FSC Parent Newsletter

Welcome back! Throughout the school year, the Family Support Center emails a newsletter to all parents in our school district with helpful information, events and resources. You can expect to receive our newsletter on the first of the month in November, January, March and May.

The New York State Education Department has made changes to emergency protocols and asked that all school districts conduct age-appropriate emergency response drills (i.e. lockdown drills and fire drills). This means that there can be no simulated incident as part of the drills and families will be notified in advance of any scheduled drills. This will provide families with the opportunity to have a discussion with their child prior to the scheduled drills which could reduce any potential mental health effects.

Throughout the 2024-25 school year, Amherst CSD parents will receive an email from their building principal in advance of a fire drill or lockdown drill. Pending weather on the day of the drill, if rescheduling is necessary, you will be notified of the new date. On the day of a lockdown drill, when it begins, the principal will also announce that it is a “drill”.

How do you prep your children for these drills? What can you say to them?

• See what your child already knows about “safety drills”. Do they know what to do and where to go?

• If your child expresses feelings of anxiety, ask more open-ended questions about what specifically they may be anxious about. Be sure to validate their feelings.

• Inform your child that this is the school's plan to manage emergency situations in the same way that they have a plan for significant snowfall.

• Reassure your child that there is actually a very low probability of an emergency event happening at school.

In collaboration with the School Counselors, School Social Workers, and School Psychologists at each of our buildings, the Family Support Center has created a comprehensive list of resources for students and families to easily access on our FSC webpage. This improved resource section contains links to local and national resources from experts in the field. We hope that these updated resources will serve as a helpful first step for parents who may have questions about their child's mental well-being and/or development.

Have you ever noticed that feeling of joy, deep connection, and fulfillment you get when you are taking part in different cultural activities such as music, art, museums, theater, and dance?

That’s because research indicates that people who engage in the arts have the potential for a marked improvement in their mental well-being. Music has been shown to increase mother-infant bonding, while music and poetry have been shown to increase speech and language development. Naturally, engaging in dance has strong associations with better physical and mental health due to the increase in physical activity.

Engaging in creative outlets is a commonly used coping skill for managing emotion. Art or movement therapy allow people to express how they are feeling in different ways and by using a medium other than words. Studies show that certain colors have different effects on our mood and certain creative processes (especially those with more repetitive movements) like knitting, painting or dance have a soothing effect.

Here at Amherst Central School District we have an amazing art, theater, and music department that works to build a curriculum that allows for creativity and imagination as well as skill building. The art department has also been working hand-in-hand with the Family Support Center for the past four years to create our annual Art Gallery Night that sheds light on different topics related to overall well-being.

This year our art gallery night takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. If your child would like to participate, art submissions depicting the theme “Nature: How It Impacts our Physical & Mental Health” are due to their art teachers by Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. We hope to have a wide range of artwork from students to display on the 19th and we hope to see even more families there than last year. View the flyer.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has launched a new campaign called “Talk Away the Dark”. The message focuses on bringing our loved ones potential thoughts of suicide out from the dark and into the light. Their website has some valuable resources for conversation starters, how to have healing conversations and where to go once the information is out there.

We exist to provide community resources and support to families in the pursuit to create well-adjusted and confident children.

This weekly program every Thursday from Sept. 26 through Oct. 24 assists parents with tips and information to help them deal with disobedience, manage fighting and aggression, develop good bedtime routines, and have hassle-free shopping with children. All classes are held from 6-8 p.m. on Zoom. Session dates are Sept. 26, Oct. 3, 10, 17 and 24. To register contact, Juliane Grover, 362-3071 or Marlana Howard, 362-3073. View the Flyer.

Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 from 5-6pm at the FSC located at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 4007 Main Street.

Be on the lookout this week for an email from Mr. Lawniczak with information about the new AMS Counseling Center newsletter! It's filled with information and resources so be sure to read it.