Given the high rates of suicide found in FCPS, especially this past year, I urge people to suggest to the school board to implement a plan of action. This plan may include a prevention program involving mailing flyers with information (warning signs, how to talk to your children, what to do), better access to school psychologists, and more openly advertised access to such specialists.

As a community, it is our job to ensure the continuance of posterity. These are friends, family, and neighbors. We all need to do our part to help each other and provide a supportive environment, especially in times of great despair.

Why not make parents take classes on responsibility. Most of the time the ditch their obligations to the schools anyway.

Although it is a concern that parents need to communicate better with their children. It effects everyone. When someone commits suicide it affects teachers, friends, classmates, neighbors, and family members.

Yes, parents need to take a bigger step towards open communication.

But, as an authoritative system (a sort of government if you will) FCPS needs to take a more clear and bold stance on the issue. Public awareness is key.



Parenting Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why not make parents take classes on
> responsibility. Most of the time the ditch their
> obligations to the schools anyway.

girl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Given the high rates of suicide found in FCPS,
> especially this past year, I urge people to
> suggest to the school board to implement a plan of
> action. This plan may include a prevention program
> involving mailing flyers with information (warning
> signs, how to talk to your children, what to do),
> better access to school psychologists, and more
> openly advertised access to such specialists.
>
> As a community, it is our job to ensure the
> continuance of posterity. These are friends,
> family, and neighbors. We all need to do our part
> to help each other and provide a supportive
> environment, especially in times of great despair.

1. This is a family issue. If the school does anything proactively, it should be to provide the information you mentioned to the parents, period. The school should not be deciding who is and is not suicidal.

EXCEPTION: If the child approaches administration or the counselor and admits suicidal thoughts, then yes, the school should intervene.

2. All the informational pamphlets and meetings in the world won't help if the parent doesn't know their kid well enough to see something's wrong. People who are genuinely suicidal try to hide it until they actually kill themselves. People who talk openly about wanting to kill themselves are more than likely issuing the "cry for help."

3. Parents need to stop doping up their kids. Many antidepressants actually trigger suicidal behavior in younger people. Parents need to be aware that throwing pills at the problem is not a solution and may make things worse.

--------------------------------------------------------------
13 4826 0948 82695 25847. Yes.

If schools were filled with students and teachers, the families would have to take responsibility for the rest. The support from the shut-out community would out perform any PTA. Trailers may never be needed, staplers may not cost $60, and stakeholders would be the community who has invested in the outcome. Hmmm... dreaming again.

Actually there is a Student Safety and Wellness Office within the FCPS, and they have some sort of suicide prevention program. A quick search brought up two brochures they have out.

http://www.fcps.edu/dss/ips/ssaw/suicideprevention.htm

girl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Given the high rates of suicide found in FCPS

Starting with garbage data is not a good idea. Here is a chart of suicide rates quickly found via Google (up to 2007):



Given this data and the FCPS student population of about 175,000:

http://schoolprofiles.fcps.edu/schlprfl/f?p=108:42:2291321588522132

you SHOULD expect about 15+ suicides in the student population per year under the most normal of situations.

Any suicide, of course, is silly and pretty much tragic but saying there is an extraordinary large number of them is just wrong - there are not.

A student at Lee took his life Sunday by hanging.

I know there was a female student at Edison about a month ago that also took her life.

I heard the Lee student was an excellent runner. Does anyone know if there was a suspension involved that might have triggered the suicide?

Are they teaching zero tolerance for suicide?

They should play "Teenage Suicide Don't Do It" by Big Fun every morning with announcements.

The track runner at Lee was not suspended or any such thing.

Johnny Walker Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They should play "Teenage Suicide Don't Do It" by
> Big Fun every morning with announcements.

You mean like this...?

Hey kids, don't let stress get you down...
Attachments:

hey KIDS! Dont kill yourself. Hell lasts longer than Period 5. And there's no Coke Machines either :(

I had a conversation with both my kids yesterday about bullying and was informed that there is a kid at Robinson HS being picked on by other students in the men's locker room. I asked my son, where are the teachers and he said in their offices so I immediately emailed his counselor and my exact words were. X is being bullied in PE and someone needs to do something about it right away before you have to make funeral plans for one of your students. I was blunt about it and demanded a call back the following monday.
When the counselor called me on monday, she was upset at me for my harsh words. I said to her, you would use the same words if it was your child and I feel the bullying has to stop and NOW.
This is so frustrating and I wish I could do more.

Helpless Mom

Good for you!

What a pathetic counselor who thinks about her bruised ego instead of thanking you!

