HGD Updates

Dear Families:

I wanted to update you on the conversation that took place today in our Human Growth and Development unit. We have been talking about emotions—those that are easy to handle and those that are more difficult. We talked about what can cause each emotion, and how our body physically responds to them. Today we focused on stress, grief and depression—three very deep emotions that can be difficult to deal with. We talked about healthy ways to deal with each emotion:
• Exercising
• Talking with someone
• Holding a pet
• Doing something positive for you—a hobby, taking a walk, watching TV
• Walking away from the situation and taking time to reflect on what’s happening
• Writing down thoughts in a journal or diary
• Squeezing a stress ball

We talked about unhealthy ways to deal with emotion:
• Drug and alcohol use
• Under eating
• Over eating
• Eating disorders
• Running away
• Making impulse decisions without taking time to think things through
• Pretending everything is okay—ignoring what is happening
• Suicide
• Physical abuse to yourself and others
• Gangs
• Violence

We then focused in and discussed each response—and how to make a good decision. We talked about the consequences of each choice. Per the curriculum, a part of our discussion was about suicide. The students had several questions about suicide. We talked about a lot about suicide prevention. We talked about what to do if you are concerned about a friend, or if a friend approaches you about suicide. We also talked about what you can do if you are feeling depressed. We came up with a list of tips and phrases to help with positive conversations:

• “I’ve been noticing that you are sad. I want you to know I am here for you and will listen if there is anything you want to talk about.”
• “Mom, Dad, I am concerned about my friend. I noticed that he/she is not him/herself. Here is why I think that…. I just wanted to let you know.
• “Can you help me?”
• If you don’t feel comfortable talking, writing things down is a great way to express yourself, and a good thing to give to a trusted adult.
• If you are listening to a friend in need, reassure them that you are here, you are not judging and that you care.
• Whenever anyone tells you something that makes you feel concerned, immediately tell a trusted adult.

We talked about bullying and teasing and the subject of Columbine came up. We discussed what happened and what schools are doing now to prevent similar situations from occurring. Our session was wonderful. The kids felt a sense of empowerment and felt like they learned many strategies and tips. They are feeling much more relaxed as they realize that we all feel the same “roller coaster of emotions.” I encourage you to sit down with your student and talk about what they are learning. As always, if you have questions or concerns, please feel free to email me or give me a call. I will send home an update after tomorrow’s discussion. We will be splitting the class into boys’ and girls’ groups. We will be discussing puberty, sex and personal body issues. If you would like lesson plans, I have copies available.

With much appreciation,
Joanna Etshokin