Tickets Available Now for Author of Social Media Wellness, Ana Homayoun

Today’s students face a challenging paradox: the digital tools they need to complete their work are often the source of their biggest distractions. Students can quickly become overwhelmed trying to manage the daily confluence of online interactions with schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and family life. 

As part of a yearlong focus on social media wellness, the Safe Community Coalition is proud to present an evening with Ana Homayoun, noted teen and millennial expert, author, school consultant and speaker, and educator, on April 29 at 7 p.m. at the Mclean Community Center’s Alden Theater.

Ana’s book  Social Media Wellness: Helping Tweens and Teens Thrive in an Unbalanced Digital World   successfully decodes the new language of social media for parents and educators and provide pragmatic solutions to help students manage distractions; focus and prioritize; improve time management; become more organized and boost productivity; and decrease stress and build empathy. 

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Ana is the founder of the educational consulting firm Green Ivy Educational Consulting which works with parents, educators and students on promoting organization, time-management and wellness issues in the classroom and school community. For more information, please visit  www.anahomayoun.com.

Her first book,  That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week: Helping Disorganized and Distracted Boys Succeed in School and Life , provides practical solutions to the common organization, time-management and motivation challenges facing many tween and teen boys.  The Myth of the Perfect Girl: Helping Our Daughters Find Authentic Success and Happiness in School and Life  explores the real-life dilemmas faced by so many girls and young women stuck in the quest to find success amid a culture of perfectionism and offers simple, implementable strategies for overcoming the need to live up to others’ standards of success.

She has been quoted or featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Atlantic Magazine, CNBC, Fast Company, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, USA Today, New York Post, ABC News, along with dozens of other publications, and she is a frequent guest on NPR.

Tickets are $25 per person , $30 at the door. A limited number of each of Ana’s books will be available for sale. A book signing will follow the presentation.

The Safe Community Coalition thanks the McLean Community Center for donating space and funds for Ana Homayoun’s visit and for its ongoing support of SCC programs. 

Sixth Grade Ethics Days

Ethics Days are coming up Fridays in March for sixth graders in elementary schools that feed to Langley and McLean high schools.

Please visit our Sign Up Genius. We are especially in need of volunteers for March 20 and 27. It's fun and engaging to talk with small groups of these kids and a great way to see what's ahead or what's behind for your own kids (and grandkids)! No experience necessary. Free pizza!

The SCC thanks the McLean Rotary Club, the McLean Community Foundation, and the Zavela Foundation for funding of Ethics Day for 2020. Thanks also to Vocelli’s pizza for providing wonderful service and a special SCC discount. 

Youth Advisory Council/Middle School Forum

 Also in March, dozens of youth who are part of our Youth Advisory Council will lead Middle School Forum at Cooper (March 17) and Longfellow (March 20) Middle Schools. Training for the students began last week. This long-standing SCC teen-to-teen program year helps ease the transition from middle to high school for many area students.

Continuing Education Event for Mental Health Professionals

 In early February we held our second CEU event for Mental Health professionals. We brought 100 therapists, counselors, psychologists, social workers, and psychiatrists for a two-part workshop on ethics and trauma with Lisa Ferentz. Thanks to our Mental Health Committee for planning and staffing the event and to Dominion Hospital for support our breakfast treats!

Student Q&A with FCPS Superintendent Dr. Brabrand

 The McLean Citizens Association will be hosting an open forum meeting at the McLean Community Center with Superintendent Dr. Brabrand and Dranesville District School Board Member Elaine Tholen focused on mental health, academic pressure, and the vision for McLean-area schools. Bring the entire family Monday, March 16, 6:30-8:30 pm. Students will be given priority to ask questions.

Operation Drug Prevention: Our Community Takes on Opioids and Drug Abuse

Opioids are now the leading cause of unnatural death in Fairfax County. And 80% of heroin users started with opioids.

Saturday, February 29, 10-11:20 am

Christ the King Lutheran Church, 10550 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls,VA

Take Down the Stigma Speaker Series

 The Eric Monday Foundation is organized to provide for and serve youth and high school athletes and advocates for driving mental health awareness and breaking down stigmas. The Foundation proudly presents a series of programs to educate and support parents in the community and to raise awareness of mental health.

Crisis or Concern? Gaining a greater understanding of how to respond to mental health concerns

Monday, March 30 

7:00-8:30 pm

James Madison High School Auditorium 

Teenage years are a time of adjustment for our children. Knowing how to navigate these changes is challenging for them, but also presents challenges for parents, as we don’t always know how to interpret new behaviors. It can feel like parental failure when our child is struggling. It is difficult to know what is typical or when our concerns might require additional help or action. Please join us for this panel discussion that will address factors regarding how to respond to and engage with our teens, how we might meet their needs and when we might look for additional help and resources.