These people in our schools need to DO THEIR JOB!!!!

Or get the hell out.

I head from a neighbor that the bullying situation with 8th graders at Robinson is highly dangerous. Good Job Laura. We all need to show counselors and administrators that we know bullying is going on and that we wont' tolerated.
Again, thanks Laura

Kids only think about themselves during the teenage years. I think having an honest talk with them about suicide is good.

The hard part is sometimes you can't tell between regular teenage behavior(moodiness, cranky, withdrawn)and harmful teenage behavior.

Just getting teens to talk is hard. I guess if we talk we just pray they will listen.

I hope the parents of the young man being picked on were notified. I feel sorry that he has no one to turn too.

I would hate for that to be my kid and I did not know about it.

I do not know how I would handle it if I knew and the kid never gets help.

It is a sad situation.

Laura Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I had a conversation with both my kids yesterday
> about bullying and was informed that there is a
> kid at Robinson HS being picked on by other
> students in the men's locker room. I asked my son,
> where are the teachers and he said in their
> offices so I immediately emailed his counselor and
> my exact words were. X is being bullied in PE and
> someone needs to do something about it right away
> before you have to make funeral plans for one of
> your students. I was blunt about it and demanded a
> call back the following monday.
> When the counselor called me on monday, she was
> upset at me for my harsh words. I said to her, you
> would use the same words if it was your child and
> I feel the bullying has to stop and NOW.
> This is so frustrating and I wish I could do
> more.
>
> Helpless Mom

Maybe things have changed since I was in 8th grade, but back then, if a mother called the school and got some kids in trouble for bullying another kid, things got worse for the kid being bullied.

The bullies aren't going to know or care that it wasn't the kid's mother who brought it to the administration's attention. All they're going to see is that this kid got them in trouble somehow, so now they have a reason to pick on him.

Hope you didn't make things worse for the kid.

--------------------------------------------------------------
13 4826 0948 82695 25847. Yes.

MrMephisto Wrote:

>
> Maybe things have changed since I was in 8th
> grade, but back then, if a mother called the
> school and got some kids in trouble for bullying
> another kid, things got worse for the kid being
> bullied.
>
>

Mephisto would know...his mom did it to him.

I see what you mean but I don't think the kids who are the trouble makers will know who turned them in. The only problem it they may try and turn on the kid who is

I would tell my kid if he was being picked on to get a group of his friends around him and kick the other kid in the nuts. Once they see he will defend himself they may lay off him.

You know this is why kids bring guns to school or kill themselves. Shame on FCPS for looking the other way. This is why we should have middle schools. Robinson is just way too big.

Finally, someone with a backbone on this thread. Why not go to the school in person for a meeting with the principal on this subject. I did some research today and there are alot of suicides popping up out of Fairfax County schools.

Laura Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I had a conversation with both my kids yesterday
> about bullying and was informed that there is a
> kid at Robinson HS being picked on by other
> students in the men's locker room. I asked my son,
> where are the teachers and he said in their
> offices so I immediately emailed his counselor and
> my exact words were. X is being bullied in PE and
> someone needs to do something about it right away
> before you have to make funeral plans for one of
> your students. I was blunt about it and demanded a
> call back the following monday.
> When the counselor called me on monday, she was
> upset at me for my harsh words. I said to her, you
> would use the same words if it was your child and
> I feel the bullying has to stop and NOW.
> This is so frustrating and I wish I could do
> more.
>
> Helpless Mom


Status quo for Robinson Secondary. Many many egotistic administrators run that establishment.

The school is way too big. You would not believe what goes on. Nobody can have an inside when you have some many students.

JD is crazy if he thinks big schools are better. We are bigger then some colleges.

The only good thing is our sports dept.

MrMephisto Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The bullies aren't going to know or care that it
> wasn't the kid's mother who brought it to the
> administration's attention. All they're going to
> see is that this kid got them in trouble somehow,
> so now they have a reason to pick on him.
>
> Hope you didn't make things worse for the kid.

Mephisto, you're an ass.

If the kid being bullied defended himself and got suspended/transferred for it under FCPS' draconian one-size-fits-all disciplinary policy, you'd be here telling us you have "no sympathy" for him.

If someone turns the bullies in, you intimate that the "snitches" may have done more harm than good.

What do you suggest? Just let the bullies do their thing? Or are you just intentionally being a contrary asshole?

Kim Dockery needs to get her staff out INTO the schools.

Stop issuing these stupid brochures that kids don't read and talking to parents.

TALK TO KIDS!

They should have these suicide preventive workshops in each school.

