of oneself to others’ online presence.  Even though students may be upset about this policy change, I believe there is a certain amount of relief that will be felt in having a break from that pull during the school day.  I think it is fair to say that we all can struggle with maintaining balance with our technology use, and to expect a child to make good decisions with unsupervised use is not realistic.  Some of the greatest minds in the world are designing these devices to draw us in more and more … and while I know our students are amazing, I don’t think it’s fair to expect them to self-regulate.  They need help.  Those pre-frontal cortexes of theirs have another 10 to 15 years to fully develop!  Hence, our updated policy.

Along this line, I subscribe to some great blogs regarding technology use that I highly recommend.  One that I have mentioned before is Tech Talk Tuesdays, that I discovered through the Screenagers website.  There was a recent post that addressed tech use in schools that you can check out here.  Another fantastic resource is the Wait Until Eighth blog, which encourages parents to wait until at least 8^th grade to allow their child to have a smartphone.  There is a post from last April entitled “Why Phones Don’t Belong in School” that does a beautiful job of explaining the reasoning behind our new policy.  It’s a quick read if you’d like to check it out here.  And finally, one of our teachers recently shared another blog post from Wait Until Eighth that powerfully illustrates the everyday impact our digital age can have on a student.  The blog post, entitled “Middle School Misfortunes Then and Now, One Teacher’s Take” can be read here.  I strongly encourage this read!

As always, we would absolutely love to hear your thoughts regarding our posts here on Symbiosis!!  Please share.  J  We know that cell phone use in schools can be a charged topic, so feedback is especially welcome.  Thank you!

Vaping

What is vaping?

Vape devices and e-cigarettes are electronic devices that simulate smoking. Instead of containing tobacco, these devices contain a flavored liquid that turns into a vapor when heated and is then inhaled. The act of using these devices is referred to as vaping.

There is a specific brand of vape device called a Juul. Juuls are smaller than most e-cigarettes or vape devices and also don't produce the same distinct white vapor. Juuls look a lot like small flash drives and can be easily concealed. Juuling is much more difficult to detect than traditional vaping and is an issue in schools across the country. 

Who is vaping?

Vaping is a trend that has become attractive to teens and young adults. In a 2017 National Institutes of Health Study, 18.5% of the 8th graders surveyed reported trying vaping. Of those students, 13.3% had vaped in the past year.

Vaping is dangerous, especially for young adults.

 Many young adults report misconceptions about vape devices and e-cigarettes; they are under the impression that the liquid is merely flavored water. The vapor pods used in these devices do contain flavoring that appeals to teens such as watermelon or cotton candy, but they also contain dangerous chemicals including nicotine. Some early studies have shown that the chemicals in vapor pods are carcinogenic and can also cause “popcorn lung” which is when the lungs are scarred and damaged.

SAVE THE DATE!

Breathe New Hampshire will be sharing a presentation titled Vaping Unveiled with the Kearsarge community.

January 8, 2018 

at 6:30 pm

Kearsarge Regional High School Auditorium

The presentation will cover topics such as:

• What are e-cigs/vapes
• Dangers of nicotine
• Vaping by the numbers
• Popular products among youth/teens
• Local policies
• Resources 

For more information or to RSVP please contact Laura Newman, assistant principal at KRHS: lnewman@kearsarge.org

Computational Thinker

One of the ISTE 2016 Standards for Students is called Computational Thinker.

In this standard, students are expected to develop their abilities to solve problems.

It used to be called critical thinking.  The shift in the name of the standard, I believe, comes with a new thought that learners need to think in the same ways that computers work because there is so much innovation.

Part of this standard requires students to be able to break problems into smaller parts.  Another calls for students to think using algorithms because of the need to understand automation.  This allows students to think in steps in order to test or create a solution to a problem.

Computational thinking is not an easy thing to teach a student, until now.  This year, Kearsarge Regional School District brought in Dash Robots in order to help develop the computational thinking skills of students.

Here is how it work.  Students use an iPad with an app called Blockly.  Students use the app to put together a sequence of commands and then test these commands out with the Dash Robot.  Students are learning how to create sequences, loops, and conditionals.  Dash can be programmed to dance, make sounds and say things.  Dash can be programmed to respond to your voice.

Recently, some 6th graders had a chance to work with the Dash Robots to develop their computational thinking skills.  Students were able to program the Dash Robot using the Blockly app and had a lot of fun getting Dash to move, dance and talk.

Our goal is to continue to use the Dash Robots with students to help them learn how to solve problems and learn how to think computationally.  Computer programing is an important skill for students to develop and the Dash Robots offer a fun way to learn this skill.

Winter Tips

I was quite surprised to see snow on the ground on October 17^th!  While I love the snow and chilly weather, I don’t look forward to the illnesses that seem to flood in!

Most of what we see in the Winter can certainly be prevented by some really easy daily habits.   The CDC website is a wealth of information regarding staying healthy this year.  I have included links for a few common illnesses we see in the school setting.

           Strep Throat                   Cold Vs. Flu                        

                                                                        Norovirus Vs. Stomach bug

The District Nurses collaborate to share information on our web pages regarding current illness, upcoming health events, and District forms.  

The Middle School web page can be found here: Middle School Health Office

Here is a quick reference of when Sick is Too Sick for School:

Please use these guidelines when deciding whether or not to send your child to school due to illness.

It is suggested that your child should not come to school if:

*They have a temperature over 100.5 F. (Remember that Tylenol, Motrin, etc. can mask the effects of a fever). Try to take your child's temperature before you give fever-reducing medicine.  

*They have vomiting and/or persistent diarrhea. 

*They have a persistent red sore throat, especially if the tonsils are enlarged.

*They have a severe cold with fever, sneezing, and thickening nasal discharge

*They have a cough that keeps them awake at night, worsens with increased activity, or is combined with other symptoms.

*They have a severe persistent earache.

*They have redness in the whites of the eyes, yellow eye discharge and matted lashes are symptoms of conjunctivitis (pinkeye). A doctor should be consulted for treatment as this is highly contagious.

*They have a rash that is all over the body, blistery, oozing, or painful. This could be a sign of a contagious infection, such as chicken pox. Please consider checking with your child's doctor or the school nurse before you send your child to school.

*Please keep your child home until they have not had vomiting, persistent diarrhea, or a fever (without medication) for at least 24 hours!(If at school they have a fever over 100.5F or vomiting/persistent diarrhea, your child will need to be picked up at school.)

Remember, the suggestions above should be considered a guide.

If you are still unsure whether to send your child to school, please call your medical provider or the school nurse for further guidance.

Stay healthy and enjoy what late Fall and Winter have to offer!