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August is Back to School Month

 

Laura Zevan, LCSW 

Mental Health Clinician  

   

 

August is back to school month and there are plenty of things to do to prepare for a healthy and successful 2015/2016 school year.  Did you know that almost 70 percent of high school students are not getting the recommended hours of sleep on school nights?

The following sleep health tips are recommended by the National Sleep Foundation:  

  • Go to bed at the same time each night and rise at the same time each morning;
  • Make sure your bedroom is a quiet, dark, and relaxing environment, which is neither too hot or too cold;
  • Make sure your bed is comfortable and use it only for sleeping and not for other activities, such as reading, watching TV, or listening to music;
  • Remove all TVs, computers, and other "gadgets" from the bedroom and
  • Avoid large meals a few hours before bedtime.

Encourage students to follow these tips so they are well rested and ready to start the school year off right.  It is important to know that the overall health of the adolescent is strongly linked to their academic achievement. Schools play a critical role in promoting the health and safety of young people and helping them establish lifelong healthy behaviors. One way parents could help is by providing a healthy and well balanced breakfast before sending their adolescent off to school. According to The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention "eating a healthy breakfast is associated with improved cognitive function (especially memory), reduced absenteeism, and improved mood."

Guarantee your adolescent gets plenty of sleep and consumes a healthy diet in order to successfully start off the 2015/2016 school year!

 

http://www.cdc.gov/media/subtopic/matte/pdf/2011/teen_sleep.pdf 

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/index.htm 

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/nutrition/facts.htm 

 

Parenting Teens with Love and Logic

Parenting Teens with Love and Logic Instructor, Kathy O'Reilly talks about adolescent substance use and how to use empathy as a parent.

Enroll today in our Parenting Teens with Love and Logic class, based on a curriculum developed by Jim Fay, Charles Fay Ph.D., and Foster W. Cline M.D., designed to give participants practical skills that can be used immediately with adolescents.  Teen Health Connection offers various classes throughout the community and we are also offering a Back to School Class for previous participants. Learn more here.
Text Messaging Campaign

The Teen Health Connection Text Campaign sends bi-monthly health and safety text messages. You can enroll by clicking on one of the phones below.   
 

Welcome Pediatric Resident
The Department of Pediatrics at Carolinas Medical Center and Levine Children's Hospital offers a fully accredited 3 year pediatric medical resident training program.  Teen Health Connection is fortunate to serve as the adolescent-specific medical rotation for the residents.  This month, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Kayce Brantham. Dr. Brantham received her medical degree from ECU.
Please forward our e-newsletter to your friends, sign up for our text messaging campaign, like us on  Facebook and visit our website to read about what we are doing each month. You can also follow us on Instagram at Teen Health Connection or on Twitter. Teen Health Connection appreciates our community partners and families.  We believe that together we can make a difference for adolescents in our community.  

 


It is through the support of our individual, community and corporate partners that Teen Health Connection empowers every adolescent to be healthy, safe and successful.

Vaccines for Teens

Vaccines are very important because they decrease the chances of getting certain disease. It is very important to vaccinate adolescents as well as young children. 

Before school starts review the information on our website about vaccines that are available to adolescents and why they are important.  

The Teen Brain is
Under Construction 

With school starting back it can often be a stressful time with increased anxiety or academic concerns. To meet the needs of teens and their families, Teen Health Connection provides outpatient individual and family therapy.  All of our clinicians are licensed mental health professionals who specialize in adolescent development. Our team believes that although the teen is the identified patient, a family-based approach (including parents/guardians throughout the treatment process) is important. Visit our website to learn more or to schedule an appointment with one of our clinicians. 
Stand Up and Get Down for Teens   
You do not want to miss the opportunity to hear Last Comic Standing Finalist, Rocky Laporte come to Charlotte to perform his Stand Up routine at our Stand Up and Get Down for Teens event on September 19th at The Fillmore. Visit our website for information on how you can join us as we Stand Up and Get Down for teens.
Girls Educated & Motivated for Success 

Teen Health Connection is proud to offer our Girls Educated and Motivated for Success (GEMS) Mentoring Program.  The GEMS Mentoring Program is an ongoing community group of girls ages 13 to 17. The GEMS work with community volunteers to tackle important health issues for young women. Visit our website to learn more.
 THANK YOU
 
Teen Health Connection would like to thank the many volunteers, funders and community partners who dedicate their time and talent to this organization.  Because of the commitment from so many valued partners and friends, the team at Teen Health Connection can continue to empower every adolescent to be healthy, safe and successful.