Dear La Entrada Families,

I'm sure you all heard about the horrific tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut last Friday.  Our hearts are aching for those families suffering such a terrible loss.

As you know, school safety is a number one priority for us at La Entrada.  All visitors on campus must sign in at the office and wear a large, visible name badge.  Anyone not wearing a badge will be stopped and questioned by staff and will be redirected to the office.  Any suspicious behavior in the parking lot or around the campus perimeter is also reported to the office.  I encourage all of you to do the same when you are on campus.

In addition to fire and earthquake/disaster drills, we regularly schedule shelter-in-place and reverse evacuation drills so we can get students inside a locked room safely and quickly.  We have worked closely with the local Police Department over the years to refine our procedures for optimum safety.  Although we cannot fully protect the children and ourselves from all threats, we do our very best to ensure that we are trained and prepared to respond immediately in an emergency.

Our children are our greatest treasure.  As we head into the winter break, I hope you all enjoy the holiday, hold your children tight and count your blessings.

Respectfully,

Shannon Potts

Principal

PROJECT CORNERSTONE 

SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND USE 

By ASAT Staff, ACS Substance Abuse Treatment Program

Teens aged 12-18 can experience limited ability to language, understand or differentiate between their mood and feelings due to their normal teenage neurological and social development. Teenagers tend to live in the 'now' moment. They have heightened experience of their passions, desires, drama and urges, but limited abstract cognitive awareness or knowledge. A 'feeling' can quickly pass, but a 'mood' can stay for a few days or much longer. The ability to think in the abstract in order to stand apart and address their feelings can take effort, time and energy. Unpleasant feelings and moods in teens are usually described by them as being 'bored.' Unless symptoms are acute, teens will tend to look to their peers for solutions. Suicide is also a risk for people with major depression. Early intervention and treatment for depression or bi-polar disorders are very often quite successful and studies show early intervention greatly decreases risk of substance use or abuse. Left untreated, depression or bi-polar disorders can worsen as the brain tries to accommodate to substance use with depression or manic thoughts.

Addiction almost always begins in the teens. It hardly ever occurs beyond age 30. Teens using or addicted to tobacco can be a warning sign of seeking substances. Drug 'experimentation' behavior usually begins in late middle school, including freshman year though high school. Marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol can be experienced as 'fun' and teens may think they feel better, but this is only for the short term. Teens can quickly begin to self-medicate in order to cope, and somewhat normal experimentation phase can quickly escalate in those with 'co-occurring disorders' (depression, ADHD/ADD and anxiety) into serious 'use,' perhaps abuse and then they can become dependent. Research has shown the heavy use of marijuana increases early risk, frequency and seriousness psychological symptoms.

Marijuana and alcohol seems the most used/abused drug amongst teens. Most kids do not even consider 'weed' a drug. They might say it's a 'plant' and not a substance of abuse. Marijuana subculture or medical marijuana advertising spins that weed/bud/pot is a 'medicine' or an innocuous plant which nature has designed for them. Teens and adolescents tend to quickly become dependent on alcohol and marijuana as their main go-to for coping when they are bored, feel socially awkward, anxious, and also have a disorder or other personal issues.

Teens are quickly changing and growing beings, families and parents can help by getting involved and remaining observant to signs of depression or drug use such as poor grades, changing friends, cutting or obsessively using the internet perhaps looking at questionable, dark or violent content. Early intervention can stop progression of mood disorders such as depression and build healthier coping behavior, social skills authenticity and self-awareness.

If you have further questions or concerns regarding adolescent substance abuse, please feel free to contact Connie Mayer, LMFT Director of Outpatient Services at ACS at (650) 424-0852 ext. 104.