May 2010 Calendar Resources

All Night Parties

The two most frightening times of the school year for principals and staff are prom and graduation. In an effort to provide a tragedy-free prom and graduation season, schools, parents and communities across the country are joining forces to provide alcohol and drug-free "All Night Parties" for their students as a safe alternative to the usual drinking and driving from party to party that takes place.

Many students feel that after prom and graduation their celebrations must include alcohol – that they’re a rite of passage. Some parents even condone these celebrations, rationalizing that since young people are "going to drink anyway," why not provide them a place, take their keys and let them party?

Young people attend parties throughout the year, but peer pressure is highest on these two occasions, when energy and excitement run high and students feel invincible. The "All Nighter" is a chance to give our young people a wonderful memory, keep them alive, build a tradition and provide them a stress-free alternative. They don’t have to make a decision to drink or not to drink: there is no choice – and no chance to lose face. And everyone has a party to attend and celebrate together. No one is left out. In the case of a senior prom or graduation celebration, it will be the last time they will be together as a class. What is important for parents is that they will know where their students are, what they are doing and that they are safe while having the time of their lives. Parents can actually go to bed and get a good night’s sleep. If your school and community already hosts an all night prom or graduation party, congratulations! If not, it’s never too late to start.

One of the most important aspects of having a successful "All Nighter" (besides the food) is the activity. You need to have lots of different activities. While "Shop ‘Til You Drop" is apropos of spending the day at the mall, "Play ‘Til You Plop" is the name of the game at the All Night Bash.

An All Night Bash can be as successful in your own high school as in a health club or other facility if you make the decorations outrageous and the activities fun and exciting. Tie the activities into your theme: for instance, if your theme is a jungle theme, instead of just bowling, call it coconut bowling. Plan activities for the entire evening. If there is a lag time between activities, some students may get bored.

Try some of these zany ideas for adding fun and silliness to your "All Night Bash."

Have a great time!

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Prom Promise

For free SADD National prom materials, call 1-877-SADD-INC or email kandrasko@sadd.com

Have prom promise among dates. Make up a contract for dates to sign together (about remaining sober for the prom). Make the contract out of a red heart shaped paper.

Other Prom Ideas

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Commencement Commitment

Make up a contract for graduates to sign together (about remaining sober). Make the contract look like a diploma, roll it up, tie a SADD ribbon around it, and ask the Principal to hand them out to graduates at commencement.

Use any of the above suggestions for activity ideas.

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Mental Health Month

Website: www.nmha.org

“Although people spend far more time addressing their physical health than their mental health, we know that mental illness is more common than cancer, lung and heart disease combined. And untreated mental illness can complicate many minor and serious physical disorders. It’s up to us to convince the public that caring for their mental health is key to living full and productive lives—and to show people how they can do it, every day.” National Mental Health Association http://www.nmha.org/may/index.cfm

Visit their website for great information and suggestions on how you can promote Mental Health Month at your school.

Perhaps you could have your school administrators agree to a “Mental Health Day” at your school. On that day your could have a Mental Health Fair and invite all of your local health care agencies to set up a booth; have a fun activity set up (perhaps with the help of your athletic department) to emphasize the importance of fun in your life; invite a face painter to paint faces for the silliness of it; have a panel of experts speak at an assembly on good mental health; etc.

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Clean Air Month

Website: www.lungusa.org

The American Lung Association offers a wide variety of health education programs to help students breathe easier. From smoking prevention and cessation programs to asthma education to indoor air quality programs in schools, they are a resource for educators nationwide. For more information on programs in your area, call your local American Lung Association at 1-800-LUNG-USA.

Visit their website for data and information specific to your area at http://lungaction.org/reports/stateoftheair2005.html and http://www.lungusa.org/local/.

Ideas for activities:

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National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month

Website: www.advocatesforyouth.org

The National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month (NTPPM) Planning Guidebook (http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/orderform.htm) provides strategic organizing tips and examples to help local communities plan and coordinate activities in May for National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month (NTPPM). It also includes great ideas for teens' involvement, fact sheets, stickers, strategies for schools, and suggestions for conducting NTPPM media campaigns. It is not, however, free. There is a $30 charge for the 70 p. guidebook, and NTPPM Campaign materials can be purchased separately: bookmarks (100) $10.00; stickers (100) $10.00; and posters (10) $10.00.