Enough is enough-we are lsoing too many students.

talk to the kids Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Kim Dockery needs to get her staff out INTO the
> schools.
>
> Stop issuing these stupid brochures that kids
> don't read and talking to parents.
>
> TALK TO KIDS!
>
> They should have these suicide preventive
> workshops in each school.
>
> Enough is enough-we are lsoing too many students.

And what have you done to help the situation? Nothing...Am I right?

Ut videam Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MrMephisto Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The bullies aren't going to know or care that
> it
> > wasn't the kid's mother who brought it to the
> > administration's attention. All they're going
> to
> > see is that this kid got them in trouble
> somehow,
> > so now they have a reason to pick on him.
> >
> > Hope you didn't make things worse for the kid.
>
> Mephisto, you're an ass.
>
> If the kid being bullied defended himself and got
> suspended/transferred for it under FCPS' draconian
> one-size-fits-all disciplinary policy, you'd be
> here telling us you have "no sympathy" for him.
>
> If someone turns the bullies in, you intimate that
> the "snitches" may have done more harm than good.
>
> What do you suggest? Just let the bullies do their
> thing? Or are you just intentionally being a
> contrary asshole?


Agree. What does it take for school staff to step up to the plate and DO their job?

Verdad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ut videam Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > MrMephisto Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > The bullies aren't going to know or care that
> > it
> > > wasn't the kid's mother who brought it to the
> > > administration's attention. All they're
> going
> > to
> > > see is that this kid got them in trouble
> > somehow,
> > > so now they have a reason to pick on him.
> > >
> > > Hope you didn't make things worse for the
> kid.
> >
> > Mephisto, you're an ass.
> >
> > If the kid being bullied defended himself and
> got
> > suspended/transferred for it under FCPS'
> draconian
> > one-size-fits-all disciplinary policy, you'd be
> > here telling us you have "no sympathy" for him.
> >
> > If someone turns the bullies in, you intimate
> that
> > the "snitches" may have done more harm than
> good.
> >
> > What do you suggest? Just let the bullies do
> their
> > thing? Or are you just intentionally being a
> > contrary asshole?
>
>
> Agree. What does it take for school staff to
> step up to the plate and DO their job?


They need a serious ass kicking. I don't think you're up to it though, you're the biggest pussy on here.

No one knows your child better then you. Talk to your kids about suicide prevention.

Bullies have been around forever. Now they have Facebook and cell phones so they can be mean in many different ways.

I am on my childs Facebook page as a friend. When my kids turns 18 I will take myself off.

Try and at least figure out who your kids friends are and get involved.

talk to the kids Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Kim Dockery needs to get her staff out INTO the
> schools.
>
> Stop issuing these stupid brochures that kids
> don't read and talking to parents.
>
> TALK TO KIDS!
>
> They should have these suicide preventive
> workshops in each school.
>
> Enough is enough-we are lsoing too many students.




classic fcps parent always wanting the school to raise their kid for them.

Please look up the "The Will to Live Foundation". It is a sad story with a great message. I hope we can get together and help our kids just like the Weintraup family is doing. Their wonderful son committed suicide after showing no signs of mental illness. He was an around American great kid.

Requesting help from "the schools" is like asking the Federal Reserve and Treasury Dept. to salvage what remains of Wall St.
The damage is to our families -- not "the schools" in any meaningful way.
Wake up - this is basic social engineering and many souls have been sold long ago. I do not allow my children to fear these people.

the problem is the mental health system overall in the US

You are all discussing suicide as if there must have been some trigger or family issue. That's not always the case. Many times it is simply the pressure from sports, friends, homework, extracurriculars, school, and a lack of sleep. Parents in "healthy" families push too hard sometimes, which can also act as a cayalyst to the issue. Students do not commit suicide for selfish reasons or because they are "moody." Students commit suicide because they cannot handle whatever they are expected to handle on a daily basis. While this may include bullying and family issues, it does not always, and that is a fact that needs to be addressed and advertized.

FCPS student perspective Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You are all discussing suicide as if there must
> have been some trigger or family issue. That's not
> always the case. Many times it is simply the
> pressure from sports, friends, homework,
> extracurriculars, school, and a lack of sleep.
> Parents in "healthy" families push too hard
> sometimes, which can also act as a cayalyst to the
> issue. Students do not commit suicide for selfish
> reasons or because they are "moody." Students
> commit suicide because they cannot handle whatever
> they are expected to handle on a daily basis.
> While this may include bullying and family issues,
> it does not always, and that is a fact that needs
> to be addressed and advertized.

hope ot helps