Happy Holidays!!!

 

 

 

 

We would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!!! Hopefully everyone can find the time to relax and reflect on a great year. We will be welcoming in 2013 with a lot of hard work as the archery team begins preparing to defend the New Jersey State Title.

Good Luck Ms. Tobin

      We have been very fortunate to have Meghan Tobin teach as part of our PE and Family Life program over the last 8 weeks. Ms. Tobin will be graduating from East Stroudsburg University this Saturday with a teaching certificate in both PE and Health. We hope that she has gained some valuable experience here at Oxford Central School. She has made such a positive impact on the students of OCS, we know that she will become a valuable part of any PE program that strives for success.

Important Information for Families

Informed Families/The Florida Family Partnership teaches parents how to set boundaries and reinforce healthy messages to help kids grow up safe, healthy and drug-free. We inform and involve parents, while developing parent leaders, who work together to change unhealthy social norms in our homes, schools and communities. We hope you gain some insight from our eCATalyst newsletter and we welcome your comments!

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Message from the President

'Tis the Season For The Gifts That Keep On Giving

Ah the Holiday Season... Food, family, travel, events, parties, celebrating, shopping, and lots of stress. Actually the Holidays are really the season for GIVING. Did you know giving to others can make us healthier and happier?

According to Allan Luks, author of "The Healing Power Of Doing Good," helping others contributes to measurable health benefits such as:

•Diminishing the effects of diseases and disorders--specifically, lowering blood pressure, stomach acid and cholesterol count

•Helping to reduce stress, chronic pain and insomnia

•Increasing sense of self-worth, greater happiness and an optimistic outlook

•Reducing chronic hostility, feelings of helplessness and depression

This holiday season, we invite you to give back to the children. Children need to grow up in happy, peaceful, environments where there is laughter and fun…healthy environments are not determined by your financial statement but by your mental statement. How is your mental statement? Stressed, too busy, overwhelmed? Then slow down and take a deep breath and stop the monkey brain (a syndrome where your thoughts are so jumbled, you are overwhelmed and creating your own stress). Make a difference in the lives of others by smiling and laughing; it is good for your health. You can’t be successfully delivering drug-free messages to your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews and the people you care about if you are a stress ball.

Informed Families needs your support. We have created a limited edition holiday ornament to those who give a donation of $1,000 or more. That equates to just $2.74 per day (the price of a cup of coffee, $83 per month).
Happy Holidays…People are Gifts!

Sincerely,
Peggy

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Parenting Tools

• Learn How You Can Protect Your New (Or Future) Teen Driver. Sign Up For The December 6th Webinar - On The Road To Safety: Tips For Parents Of Teen Drivers.
• Enlighten Your Friends And Protect Your Kids. Host A Viewing Party With Your Friends Or A Lunch & Learn At Work For Our Upcoming Webinar On Safe Teen Driving. Learn more.
• DEADLINE EXTENDED: Create the 2013 National Red Ribbon Week Theme. Will Your Idea Be Celebrated Across America Next October?
• Does Addiction Run In Your Family? Tips For Parents Of Children With Addicted Family Members.
• Protect Your Community's Children At The Pump? Stop Synthetic Drugs With A Quick Look Inside Your Local Gas Station Or Convenience Store.
• Did you know that more people die each year from prescription drug overdose than from car accidents? Sign up for our January 10th webinar - Lock Your Meds - A Prescription For A Safe & Healthy Family.

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Hunting For Health

Heather, the mother of the middle school student who won our 2012 Informed Families Did You Know Online Scavenger Hunt Game on November 15th thought it was "a great way to reach kids since many parents don't discuss the topic of drugs and drinking with their child." Students from 34 schools in 11 states participated in the hunt, which used texting for players to find the facts about the negative effects of underage drinking and drug use. Congratulations to our winner, Melanie, from Millenium Middle School in Central Florida. Melanie will be recognized in the coming weeks by the District Administrator of Seminole County Schools for this wonderful achievement.

Debbie Owens, Executive Director of the Seminole Prevention Coalition, brought the Online Scavenger Hunt Game to Seminole County when she purchased 400 posters for distribution in their Middle and High Schools. "The kids really liked the scavenger hunt. They liked that it was not a lecture. The texting component gave the kids a fun way to find the information on their own," says Debbie.

Read more about our Online Did You Know Scavenger Hunt.

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Donor Spotlight

Informed Families is incredibly grateful to the following recently received donations to help kids grow up safe, healthy and drug free. Thank you for your generosity and unwavering support:



$10,000 Donors
Carnival Cruise Lines
Harry Kramer Memorial Fund

$1,000-$2,500
The Ruth Anderson Foundation
Louis Wolfson & The Greater Miami Jewish Federation Foundation

$999 and below
Helen B. Bentley Family Health Center, Inc.
James Boink & Raphael Bastian
Enchanting Creations
Deborah Montilla
Westminster Christian Private School

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Limited Edition Holiday Ornament

In recognition of our appreciation for donors who contribute $1,000 or more during this holiday season, we have created a limited edition holiday ornament. For less than the price of a cup of coffee a day, you can make a difference in the lives of Florida's children.

The limited edition frame ornament is a wonderful opportunity to showcase your family photo or your favorite drug free child. Donate now.

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Educational Ambassadors Wanted

PTA leaders, Educators and Prevention Coordinators - Informed Families wants to help YOU spread the message of substance abuse prevention. Become a Red Ribbon Ambassador at your school and get FREE online access to announcements, events, pledges and contests for our four most popular Universal Prevention Campaigns. Learn how Informed Families can help your school, prevention organization, or coalition can deliver effective, year-round prevention in your community with our four universal prevention campaigns (Family Day, Red Ribbon, Lock Your Meds and Safe Homes Safe Parties) . Contact us today.

Open Gym Continues

     We are continuing to have open gym time for all eligible 6th-8th grade students. Open gym time is a chance for the students to get extra practice for archery both before and after school. Students are reminded that they must have their paper work in with the nurse and an approved physical by the school physician.
     Students in grades 6 - 8 have completed their first round of archery rubrics in physical education class. The rubrics will be done 2 times on each student and the students with the top 40 rubric scores will be invited for archery tryouts. We hope to have tryouts completed and a team organized by the middle of January. This will allow us enough time to prepare for the state tournament in March.

     Our Kindergarten Soccer ended with the Kindergarten's beating the coaches 3-1 in a well played game. The students demonstrated terrific teamwork in dissecting the coaches incredible defense. Congratulations to all the players on a terrific season.