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Welcome to Grayling High School, home of the
Vikings! I am proud to be the assistant principal at Grayling
High School, and I invite parents to contact me with any concerns through
the e-mail listed above or by phone at 344-3502.
A little bit about myself
I graduated with my teaching degree from Saginaw
Valley State University with a major in history and minors in
mathematics, French and science. Grayling Middle School was my first
full time teaching position where I taught 7th and 8th gade
students math and science beginning in 1994. When a chemistry
position became available at the high school, I transferred and
taught for two years. Since then, I have been in the
administration office in one capacity or another, mostly as
assistant principal.
My home life is quite busy with two children,
Matt and Jennie, who are involved in many extra-curricular
activities. I enjoy mountain biking, kayaking and camping in
the summertime, then cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the
winter.
I believe education is a key that opens many
doors. Without the key, the doors remain closed, but with the
key, any door can be opened. I want nothing more than for your
children to graduate from GHS with a pocketful of keys to open every
door they come to in their lives. If there is ever anything
that I can do to help them to be successful, just ask.
Sincerely,
Melissa Stone
Clean & Safe Hallways
With a
great deal of effort from students, staff, administration and you, GHS hallways became a cleaner and safer place last school year. We
want to keep that great trend going. As was the expectation last
year, the same will hold true this year. Students without passes in
the halls during classes will be issued detentions. Teachers will
stand out in the halls between classes, and administrators will walk
through the school as often as possible during the school day to
encourage a positive environment at GHS!
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Fourth Annual Teacher and Parent Education Series |
Are you the
parent of a child who has been diagnosed with ADD, ODD, ADHD,
Depression, Bipolar Disorder or Autism? If so, Dr. Douglas Slater's
office has provided us with information regarding the "Fourth Annual
Teacher and Parent Education Series," which will be presented by
Sander M. Weckstein, M.D., FAPA, FAAACAP, at Traverse City West
Junior High, free of charge. Time is 6:30-8:00 p.m. Attend one or
attend them all. For further information, call Northern Michigan
Psychiatric Services, PC at 231-935-0355.
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November 8,
2005: "Anxiety Disorders and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in
Children and Adolescents - New Findings and Proven Treatments."
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December 13,
2005: "ADHD: Fact, Fiction, Frontiers and Forging Full Functioning."
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February 7,
2006: "Childhood Depression and Bipolar Disorder - What if We Really
Cared?"
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March 7, 2006:
"The Autistic Spectrum Disorders - Autism, Asperger's and Pervasive
Developmental Disorder NOS.
You may have recently heard in
the news about the deaths caused by "the choking game." Basically,
students choke themselves or their friends until they are
unconscious to experience a High." Unintentionally, students may
cause brain damage or death due to the lack of oxygen. We have had a
few incidents of students playing this game at school.
As parents, you should be aware
of the signs that your child is participating in this game. They
include:
"The choking game is something
that is not well-known and not often talked about. Kids will be
secretive about it and may even pretend that they don't know what
you're talking about if you ask. Persevere and let them know how
dangerous it is," advises
www.guidancechannel.com.
If you have a concern, please contact me, and I can provide you with
more information.
In order to continue with the
school district-wide efforts at decreasing bullying, harassment and
violence, I would like for you to encourage your children to come
and talk with an administrator at any time they feel as if they are
being harassed by others at the high school. We want every student
to feel safe to come to school and receive a high-quality education.
As parents, you can help too. Please teach your child to deal with
conflicts in a peaceful manner by following these proactive
suggestions from the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource
Center:
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Discuss the school's discipline
policy with your child. Show your support for the rules, and help
your child understand the reasons for them.
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Involve your child in setting
rules for appropriate behavior at home.
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Talk with your child about the
violence s/he sees on television, in video games and possibly in the
neighborhood. Help your child understand the consequences of
violence.
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Teach your child how to solve
problems. Praise your child when s/he follows through.
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Help your child find ways to
show anger that do not involve verbally or physically hurting
others.
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When you get angry, use it as
an opportunity to model these appropriate responses for your child
and talk about it.
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Help your child understand the
value of accepting individual differences.
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Note any disturbing behaviors
in your child. For example, frequent angry outbursts, excessive
fighting and bullying of other children, cruelty to animals, fire
setting, frequent behavior problems at school and in the
neighborhood, lack of friends and alcohol or drug abuse can be signs
of serious problems. Get help for your child. Talk with a trusted
professional in your child's school or in the community.
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Keep lines of communication
open with your child - even when it is tough. Encourage your child
to always let you know where and with whom s/he will be. Get to know
your child's friends.
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Listen to your child if s/he
shares concerns about friends who may be exhibiting troubling
behaviors. Share this information with a trusted professional, such
as the school psychologist, principal or a teacher.
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Be involved in your child's
school life by supporting and reviewing homework, talking with
his/her teachers and attending school functions, such as parent
conferences, class programs and open houses.
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Talk with the parents of your
child's friends. Discuss how you can form a team to ensure your
children's safety.
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