Shepherd Middle BlueJay Bulletin

It’s Homecoming Week! We’re excited to celebrate with our students and community. Here are the theme days for the week:

• Monday – Dress like Adam Sandler

• Tuesday – Orange Shirt Day

• Wednesday – Rhyme Without a Reason

• Thursday – Battle of the Ages (6th – Babies, 7th – Working Adults, 8th – Elderly)

• Friday – Blue & Gold Spirit Day

Looking ahead, there will be no school on October 9 and 10. Middle School conferences will be held on October 9 from 8–11 AM and 12–3 PM. These conferences are an excellent opportunity to partner with your student’s teachers to discuss progress and set goals for the rest of the school year. Teachers will be in their classrooms during these times without an appointment.

In this week’s update, you will also find:

• An update on school lunches

• The Homecoming Parade route for Friday

We look forward to a fun and spirited week ahead!

September

• 30th-Orange Shirt Day

October

• 3rd-Homecoming Friday
• 9th & 10th- NO SCHOOL
• 9th- Parent Teacher Conferences
• 21st- Picture Retake Day

Getting adequate sleep each night helps your student’s body better manage their blood-sugar levels, which helps to reduce your student’s cravings for sugary foods and can help keep your student at a healthy weight. Help your child get better sleep by making their bed a protected sleeping space. By saving the bed for sleep only, you help your child’s body associate that space as the sleeping space (much like having a dedicated space to study), which will help them to fall asleep more easily.

Read more about sleep hygiene here: https://healthtalk.unchealthcare.org/4-sleep-tips-for-back-to-school/

The Risks of Social Media Therapy

In today's digital age, it's common for people, including teens, to turn to the internet and social media for answers about mental health. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have become hubs for sharing personal mental health experiences, but there are risks involved.

While openly discussing mental health helps reduce stigma, it can also blur the line between professional advice and casual opinions, especially from influencers who aren't trained. This trend, called "social media therapy," can sometimes lead to misdiagnosis or encourage harmful behaviors as young people may resonate with certain symptoms and self-diagnose inaccurately.

It's important for parents to understand that while social media can spread awareness and normalize conversations about mental health, it shouldn't replace professional care. Social media can be a starting point for discussions but not the final source of advice. Parents can help by guiding their children towards qualified professionals for proper diagnosis and treatment.

https://shepherdschools.onlinesafetyhub.io/parent/articles/the-risks-of-social-media-therapy

PA 57 of 2023 requires districts to provide all students in grades 6–12 with the Michigan Department of Education’s (MDE) Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Information Guide, the district’s Title IX coordinator contact information, and the district policies on sexual assault and harassment. This information, for Shepherd Public Schools, is linked below.