The Weekly Update

Feb 12 - 16: Blue/Grey Food Drive

Feb 15: Relay for Life Kick Off event @ 6:00 pm

Feb 16: School in Session to make up for snow closure

Feb 19: School Closed - Presidents’ Day

Mar 22-23: MS Spring Musical

Mar 28: Early Dismissal

Mar 29-Apr 7:School closed for Spring Break

February is a busy month. It also is the National FFA Week, and Northern has a long history of FFA connected to our agricultural roots. THe students of the FFA have organized dress themes for each day and whether or not a person is in the FFA, all are invited to participate. The dress themes are:

Tuesday Boots vs. Crocs - pick your preferred footwear

Wednesday Flannel/Plaid

Thursday Crazy Socks

Friday Blue and Gold - wear FFA colors

The school counseling department is excited to begin the course selection process for the 24-25 school year. for those students entering high school in the fall (Class of 2028, 8th Graders) Course selection will occur electronically. Please review these instructions and contact your student’s counselor if you have any questions. The 2024-2025 High School Program of Studies, Career Cluster Alignment to Courses at NBC High School Guide and the Four-Year Planning Tool are available on the High School Counseling Department Web Page to assist students and parents as they make course selections. The PowerSchool Parent Portal will be accessible according to these timelines:

Open portal for online course selections – 8th Graders

Please feel free to reach out to your son/daughter’s school counselor with any questions or concerns.

With it being Valentine’s Day this week, it seemed appropriate to write about relationships. In an article by youth.gov, titled Characteristics of Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships, it discusses how teens should be aware of the traits of both so they can either identify red flags or feel good about the positive relationship that is developing.

The characteristics of a healthy relationship that the article identifies are as follows:

• Mutual respect

• Trust

• Honesty

• Compromise

• Individuality

• Good communication

• Anger control

• Fighting fair

• Problem solving

• Confidence

• Healthy sexual relationship

Unhealthy relationships often show signs before they escalate. Some traits of unhealthy relationships are listed below:

• Control

• Hostility

• Dishonesty

• Disrespect

• Dependence

• Intimidation

• Physical violence

• Sexual violence

In my research for this entry, I also came across studies that showed that long term friendships help teens have more healthy romantic relationships later on than short lived romantic relationships earlier. It seems because they get to practice a lot of the same skills and traits needed in a healthy relationship with friends over time. For more details on the characteristics discussed, click on this link for the whole article.

Spring sports registration is now open! If you already have an account, please log in with your username and password to register your student-athlete. If you are new to the system, please create an account and continue as a new user. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the athletic office at moneill@nburlington.com or call 609-298-3900, ext. 2093. It amy seem a long way off, but take care of it now.

The last Clinical Corner discussed moving more, which can indeed help your mental health and it certainly kept coming up in my research about self care. In an article titled Caring for Your Mental Health by the National Institute of Mental Health, they define self-care as “taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical and mental health”. On top of the tips listed below you also want to make time to acknowledge your feelings and not judge them. Journaling can really help with this sometimes difficult task. Here are the article’s tips or reminders to help you and your student/child fit some you time into your week:

• Stay connected-Reach out to friends or family members who can provide emotional support and practical help

• Focus on positivity-Identify and challenge your negative thoughts

• Practice gratitude-Remind yourself daily of things you are grateful for, no matter how small

• Set goals and priorities-Learn to say no to new things if you already have enough on your plate. And focus on what you did get done instead of how much you didn’t.

• Try a relaxing activity-Explore relaxation apps, journaling, drawing or anything that makes you feel physically calmer.

• Make sleep a priority-Try to stick to a schedule and reduce phone/computer use close to bedtime

• Eat healthy regular meals and stay hydrated-These can improve energy and focus

• Get regular exercise-Even if in small doses it can boost your mood and your health.

Please see this FLIER from our transportation office. The district is looking for full and part time bus drivers. The job includes free training to earn CDL, as well as flexible hours. Feel free to share this flier with others who may be interested.