This web site (http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/teens/index.htm) offers links and information that you will find useful in planning your awareness campaign.

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National Teacher Appreciation Week (May 3-7)

Website: http://www.pta.org

SADD chapters would not exist if it were not for the dedication and hard work of the chapter advisors, most of whom are teachers. Students, take this week to show your appreciation for all that your chapter advisor has done over the past year/s to make your chapter the success that it is. And please start by telling them how much FLORIDA SADD appreciates everything that they do.

Here are some suggestions from the National PTA website on how students and parents can show their appreciation:

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National SAFE KIDS Week (April 26-May 3)

Website: www.safekids.org

Medical professionals have long referred to May through August as "trauma season" because unintentional injuries and deaths spike dramatically. Children are rushed to the hospital nearly 3 million times for serious injuries during these months, and an estimated 2550 children lose their lives. Nearly 28 million children ride bicycles and the popularity of scooters, skateboards and inline skates has been skyrocketing. The National SAFE KIDS Campaign found that nearly 51 percent of children ages 10 to 14 who suffered a serious bike injury were diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, compared to 44 percent of children ages 5 to 9 and 38 percent of children ages 4 and under.

National SAFE KIDS week is an opportunity for your clubs to get the word out regarding safe bicycling, skateboarding, inline skating, etc. Be sure to visit the National Safe Kids Campaign web page for ideas and facts at www.safekids.org.

Here are two examples of activities:

"Build a Better Bike Helmet"

"Egg Drop"

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National Suicide Awareness Week (April 28-May 4)

Website: http://www.suicidology.org

Every 17 minutes, another person dies from suicide. But, suicide does not just happen out of the blue. It is often the end result of a battle with depression that may have involved cries for help. Suicide may occur when signs of depression are misunderstood or ignored. Too many teens die from suicide when their problems could easily be treated by recognizing the symptoms of depression.

A stigma that has existed about suicide and depression keeps many people from discussing the issue. If suicide is not discussed, people will not be informed. If people are not informed, they cannot get help. If they do not get help, they will continue to die needlessly. To find out if you or someone you love is suffering from depression, visit a free National Depression Screening Day analysis site near you. Or, log onto http://www.depression-screening.org and take a free, confidential test online.

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Childhood Depression Awareness Day (May 6)

Website: www.mentalhealthamerica.net/index.cfm

Depression affects as many as one in every 33 children and one in eight adolescents, according to the Federal Center for Mental Health Services. Once a child experiences an episode of depression, he or she is at risk of having another episode within the next five years.

The symptoms of depression may look different in youth than in adults, and as a result, are often overlooked or misunderstood. Consequences of untreated depression can include social isolation, difficulties at home and school, and an increased risk of suicide.

“The fact that one in five children has a diagnosable mental health problem but less than a third receives care is cause for alarm,” says Michael Faenza, president and CEO of NMHA. “Promoting mental health awareness and knowing the warning signs are essential to improving and even saving young people who may be risk for depression and other mental illnesses.”

Please visit the National Mental Health Association’s web site at http://www.nmha.org for free materials, information, and resources for your club to present a successful National Childhood Depression Awareness Day.

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National Police Week (May 11-17)

Website: www.nationalpoliceweek.com

To pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and to voice our appreciation for all those who currently serve on the front lines of the battle against crime, the Congress, by a joint resolution approved October 1, 1962 (75 Stat.676), has authorized and requested President Kennedy to designate May 15 of each year as "Peace Officers Memorial Day," and the week in which it falls as "Police Week" and by Public Law 103-322 (36 U.S.C. 175) has requested that the flag be flown at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day.

Show your appreciation for your local police department by honoring them in any way that you can. One way is to create a school proclamation, gather as many signatures as you can, and invite the Chief of Police to a school assembly to give it to him/her. Here’s a sample proclamation:

Whereas, The Congress and President of the United States have designated May 15 as Peace Officers' Memorial Day, and the week in which May 15 falls as National Police week; and

Whereas, the members of the law enforcement agency of (municipality) play an essential role in safeguarding the rights and freedoms of (municipality); and

Whereas, it is important that all citizens know and understand the duties, responsibilities, hazards, and sacrifices of their law enforcement agency, and that members of our law enforcement agency recognize their duty to serve the people by safeguarding life and property, by protecting them against violence and disorder, and by protecting the innocent against deception and the weak against oppression; and

