Holiday Resolutions

10 Resolutions That Show Your Kids You Care:

1. Teach your children to trust you by seeing you as a role model.

2. Be patient, not just tolerant. Apologize when you make a mistake or do something you regret.

3. Ask teens what they need from you – and do whatever you can to meet those needs.

4. Listen to your teens, a lot. Avoid interrupting.

5. Teach your children about ethics, values and principles they can apply in choices and decision making.

6. Help them discover the feeling of gratitude, not just to say thank you.

7. Keep the promises you make. If you do not keep your word, acknowledge that. Help your teen understand the circumstances or choices that precipitated the change in your plans.

8. Answer your teen’s questions and be consistent. When you notice behavioral changes in them, make yourself available and encourage them to talk about what is going on in their life.

9. Be understanding when they have a difficult time and let them know you will love them no matter what.

10. Be diligent. Have ongoing conversations with your kids about the risks of drugs and alcohol.
www.timetotalk.org

ARCADA Holiday Party

'Tis the season...to wear ugly sweaters :) Actually most of the Christmas attire here is pretty cute but you'll be able to spot the Goodwill variety. Merry Christmas ARCADA and PRC Staff! We want to wish everyone a safe holiday season.

PRCA - News

Great news! The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) has ended its sponsorship relationship with Big Tobacco!

Now is the time to ask the PRCA to replace the US Smokeless Tobacco Company (USSTC) with a healthy sponsor – not another tobacco company - so that they can move closer to the mainstream in sports. Taking big tobacco out of rodeos will make them even more family-friendly.

Many kids admire cowboys and look up to them as role models. The sampling booths, scoreboards, banners, and ads that are part of tobacco sponsorship give young audience members the message that using tobacco is part of being an adult cowboy or rodeo fan. Unfortunately, 14% of 12 to 17 year old boys use smokeless tobacco, and the rates are higher in rural states.

Smokeless tobacco causes deadly and disfiguring cancers, and increases the risk of strokes and fatal heart attacks. Ending the USSTC sponsorship allows the PRCA to be a truly consistent supporter of healthy lifestyles and efforts to reduce cancer rates.

Rodeos are very appealing to children and families, and they are growing in popularity. The PRCA clearly presents profitable sponsorship opportunities to many types of companies that are appropriate for a family-friendly sport like rodeo. Let’s urge the PRCA to reject any new tobacco sponsorship in favor of a more family-friendly sponsor.

Sincerely,

Brian Hutchinson
Director, Grassroots
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Smokeless Tobacco Curriculum comes with Stipend!

The Prevention Resource Center is offering a curriculum called "Spotlight on Smokeless" to Ag and Health teachers in rural schools. We provide the teacher's lesson guides and a workbook for each student and the teacher presents 5 sessions to either 5 classes or 100 students. Here's the great part (besides helping our students say "no" to spit-tobacco) this program comes with a $150 stipend upon completion. Let us know if you are interested in bringing this program to your school. holly.mcfarland@arcadatx.org

Red Ribbon Week Pics from Jim Ned

Kids excited about the Red Ribbons!
Media Awareness (KTXS)
Drug-free activity books

Jim Ned Stuco Sponsored this event

Great American Smokeout

Every Year the Great American Smokeout encourages smokers (and dippers) to quit their disgusting/unhealthy/expensive/burdensome habit. This year the big day is November 19. There are a few websites you may want to promote in your area for the smokeout: http://www.greatamericansmokeout.com/

http://www.mylastdip.com/

or you can encourage smoker's to call 1-877-YES-QUIT...they may even be eligible for free nicotine therapy!

PREVENTION:

Here are some interesting Anti-Tobacco media images that may be useful if you are getting some print or web material together.

SPOTLIGHT:

The Merkel High School Badgers Against Tobacco group organized a week-long event for Tobacco-Free Kids day in March 2009. Check-out this picture of one of their activities that is on the homepage of The Texas School Safety Center's website!

