This week VCS celebrates National Red Ribbon Week from October 24^th -28 ^th.  As you enter campus you will see the Red Ribbons and signs everywhere to show our support of living a healthy and drug free lifestyle.  Please take the time to have a conversation with your children about Red Ribbon Week and you can find resources listed at www.redribbon.org

This year's theme is Celebrate Life!

Dress Up days https://victorptsa.membershiptoolkit.com/assets/00908/RRW_events_2022_Proposal.pdf

Each day we will post something to consider talking to your children about in order to keep open dialog about drugs. 

Natural Highs – https://www.naturalhigh.org/ 

“OUR MISSION IS TO INSPIRE AND EMPOWER YOUTH TO FIND THEIR NATURAL HIGH AND DEVELOP THE SKILLS AND COURAGE TO LIVE LIFE WELL”

We encourage you to check out the Natural High Organization’s site and review the resources that can help you talk to your kids about how to live life on natural highs!  Consider watching a video with them, (there are 40+ celebrity story tellers to appeal to any child!) and using the suggested questions to generate conversation with your family. 

Then encourage your family group to share their natural highs or help your younger children identify what are their natural highs.  For the younger kids, discuss what makes them happy! 

 If you’d like further understanding on the importance of living naturally high and want to ask psychologist and comedian Matt Bellace, consider registering for his live event on October 29^th at 1pm.

 https://www.naturalhigh.org/red-ribbon-week-2020/ 

RED RIBBON WEEK:  Legal v. Illegal Drugs

 Consider starting a conversation with your family while having dinner about the difference between legal and illegal drugs.  As adults, we may not realize how often we talk about drugs in front of our young children but referring to the use of a legal prescription drug for a health issue.    Our theme is ‘Be drug free’ but ask your children if they understand illegal v. legal drugs.   

With younger children:  Explain the simple difference, especially if adult(s) or a child in the family are taking prescription drugs for a health issue.  Get them talking by asking further questions like, “Do you think even prescription drugs can become harmful?” 

With older children:  Discuss the use of Cannabis as medicinal purpose v. recreation and how it could get confused.  Ask further questions to create open dialog about possible legalization of Cannabis like, “if Cannabis/marijuana becomes legal, what age limit is appropriate to buy it?”  (Similar to drinking age for alcohol.)   “What is the difference between cannabis/marijuana and hemp/CBD products that are legally available to purchase now?” 

RED RIBBON WEEK:  Pressure to participate  

Everyone will experience the pressure to participate in drinking and/or drugs at some point.  As adults, we can be pressured to have a drink at social gathering and it IS LEGAL but we still may not want to partake.  Talk to your kids about situations that they may encounter to be pressured into drugs or drinking underage and how they think they would handle those situations.  If they are experiencing pressure now, do they know where to get help? 

 For younger kids, discuss any pressure they might encounter, (like while in a group that is making fun of another child) and ask how they should handle it.  Or how they feel when they wear an outfit or do an activity that their friends laugh at or won’t participate with them?  They may not comprehend being pressured to take drugs at younger age, but they can learn to speak out against something that is wrong or understand it is ok to be happy with their choice to do something they enjoy that their friends make fun of.

 With older children:  Discuss the use of Cannabis as medicinal purpose v. recreation and how it could get confused.  Ask further questions to create open dialog about possible legalization of Cannabis like, “if Cannabis/marijuana becomes legal, what age limit is appropriate to buy it?”  (Similar to drinking age for alcohol.)   “What is the difference between cannabis/marijuana and hemp/CBD products that are legally available to purchase now?”