Panelists include:

 

Facilitated by Shirley Clark, former CEO of The Women’s Center

Click or email for more information on the Eric Monday Foundation.

How Colleges Use Kids' Social Media Feeds

 Hey, all you (parents of) college-bound kids: What's the easiest thing you can do to impress prospective schools? It's not your GPA. It's not the debate team. It's your  Instagram  – and your  Twitter ,  Snapchat ,  YouTube , and any other social media feeds that colleges can see.  And yes, they're looking . Get answers to the most important questions about what colleges want to see. Read more from Common Sense Media...

Cyber-Bullying: What It Is and How to Stop It

 Questions and answers provided by UNICEF specialists, international cyberbullying and child protection experts, with Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to answer the questions and give their advice on ways to deal with online bullying. 

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is bullying with the use of digital technologies. It can take place on social media, messaging platforms, gaming platforms and mobile phones. It is repeated behaviour, aimed at scaring, angering or shaming those who are targeted. Examples include:

Face-to-face bullying and cyberbullying can often happen alongside each other. But cyberbullying leaves a digital footprint – a record that can prove useful and provide evidence to help stop the abuse.

What are the effects of cyberbullying?

When bullying happens online it can feel as if you’re being attacked everywhere, even inside your own home. It can seem like there’s no escape. The effects can last a long time and affect a person in many ways:

The feeling of being laughed at or harassed by others, can prevent people from speaking up or trying to deal with the problem. In extreme cases, cyberbullying can even lead to people taking their own lives. Cyberbullying can affect us in many ways. But these can be overcome and people can regain their confidence and health.

 

Who should I talk to if someone is bullying me online? Why is reporting important?

If you think you’re being bullied, the first step is to seek help from someone you trust such as your parents, a close family member or another trusted adult.

I’m experiencing cyberbullying, but I’m afraid to talk to my parents about it. How can I approach them?

If you are experiencing cyberbullying, speaking to a trusted adult – someone you feel safe talking to – is one of the most important first steps you can take.

Talking to parents isn’t easy for everyone. But there are things you can do to help the conversation. Choose a time to talk when you know you have their full attention. Explain how serious the problem is for you. Remember, they might not be as familiar with technology as you are, so you might need to help them to understand what’s happening.

They might not have instant answers for you, but they are likely to want to help and together you can find a solution. Two heads are always better than one! If you are still unsure about what to do, consider reaching out to  other trusted people . There are often more people who care about you and are willing to help than you might think!

For more questions and answers regarding cyberbullying, see the full article below. 

Article from   UNICEF.org. Edited for clarity and length by #MyMonday powered by IndieFlix. Read the full article.

Introducing New Technology Devices

 As devices get more sophisticated, what should parents be thinking about before giving their children these new products? 

To start, be sure to learn about the apps, games, or services first so you can prepare your child to use them safely, responsibly and ethically. Knowing the content children will encounter and the contact they will have with others empowers parents to set their children up for success. FCPS offers resources to support parents in  learning about products  and  setting expectations  so that families can enjoy their new devices together. 

Data privacy is also something parents should be thinking about. With so many new products, such as smart devices and voice assistants, data privacy should be a topic of conversation with your children.  Common Sense  has resources and tools to help parents learn about digital privacy including  new research and tips for using smart devices at home . 

It’s never too late to review services you and your children already use.  Google  and  Microsoft  both offer privacy checks and include directions for managing data and security. Do you or your children use social media? Take some time over the holidays to review your settings along with those for any sites that are connected to your social media accounts.

Another important conversation to have with children is about passwords and network security. Remind children that they should never share their passwords with their friends or anyone outside their family. It is also important to use different passwords for each account. Reusing a password from the past or from a different account is an easy entry point for hackers, so keeping your passwords fresh and complex is one way to protect your child’s information and safety. It may be helpful to explain that just as you protect your physical space by locking doors and windows, it is important to keep accounts and your home network safe with strong, private passwords. The  Federal Trade Commission  offers a consumer page with tips for online security, including how to secure your wireless network.

Lastly, talk with your children about what they can do to help. Looking for the “s” in https internet addresses is a quick check for website security (and a great way to reinforce letter recognition!). Remind them to be extra cautious clicking links within sites and games, and they should always get permission from a parent or trusted adult before installing anything.

These tips are just a start. The most important way to support children with their new devices is to enjoy using it with them so you can capitalize on those teachable moments.

Source: FCPS Healthy Minds Digest

As part of our Social Media Wellness theme, we'll be highlighting articles about interesting things going on with our personal tech and social media. Here's one from the Washington Post about telling kids what they can do online, rather than what they can't or shouldn't .

The SCC thrives in its 25th year as an all-volunteer organization with funding from community grants and individual donors including the New Dominion Women’s Club, Rotary Club of McLean, McLean Community Foundation, the Zavela Foundation, and through the SCC Mental Health Committee. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and welcome all donations.