Speaking of Texas Tobacco-Free Kids Day (Kick Butts Day)...it's never too early to start planning. For 2010, Kick Butts Day will be on March 24. Here are some websites to get you started in the planning process for annual event.

http://www.txssc.txstate.edu/

www.kickbuttsday.org

www.tobaccofreekids.org

Be sure to check out that first link for the Texas School Safety Center b/c there are free Teen Summit Weekend Regional Trainings that you could go to this winter!

Red Ribbon Week 2009

Red Ribbon Week 2009 was busy for PRC2 as well as for school counselors, student council sponsors and others who planned, organized, and executed their creative ideas to promote drug-free schools and communities. Here is a picture from the Red Ribbon Week Rally held in Austin on Oct. 15th.

Here are some Awesome Red Ribbon Theme Day Ideas we collected from the different schools we work with...jot these down for next year to implement into your Red Ribbon Festivities:

-Give drugs the boot (Wear Boots)

-Doing Drugs is Nerdy (dress nerdy)

-Sport a drug-free lifestyle (wear college/pro/school jerseys)

-Use your head, don't use drugs (crazy hair of hats)

-Turn your back on drugs (wear clothes backward)

-Give drugs the slip (wear slippers)

-I may be crazy but I don't do drugs (crazy clothes/hair)

-Sock it to Drugs (crazy socks)

-Na-cho ordinary Red Ribbon Week (Fiesta themed dress or party)

-Join our drug-free team (wear favorite team clothes)

-My future is bright without drugs (neon colors or career day dress)

-Drugs and I don't match (mis-match clothes)

-Lei off Drugs (Hawaiin theme)

The PRC gave drug, alcohol and tobacco presentations to schools in our area and also helped with Red Ribbon booths and school carnivals, here are some pictures of Door Prize winners at Cooper High School.

BOO at the ZOO

Over 8,000 people attended this year's Boo at the Zoo at the Abilene Zoological Gardens. The PRC had a Ninja Turtle themed booth and gave out posters, stickers and candy from Pizza boxes in true Ninja Turtle fashion. Our booth was awarded "horrible-mention" (honorable mention). Happy Halloween!

Cooper Cougar at Head Start Fair

The Cooper Cougar was loving our Happy Bunny Stickers at the Head Start Fair.

Abilene Head Start Resource Fair

Head Start and Early Head Start of AISD hosted their annual Community Resource Fair on October 15th. This is a GREAT event...the organizers of this fair went ALL OUT! The mascots from the local High Schools and Universities were there...the Hot Rods of the Police Department were there and tons of other booths, volunteers, and donations made this a really festive event. Thanks for letting us be a part!

Fall Prevention Provider Meeting

There are 11 Prevention Resource Centers in Texas, funded by DSHS, to do the important work of creating and supporting prevention efforts in our regions. Twice a year we get together for some professional development, training, brainstorming and encouragement. Here are is a pictures from our "booth" at the fall meeting. Please ignore the oil painting...hotel art mounted to the wall...

45 Life Lessons

45 Life Lessons by Columnist Regina Brett:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45. The best is yet to come.

Red Ribbon Week

Red Ribbon Week is October 19 - 23! Contact us if you are in one of our counties and would like to receive Red Ribbon Week supplies: Ribbons, bracelets, stickers, bookmarks, posters, activity books, literature, etc. We also do Tobacco Presentations for all grade levels if you would like to set one up.
1-888-PRC-TEXX or holly.mcfarland@arcadatx.org
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/ongoing/red_ribbon/redribbon_factsheet.html

PRC2 Booth at Jack Co. Health Fair

PRC2 sets up booths throughout the year at Health Fairs and other community events. On September 19 we headed to Jack County and set up a booth to hand out literature and incentives on substance abuse and mental health. Check out these pictures of the staff visiting the other booths and playing dress-up.
http://www.jackcounty.org/
For more info on Jack County, location and upcoming events.