Thank you very much for all the students who participated in our Afton Alps field trip!  You represented CVA very well and I heard many comments from ski instructors and staff on how polite you all were.  Lastly, thanks to all the adult chaperones who helped make this an enjoyable day once again!

Are you missing some blankets or cushions from movie night? There is a green, blue, orange and purple polka dot canvas bag. A black canvas bag with blankets and two Target soft cushions. Please see Dominique or Melissa in the office if this is yours.  In addition, our lost and found bins upstairs under the mailboxes are filling up again.  Feel free to dig through them any time you're on campus.

I want to pass along a few things from a recent overview of Children's Mental Health by The American Psychiatric Association. The key to handling mental disorders of children is to recognize the problem and seek appropriate treatment. These disorders have specific diagnostic criteria and treatments, and a complete evaluation by a mental health provider can determine whether a child needs help.  

It is estimated that as many as one in ten children between ages six and twelve experience persistent feelings of sadness-the hallmark of depression. Since children may not be able to express or understand many of the core symptoms that would indicate depression in adults, parents should be aware of some key behaviors-in addition to changes in eating or sleeping patterns-that may signal depression in children:

* A sudden drop in school performance
* Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
* Outbursts of shouting, complaining, unexplained irritability, or crying
* Thoughts of death or suicide
* Expressions of fear or anxiety
* Aggression, refusal to cooperate, antisocial behavior
* Use of alcohol or other drugs
* Constant complaints of aching arms, legs, or stomach with no apparent cause

Treatment is essential for children struggling with depression so that they can be free to develop necessary academic and social skills. Treatment can involve psychotherapy either alone or in combination with medication. In counseling, children can learn to express their feelings and to develop ways of coping with their illness. Some children also respond to antidepressant medications, but their use must be closely monitored by parents and their doctors. Ideally, psychiatric medication should not be the only form of treatment, but should be part of a comprehensive program.

For more information on medications see the Parents Medication Guide for Treating Depression from APA and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists.  

Over the next few weeks, your child will have the opportunity to learn first-hand the powerful feeling that comes from helping others. Pennies for Patients is a service learning program in which kids collect spare change to help people with blood cancer.

Funds are collected from friends and family in honor of local student survivors and current patients.

This is week 1 of our Pennies for Patients Drive. So far, we