At JFK we have worked with the support of FCD (Free of Chemical Dependence) for several years. FCD have worked with ASOMEX schools as well as many others in lots of countries to provide awareness of the dangers of drug use and to help establish programs for schools to reduce usage. The following information came to me from FCD recently and I wanted to share it with you. As with our series of ‘Parent Talks’, we aim to be continually providing families with useful information to help them understand this changing world that our children are growing up in, and to provide ways to help keep them safer on their journey to adulthood.
Alcohol, nicotine, drugs and other issues of addiction played a role in the lives of previous generations, but do so much more to the present children. The world of medicine is also far more aware of these dangers than before, and as adults we need to be involved in supporting our children perhaps more than our parents or grandparents did before us. Over the coming weeks I will be sharing more information about the issue of addiction, but today I want to focus on the role of the family.
Keeping children healthy starts with helping them to recognize and address the risks that are present in their lives. One aspect of this that is often overlooked is the involvement of the family. Some parents feel that this is not an issue because their child is still too young and is not going to parties. We stand a better chance of protecting our children if we are aware of all of these issues from a much earlier age: preventing early use of drugs is easier than trying to stop such habits in teenagers who have already built their social life around it.
Every family has a history that informs the present. When considering one's own family and the relationship to alcohol and other drug use, it's important to remind ourselves that addiction is a disease, and it can run in families. The more people in a family face addiction, the more likely young people within the family must be active in making healthy decisions to break the cycle.
Family history, however, goes beyond genetics. To keep our children safe we must have an honest look into how we discuss alcohol and other drugs with them. We can build protection for future generations when we learn to openly address health topics with our children. We need to be open and honest about our family history and also be role models for them to see appropriate use/non-use of alcohol and other drugs.
Here are some facts:
- A person with a history of alcoholism or other drug addiction in the family is at higher risk for addiction.
- Researchers have identified that addiction may be genetic and can be passed down through generations.
- Children, siblings, and parents of persons with addiction have a greater chance of developing an addiction than those who don’t.
- Boys who have a male relative with alcoholism run a 20-50% risk of developing alcoholism themselves. This risk is just 3-5% for boys without such a relative.
- For daughters of people with alcoholism, the percentage of increased risk for developing alcoholism themselves compared to daughters of others is 3-8%.
While it may seem obvious, it is important to remind ourselves just how influential our family is to all of us. We need to work hard to help our children stay healthy and be protected from risky alcohol and other drug use.
If you are concerned for your child, please let us know. Student Support Services are available in every section and as a community we wish to work to support all of our children. As a school we do not provide therapy but we can offer advice for your child and provide contacts with external experts for those in need of specialized assistance. It is our dream that for every child, their family may be a source of great support, education, and security, and through Parent Talks and programs like FCD we can help guide our community along the right path to support all our students.
Adrian Leece
Main Office
- We continue with all protocols and measures at school to help keep us all safe from influenza. The numbers this year are still low and I would like to thank all families and those at school for their extra vigilance in keeping sick children at home, and not coming to school ourselves if infected.
- Please encourage children not to share water bottles, spoons or ‘double dip’ food into salsas and dips, possibly contaminating the food for the next user.
- Let us keep working to keep our school healthy!!
- See you at the kermesse this Saturday, March 7th!
Arturo Rodríguez
Institutional Development Coordinator
Traditional Herbalism Course
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We are very happy to extend you an invitation to our traditional Herbalism course. It is open to family and friends.
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This course will take place in our school JFK, March 20 from 10:00 to 13:00 hours. It will cost $ 600 and if we gather a higher attendance number, the price will go down.
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It is of utmost importance that you confirm your attendance before March 6th to know if we will gather the minimum of 25 people and to be able to commit to the compromise.
- For more info send an email to [email protected]
Luz Arredondo
Environmental Program Coordinator
Environmental Program Coordinator
- Parent Teacher Conferences. We are preparing for our second parent teacher conference of the year, which will take place from March 17-27 .Teachers will be sharing not only the report card, but also our PYP portfolios with parents. Please help us with the logistics by arriving punctually to your appointment.
- Student Council. This year we are piloting a program of “student council” in Preschool 3. Every student gets a chance to participate in the student council for two weeks during the year. The objective is to get students involved in the decision-making process and generation of great ideas to improve our school. Some topics have involved: protecting the environment, creating more play opportunities for recess and supporting high school students on the ecoladrillo project. This session, students are helping to teach other preschoolers how a compost works and how we can limit our waste by separating our organic trash and adding it to our compost.
- Spring Parade. We are excited to celebrate the arrival of spring and new beginnings with our annual Spring Parade on March 20th. Please arrive at the JFK track by 8:45 AM with your decorated bike. It is important to always think of safety when you plan your costume, please bring a helmet. No motorized vehicles will be allowed to participate.
Debra Cortney
Preschool Principal
- Recently, we have had important talks with students and parents about internet safety. Here are some reminders about the wonderful and potentially dangerous place called the internet:
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- Internet filters are important and highly recommended (the JFK has this in place).
- Almost all social media sites require that children are 13 years old before using them. This includes Instagram, whatsapp, TikTok, etc.
- Intelligent devices are prohibited in Elementary School during the school day.
- Youtube is most appropriately used by adults and teens (For Elementary School aged children, Youtube Kids is a better option).
- We are teaching JFK children to never share personal information online with anyone.
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The only proven strategy to keep our children safe is to monitor what content they are accessing and to have open communication with them.
Mark Dunn
Elementary School Principal
- Congratulations to the new inductees of the National Junior Honor Society: Iker Moreno, Pedro Cándido de Sousa, Yugyeong Kim, Arantza Prieto Nieto, Matias Burr, Óscar Chávez Arana, Anna Da Paz Leal, Leticia Soupart.
- I would also like to congratulate three sixth grade students who are advancing to the district level in the Knowledge Olympics: Cesar Bravo, Lorena Cabral, and Ana Sofia Tamez.
- We have Stanford exams this week on Thursday and Friday. Please make sure your child eats a healthy breakfast, brings two #2 pencils, water and a book to read if he or she finishes early.
- We also have House Day on Friday after the exam! Students are encouraged to wear their house colors as they compete in activities like Breakout Boxes, Giant Volleyball, Egg Drop, and others. We hope that students will enjoy this moment to come together, 6th through 8th grades, in the spirit of fun and teamwork.
- Say Something week is also this week. In Second Step, teachers will be working with students on identifying risk factors, and making the decision to speak up and say something.
- Finally, Trimester II ends on Wednesday, March 4.
Camille Casses
Middle School Principal
Middle School Principal
- Stanford Exams - This exam compares student performance with norms from the United States to evaluate our implementation of an American curriculum.
- 10th Grade Personal Project Workday - We are getting closer to our Personal Project Exhibition in April
Bob Callahan
High School Principal
High School Principal