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December 19, 2007
Dear Parents,
The holidays are upon us and soon we will be gathering with our friends and family to celebrate the season. The following excerpt is a guest feature from the White House National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign and was taken from the About.com website. The holiday season provides parents with wonderful chances to spend quality time with their children. Why not take advantage of this time together to begin or continue a dialogue about preventing drug use?Studies show that kids who learn about the risks of drugs from parents or other caregivers are 36 percent less likely to smoke marijuana than those who don't. Surveys also show that most teens who have rejected marijuana credit their parents for their decision over any other influence. Health communications expert Sandra Wills Hannon, Ph.D. says that parents do have a tremendous influence over their kids' decisions. "Kids really need their parents' guidance to teach them the difference between right and wrong. By keeping the lines of communication open, parents can talk to their kids about how to cope with stress in healthy, constructive ways and they can let their children know that they're always there for them." We've compiled a list of some great activities that parents and kids can do together this holiday season to encourage communication:
Volunteer as a family.
The holidays are a time for us to give thanks
for our blessings. What better way to pay
homage than to give back to those less
fortunate? Volunteerism the perfect way to
show children that giving is just as
important as receiving.
Build a scrapbook or online photo album.
Pictures capture memories for all of us and
digital cameras are at the top of many gift
lists this year. Why not build an online
photo album with your kids? You'll help them
learn more about technology while taking a
trip down memory lane.
Create a new holiday song.
Whether you're a kid or just a kid-at-heart,
music is a universal way to share and
communicate with one another. Sit down with
your children and write a song that describes
your family's holiday traditions and
memories. Whether it's silly and wacky or
touching and tender, song is a time-honored
way of expressing our love for one another
during special times throughout the year.
We wish you a safe, happy holiday break this season and we'll see you back at school on Monday, January 7, 2008. Take care,  Go Mustangs
To change or add an e-mail address to our list-serv click on the web link (http://www.fisdk12.net/jh) below.
email:
kgephart@fisdk12.net
phone:
281-482-7818
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