We hope "back to school" has been smooth!  We are transitioning after the end of our ten-year federal grant.  We welcome Connie Bruno, parent of a Munsey Park 5th grade daughter, to assist as our part-time Project Director.  This position and programming continue thanks to the commitment of our Manhasset School Board, the SCA, and NYS Senator Elaine Phillips who secured $10,000 in state funding for CASA.  We also thank the Manhasset Community Fund and the Greentree Foundation for 2018 grants, and we rely on donations and annual $20 membership from parents, whose support is more important than ever.

Most of us would say the health of our families is what is most important.  This means today and tomorrow, and also their future.  Are they developing good eating habits? Can they manage their commitments? Will they be compassionate and patient at home and in the workplace? Teens make decisions based on short-term rewards because their frontal lobes have not yet formed. Parents must remind them of the long term consequences of their choices.  We see standards of acceptable behavior in school and the workplace changing and should prepare our children.  Will negative stories from high school haunt their Supreme Court confirmation hearings?

Don't accept binge drinking and drug experimenting as rites of passage.  We know that addiction is 7 times more likely in a person who started drinking or using drugs before age 15. Hear Dr. Stephen Dewey explain this on September 27th.  We know that deadly fentanyl has been found in marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and pressed into counterfeit pills.  72,000 died of overdoses last year in our country, most of these aged 25-34.  We cannot wait for the FDA to regulate vaping - new generations of smokers are becoming addicted now.  Should this happen to your child because they want to look cool in high school?

There is always a "why" when a child starts drinking or using drugs.  Think about your child's "why." MHS Coach and Psychology teacher Chris Keen recently told 12th grade parents his students say they drink "because they've earned it," "to be prepared for college," and "because nobody really cares."  Don't we care?  Keen urged parents to spend more time with their kids on weekends, to plan activities, and to ask more questions about how they feel.  

Our community participated In a survey last Spring (results are at "Looking Ahead" on the new school website.)  There is plenty to celebrate, but also consider that twenty-five percent of students stated they regularly feel sad.  Eighty-five percent of students reported not getting enough sleep. Sixty percent of staff feel parents do not have reasonable expectations for student achievement. Sixty-three percent of students state that students abuse illegal drugs.  Eighty percent of the staff and seventy-two percent of parents believe students abuse illegal substances. 

Talk to your kids about what they see, whether they worry, and how they can ask for help. Don't be perfect - talk about your stress and your healthy coping skills.  A friend recently told me it was too late for her son, but she wished others knew there was help available in the school from guidance counselors and social workers.  Don't be afraid to speak up and tell other parents you want to delay and prevent underage drinking.  Join the growing SAFE Home network and show you are responsible for your child and your home.  See our website for upcoming events. Have a great year!

Jennifer DeSena

Executive Director, Manhasset CASA