Whereas, the men and women of the law enforcement agency of (municipality) unceasingly provide a vital public service;

Now, therefore, we, (title) of (school), call upon all citizens of (municipality) and upon all patriotic, civic and educational organizations to observe the week of May (date) - (date), (year), as Police Week with appropriate ceremonies and observances in which all of our people may join in commemorating law enforcement officers, past and present, who, by their faithful and loyal devotion to their responsibilities, have rendered a dedicated service to their communities and, in so doing, have established for themselves an enviable and enduring reputation for preserving the rights and security of all citizens.

We further call upon all students of (school) to observe (day), May (date), as Peace Officers' Memorial Day in honor of those law enforcement officers who, through their courageous deeds, have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their community or have become disabled in the performance of duty, and let us recognize and pay respect to the survivors of our fallen heroes.

In witness thereof, we have hereunto set our hand and signed our appreciation below.

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Click It or Ticket" National Enforcement Mobilization (May 24-June 6)

Website: www.nhtsa.gov

"Click It or Ticket" National Enforcement Mobilization campaign is a national one that is coordinated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It was developed to address the serious issue of seat belt usage. As you already know, car crashes are the number one cause of death for teens in this country. Those statistics could radically be changed if every one of us made sure that each passenger in the car was buckled up. Such a simple thing to do, with such incredible results!

Learn how to promote an environment that will Buckle Up and more about seat belt safety at the following websites. www.trafficsafety.org, www.nsc.org, and at www.nhtsa.gov.

Seat Belt Awareness Activities

We all know seat belts save lives, but teenagers today still do not wear their seat belts, and they are dying as a result. Statistics from the 2008 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration traffic safety survey show that seat belt use continues to be lower among 16- to 24-year-olds than other age groups. SADD chapters need to make seat belt use a high priority. We need to do all we can to increase seat belt use by young people. The following is a list of activities that SADD chapters in other schools have conducted.

Middle School Buckle-Up Activity

When conducting seat belt check, address it to the parents in the pick-up line at your school. Give each driver who is wearing a seat belt a lifesaver with a message saying “Thanks for being a lifesaver.” Those drivers who are not wearing a seat belt should receive a dum-dum with a message saying “Please don’t be a dum-dum. Always buckle up!”

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Click It Or Ticket – Memorial Day Weekend

Safety experts predict that the Click It Or Ticket campaign can prevent an estimated 10,427 injuries and save more than 600 lives each year as a result of increased seat belt use. The Click It Or Ticket wave coincides with Buckle Up Florida’s enforcement wave and is part of a 50-state coordinated effort. During the Memorial Day holiday week, more than 10,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide will crack down on drivers who break adult or child restraint laws.

Here are some suggested activities to promote the Click It Or Ticket campaign:

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World "No Tobacco" Day (May 31)

Website: www.who.int/tobacco/en

Every year, tobacco kills 3.5 million people around the world. In other words, about 10,000 people around the world die from tobacco every day. One million of these deaths currently occur in developing countries. Of course, the best thing is to not start smoking at all. But if you have, or you know someone who smokes, now is a good time to share information on quitting!

How fast your body recovers from smoking:

Quitting tips

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National Bike Month

Websites:
www.bikemonth.com
www.bicyclinginfo.org

Americans have been commemorating National Bike Month in May for 47 years, thanks to the League of American Bicyclists www.bikeleague.org. Timed to coincide with the arrival of warmer weather, the event has inspired countless bike rides, safety inspections, commuter challenges, ribbon-cuttings, "share the road" promotions, and other varied celebrations of bicycling in communities across the nation.

One of the most popular activities in Bike Month is encouraging people to bicycle to school or work and forsake their motor vehicles for just one day. Bicycling is fun, healthy, safe, convenient, and by riding you are setting a great example to others. So above all have a great time riding. Communities across the United States celebrate National Bike Month with all kinds of events and activities, so find out what's going on in your community, follow these simple tips and have a great ride. http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/insight/features/started.htm

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Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

Websites:
www.smsa.org
www.msf-usa.org

Each year, May is designated Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. States and motorcycle organizations across the country conduct a variety of activities to promote the importance of motorist awareness and sharing the road with motorcyclists.

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