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Archive for May, 2010

West Ridge Academy: Signs That Your Teen Has A Drug Problem

May 28

Posted by Mathew Edvik in Parenting Help, PodCasts | No Comments

We are excited to introduce two guests onto the podcast. Brian Jackson and Carrie Carter will be joining us for the next few podcasts and we are happy to have them. Brian is the Vice Principal at West Ridge and Carrie is a therapist who specializes in addiction recovery.

In our last podcast we talked about the prevalence of drug use by teens. Today we want to give parents information that can help them recognize if there child has a drug problem. The first podcast in this series, with Brian and Carrie, will give a few general signs that you can look for. In the next podcast we will talk about specific signs of a problem in different areas of your child’s life.

One of the biggest challenges that parents face is the disbelief that their kid could be the one involved. Brian and Carrie each share stories that will help parents understand that they are not alone in hoping that family members are not involved in these behaviors.

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PARENT NEWSLETTER MAY 28, 2010

May 28

Posted by wballard in Parent Newsletters | No Comments

Parent Newslettter May 28,2010

ARTICLE – Ecstasy: What Are It’s Effect And How Many Kids Are Using It?

May 25

Posted by Mathew Edvik in Parenting Help | No Comments

In our latest podcast Jeff discussed a few statistics about adolescent drug use. He covered statistics on Tobacco, Alcohol, and marijuana. We didn’t have time to discuss some of the harder drugs that have found their way into the lives of teenagers. One of those drugs is Ecstasy.  This is a drug that has achieved popularity among teens that are looking to party and have a good time.

Ecstasy is a man made drug that is often mixed with other ingredients, including other drugs, to enhance or detract from the quality of the drug. The drug is taken in pill form and is commonly taken at parties or ‘raves’.

Those who use ecstasy relate that the drug causes an intensely pleasurable effect. One boy described the effect of the drug as feeling like a movie star. “”Ecstasy is a roller coaster. It brings you up so high that you feel like you’re on top of the world,” he said. Some teens take the pills to be able to dance longer and some take it because when they are on it they feel like they are everyone’s best friend.

The risks of taking ecstasy, however, should concern parents and those who work with youth. One of the risks of taking the drug is dehydration. Since the drug enables the user to dance longer at crowded dances and parties, which are often crowed and hot, they are at risk of losing a lot of body fluid. Although rare, there have been cases of cardiovascular failure due to the use of ecstasy.

As the drug wears off feelings of sadness and depression are common. Along with those feelings anxiety and memory loss have been reported. Researchers do not yet know if the memory loss is long lasting.

There is some good news about the prevalence in ecstasy use among teens

A 2009 NIDA–funded study states that:

  • Since 2001, the percentage of 8th–graders who have ever tried MDMA dropped from 5.2 percent in 2001 to 2.2 percent in 2009.
  • The percentage of 10th–graders who had ever tried MDMA was 5.5 percent in 2009, down from an all–time high of 8.0 percent in 2001.
  • In 2009, 6.5 percent of 12th–graders had ever tried MDMA, down from 11.7 percent in 2001.

The good news is that the numbers have dropped from 2001 levels. The numbers from 2006 through 2009 have stayed relatively constant.

We want your child to on the positive side of the statistics. The rest of the podcasts and articles in this series on addiction will give parents information and tools that they can use to prevent their child from using drugs and, if their child has a problem, recognize it and get them help.

West Ridge Academy: A Few Statistics On Adolescent Drug Use To Get Us Started

May 21

Posted by Mathew Edvik in Parenting Help, PodCasts | No Comments

Jeff is healthy once again and he is here in this podcast to introduce the next series of podcasts. As we have hinted earlier the next series of podcasts is going to be about addiction. This series will deal with primarily drug addiction. We will have a few guests on the future podcasts that you have not heard before and we are excited to introduce them to you next week.

Today’s podcast will deal mostly with statistics. Drug use among adolescents is a difficult issue that we face in our communities.  Jeff brings in statistics about the prevalence of the use of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana. He also touches briefly on perscription drug abuse. The next few podcasts will focus on how you can help prevent your children from using drugs, how to recognize when your child is using drugs and how to help those who are using.

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SPORTS UPDATE – Boy’s Baseball Team Attends BYU game

May 17

Posted by Mathew Edvik in School Showcase | No Comments

On Saturday the Boys Baseball Team spent the afternoon in Provo watching the BYU Cougars take on the Aztecs of San Diego State. There was a lot of offense in the game, the final score was 16 – 10. For a complete recap of the game you can follow this link

Cougars, Aztecs Recap Sat. May 15.

The boys had a great time and this event was a chance for them to build team chemistry.

