NFTH: January 21, 2020

Creating the Healthiest Nation: FCD Prevention Works™ (FXD) at the APHA Annual Meeting

Every year, the American Public Health Association (APHA) gathers professionals in the fields of health promotion and disease prevention to discuss the major health issues of our day. The November 2019 APHA Annual Meeting focused on the theme "Creating the Healthiest Nation: For science. For action. For health." FCD was invited to give two presentations related to this theme. FCD is a company that we bring in yearly to address these issues. Our first presentation was on the role of parental boundaries and their influence on adolescent substance use.
 
FCD Student Attitudes and Behavior Survey
FCD's presentation was based on data collected from the FCD Student Attitudes and Behavior Survey. This survey is a 50-question research instrument, designed to give a snapshot of a school community's substance use; attitudes towards substance use; perceptions around peers' use of alcohol or other drugs; and attitudes about school, family, and substance use policies. On a larger scale, this data is aggregated to look at global trends.
 
The survey asks students to report their own alcohol and other substance use on a lifetime, annual, and past-30-days basis. Students are also asked to report agreement or disagreement with six statements regarding parental involvement in their lives. These statements are:

1.    "My parents show interest in my schoolwork."
2.    "The rules in my family are clear."
3.    "My parents want me to call if I'm going to be late getting home."
4.    "My parents would know if I did not come home on time."
5.    "My family has clear rules about alcohol and drug abuse."
6.    "When I am not at home, one of my parents knows how to contact me in an emergency."

From 2009 to 2018, the FCD Student Attitudes and Behavior Survey was conducted among 121,483 6^th-12^th grade students in 35 countries. FCD used this database to examine the relationship between parental involvement and student substance use.
 
For science
Students who expressed agreement with all six statements, versus agreement with some or none, were less likely to report using substances and more likely to report getting higher grades in school. 
 
When looking at the six statements individually, agreement with two of the statements was consistently associated with lower annual and monthly use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. Students who agreed with the statement "my parents would know if I did not come home on time" were:

• 30% less likely to report using alcohol in the past 12 months, and past 30 days
• 34% less likely to report using marijuana in the past 12 months, and 35% less likely in the past 30 days
• 30% less likely to report using electronic vaporizers in the past 12 months, and 28% less likely to report using in the past 30 days.

If a student agreed with the statement: "My family has clear rules about alcohol and drug abuse," they were:

• 44% less likely to report using alcohol in the past 12 months, and 37% less likely to use in the past 30 days
• 41% less likely to report using marijuana in the past 12 months, and 40% less likely in the past 30 days
• 26% less likely to report using electronic vaporizers in the past 12 months, and 27% less likely to report using in the past 30 days.

For action. For health.
Parents are in a unique position to structure an environment for their children that promotes healthy choices and non-use. Parents showing interest in their child's life, and having clear rules about substance use and other topics, have the power to create a positive environment where teens can thrive.
 
Parents with children of any age can be coached to have age-appropriate conversations around substance use and building healthy habits. In FCD's recent e-journal series on permissive parenting, we provided tips and resources for parents who want to foster a climate of prevention in their home.
 
To receive a copy of that e-journal series, or for more information on resources available for your community's parents, email schools@fcd.org.
 

Join us for a STEAM Adventure Tuesday, January 28, 5:30pm – 7pm, in the Ancira Event Center. At Saint Mary’s Hall, we believe that nurturing students' innate love of learning is essential. The best way to do this is through experiential learning opportunities. STEAM Adventure will allow Form 3 - 5 students (and their families) to participate in a variety of science and tech-related activities. There will be more than 10 booths with activities such as creating/building:

• a straw rocket
• pictures using focal lights
• slime, ice cream, or dry ice bubbles
• a brine shrimp ecosystem
• a Lego car and racing it
• animals using everyday items
• an adventure for a pint-sized robot

Please note that in order to ensure the best experience for our students, we ask that each student be accompanied by an adult.

In addition to all of the fun, Cheesy Jane’s Food Truck will be parked outside the Ancira Event Center beginning at 5pm. You can experiment, spend time together, and eat yummy food all in one place. We look forward to seeing you there.

Questions? Please contact Lower School Science Teacher Claire Damarodas at cdamarodas@smhall.org.

Recently, Caleb Miller (Form 12) auditioned for the All-State Band in Orange Grove, Texas. Competing against the top French horn players in South Texas, Caleb finished first overall! As a result, Caleb will be performing at the All-State competition next month.

