The S Word

I won't leave you guessing. The word is Suicide. Every year I feel compelled to point out the serious mental health issue of depression, especially during the months of January and February. Unfortunately, the school district I work in experienced a suicide about a month ago. He was only 14, a ninth grader. Experts say there are almost always signs. I went over to sit with students the day after it happened, and many of them told me, "I had no idea. No one saw any signs."

Before this happened, the district counselors had scheduled a training in suicide prevention, so a couple of weeks later, we gathered in one of the middle schools to hear a presentation from a hospital social worker on how we can best help in these situations.  He suggested something called QPR- Question, Persuade, Refer. Ask a Question, Save a Life, by Paul Quinnnett, Ph.D. www.qprinstitute.com. This website offers an individual online training of $29.95 or options for group or organizational training.

Another very useful tool for teenagers or those who work with teenagers is a free app for your phone or tablet called Jason Foundation A Friend Asks. Their website also has a lot of free, helpful information. Click here: The Jason Foundation

If you are not sure if someone is suicidal, watch for these signs:

Suicidal talk, such as, "I wish I were dead," "I wish I weren't here anymore," "I want to kill myself," etc.
A known previous attempt
Giving things away i.e. special or personal items
Lingering depression
Increased or new drug or alcohol abuse
Purchase of a gun unexpectedly
Stockpiling prescription medication

If you are inexperienced or scared to talk to someone about suicide, call a school counselor or social worker for a school aged child, or you can call 1-800-273-8255, which is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Website: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Let's wrap our arms and hearts around each other and help save lives.

Calvin a.k.a. Austin

One of the highlights of my weeks in recent months has been the writing prompts that my English teacher friend Carolyn has her students do. Writing prompts are a way to get the students to express their creativity and thoughts without judgment or "research paper quality" techniques. Both of the English teachers in our school do this on a daily basis, and we think that the recent increase in passing the state graduating requirement exam is due, in part, to this teaching strategy.

On to the reason I am posting this. Carolyn has funny students. She also has sensitive and thoughtful students. Today's writing prompt is from one of her funny students: Austin. Without further "adeu," here is something he wrote recently. If you must picture someone (since all stories have more meaning when we know the characters involved), picture the infamous cartoon character, Calvin. Some of you younger folks probably need to google him.

"So for the Expository thing we're supposed to type something in step by step form of something we are good at. I myself am very good at getting myself out of s*** or sneaking out of class, but since I can't really give a step by step of how to do that, I was going to give a step by step of how to stare off into space and procrastinate the majority of the class period in order to get behind in work for the rest of the quarter.

The first step that makes this process ten times easier is having Attention Deficit Disorder, so if you are seated by a window in class, or if you are put by a female with shiny jewelry in her ears or around her neck, you'll be distracted the entire time.  You can also run around and dip out of classes as long as you're quiet enough and have enough charisma to buy yourself out of trouble if you get caught.  Always try to keep a smile.

You can have an overactive imagination and end up overthinking things that were said in class until you're caught staring off into space.  Before you know it, you have eight days left to complete four classes you haven't done s**** in. I do not recommend doing these things, but this is one of the things I have found that I have a strong talent in, and actually choose to type up, because I think that my other talent of singing 90's Hip Hop in the shower just simply cannot be taught."

Calvin, a.k.a. Austin, speaks for many of our Harris Academy students.