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SPORTS UPDATE – Lady Eagle’s Place 3rd In Region Tournament

May 17

Posted by Mathew Edvik in School Showcase | No Comments

Last week we played in the region 17 girls soccer tournament. Only four teams qualified for the tournament this year and we were happy to be one of the teams that were able to continue the season for a couple more days.

our first game was against Christian Heritage. They had beaten us twice during the regular season. Our girls wre anxious to get another shot at playing them. The end result was the same however… we lost the game 3-2. We had a couple of lapses on defense early and they were able to score two quick goals. The first half ended with CHS leading 2-0. In the second half we had the wind at our backs and a downhill slope. We fully believed that was to our advantage and that we were still in the game. Alexa scored on a corner kick to get us started. Unfortunately before we could score again CHS was able to sneak another goal in. Michaela scored a determined goal with about 10 minutes left in the game. We had a few chances to tie the game, but none were fruitful. Our girls were disappointed with the loss, but they played hard and never quit. We just fell a little short.

On Thursday we played Intermountain Christian School for 3rd place. I think everyone on the field was achy and sore after playing a game the day before. We started out slowly in the first half. We let ICS score the first goal and it looked like our girls may have lost some of their drive. Alexa was able to tie the score at 1-1 just before halftime on an assist from Destiny (the goalie) Destiny’s kick went over everyone’s heads and Alexa was able to win the footrace to the ball, dribbling it the rest of the way in and scoring. The second half of the game was the best half of soccer that we played all year. We scored 4 more goals. Lexi S. had two assists, both to Alexa (who ended up with 4 goals). Kaline also scored her first goal of the season. The second half was impressive to everyone that was there, and placing third in the tournament was a satisfying way to end the season.

I had ato put this picture on the post... I don't know why these two girls are celebrating in the middle of play...

We want to express our thanks, one more time, to the parents who gave us enormous support throughout the season. We also want to thank the girls at West Ridge who were able to come up for the game against ICS. Thanks to Brian Jackson for making that happen, Jay for driving the bus, and Dan for providing supervision. The coaches are sad that the season is over. This has been an incredible group of girls to work with and we have cherished the opportunity.

West Ridge Academy: Teens and Music: Why Is Music So Important to Your Teen and What Can You Do If You Do Not Approve Of Their Music

May 14

Posted by Mathew Edvik in Parenting Help, PodCasts | 2 Comments

In today’s podcast Mat speaks with Chris Woods, head of the music department of West Ridge Academy. The topic is Teens and Music. Chris gives his answers, as a music professional, to why music is so important to teenagers. He also gives parents some ideas of what they can do when conflicts arise between parents and their child over music.

Chris has worked with a lot of teens over the years and is able to relate to them through their love of music. He has produced 3 professional CD’s that have showcased the musical talent that has come through West Ridge. The songs on the albums were performed by the students at West Ridge.

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PARENT NEWSLETTER MAY 14, 2010

May 14

Posted by wballard in Parent Newsletters | No Comments

Parent Newsletter May 14, 2010

SPORTS UPDATE – Girl’s Soccer Finishes The Regualr Season With A Win Over Slat Lake Lutheran

May 10

Posted by Mathew Edvik in School Showcase | No Comments

On a sunny but cold day, the Lady Eagles finished off a winning regular season against the Lady Lynx of Salt Lake Lutheran. We misjudged the time of the game and showed up extra early. Our girls had about two hours to warm up. They played the first half like they lost their focus with all of the warm-ups. The first half ended 0 – 0. Neither team really had an advantage in the first half. Each team’s defense did a great job of keeping the ball out of the goal.

In the halftime huddle we reinforced the concepts of ‘getting to the ball first’ and ‘pushing the ball up the field’. Our girls responded in the second half and they came out on fire. Early in the second half Stephanie S. scored her first goal of the season. She was on the right side of the field and took the shot before a defender could challenge her effectively. That is something that we have discussed in practice, and it payed off as we took a 1-0 lead. At about the 70 minute mark, Kaecia Y. scored a goal and Rachel C. scored her first goal of the season shortly thereafter. Our defense was able to keep the ball out of our half for almost all of the second half. The final score was 3 – 0.

With that win our regular season record was 5 wins, 3 losses, and 2 ties. That record was good enough to qualify our team for the region tournament. The tournament will happen on the 12th and 13th of May. I will post our official game times when I have them.

We want to thank all of the parents who have supported our team so well this season. I have coached for a few years now and I do not recall having so many parents come to every game… even the away games. Many parents even made the two hour drive to Oakley. That kind of support is priceless for our team and we want to make sure that you know you are noticed and appreciated.

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West Ridge Academy: Putting It All Together

May 5

Posted by Mathew Edvik in Parenting Help, PodCasts | No Comments

This is the podcast that we put together everything that we have been discussing over the last few months. Part of our discussion focuses on what kind of problems a child could have if their parents neglect or overemphasize any of the four tasks that we have been talking about.

It is important for parents to understand that most parents don’t do everything well. It can be helpful to find another person that can teach your child the piece that you are missing.

Whenever we start a new activity or try to form a new habit we meet resistance. This is especially true when you try to change the your parenting style and technique. Stick with it. There will be resistance from your children. If you persist, however, you will develop new habits for your family and the new parenting style will become normal for your family.

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