Caleb joins orchestra students Matthew Averyt (Form 10) and Javier Hernandez (Form 12), who were selected in November, in representing SMH at All-State. All-State is the highest achievement a high school musician can achieve. Caleb is a member of the Upper School Jazz Band, under the direction of Band/Chamber Orchestra Teacher Trevor Docwra and studies French horn privately with musician and Prentice Huntington Miller & Reid Huntington Miller Endowed Chair in World Languages and Cultures Laura Renard.

Check out the Fine Arts Instagram page. This account is a great way to get an up-close and personal look at the day-to-day excitement in these amazing, ever-buzzing programs. In addition, check out Saint Mary’s Hall main social media channels for more Fine Arts news
on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

In a rematch from earlier in the year that saw the freshmen team fall in the last minute of the game to the TMI junior varsiy (JV) team, the Barons were able to accomplish the upset the second time around. The freshmen men’s basketball team upset the TMI JV men’s basketball team, 56-48. Scoring was led by freshman Jonathan Largoza with 14 points. Freshmen Bailen Ganeshapa and Max Davis both added double-digit efforts. Be sure to congratulate these boys on a tremendous effort! 

Boys Soccer Drop

The boys soccer team took on a tough and extremely talented KIPP Poder for their first game back from the break. The high scoring, back-and-forth action saw three goals scored by the Barons in five minutes, Aleks Dudhia (Form 8), Justus Kleberg (Form 7), and Marco Watson (Form 6), all assisted by goalie Bardia Mizani (Form 8). KIPP Poder answered back quickly, scoring three of their own goals. The second half saw Poder take control, scoring two more goals and eventually capturing the victory, 5-3.

Form 6 Girls Basketball Win

The new year brought an exciting weekend of Form 6 basketball for the girls. The Barons, led by Megan LaMoy’s 12 points, took the victory over the Geneva School of Boerne. Megan’s performance was supported by two 8-point efforts by Grace Beauchamp and Mazreen Sanjana. The girls look to build on the momentum in their next game as they take on Great Hearts Monte Vista.

Other Scores

• Middle School Boys B Basketball: SMH 24 - SACS 39

Can't make it to the game? Tune in from home or while on the go via any device to watch SMH sports events live as they unfold. You can also relive the glory again and again, as all events are archived for future access. When you follow us on Livestream, you'll get updates anytime we add or update an athletic event.

It's easy! Join Livestream today:

1. Go to Livestream.com/smhathletics
2. Click the black "Follow" button on our page.
3. Create an account using your email or connect with Facebook.
4. Sit back and enjoy the game!

Head of Lower School Khristi Bates led the Morning Moments Chapel. Students enjoyed the Kid President video, The Story of Dr. Martin Luther King.  

Mrs. Bates noted that four of Dr. King’s core principles are worthy of reflection. These are the ideas that:

• Every human deserves respect.
• Every human deserves equal treatment.
• Each of us has a responsibility to do something to make the world better.
• Love conquers hate and violence.

She encouraged students to use their time and talent to uplift one another, their school, their families, and their community by being a positive, loving contributor, each in their own way.

Saint Mary’s Hall will host a Parent Coffee on Wednesday, February 5 from 8am - 9:30am in the Remmert Theater to view Screenagers from physician and filmmaker Delaney Ruston. The film’s run time is 67 minutes and will be followed by a brief discussion. Below is the film’s synopsis:

Are you watching kids scroll through life, with their rapid-fire thumbs and a six-second attention span? Physician and filmmaker Delaney Ruston saw that with her own kids and learned that the average kid spends 6.5 hours a day looking at screens. She wondered about the impact of all this time and about the friction occurring in homes and schools around negotiating screen time — friction she knew all too well.

In Screenagers, as with her award-winning documentaries on mental health, Delaney takes a deeply personal approach as she probes into the vulnerable corners of family life, including her own, to explore struggles over social media, video games, academics, and internet addiction. Through poignant, and unexpectedly funny stories, along with surprising insights from authors, psychologists, and brain scientists, Screenagers reveals how tech time impacts kids’ development and offers solutions on how adults can empower kids to best navigate the digital world and find balance.

View the trailer.

Please contact Wellness Director Dr. Sandra Lopez-Morales at slopezmorales@smhall.org with questions.