Parents can become informed about the warning signs of suicide that they may see in their teens or their teens’ friends.

These are general signs that a teen may be troubled. There is no list of definite, specific signs that a teen may be thinking about hurting himself or herself. Parents should not hesitate to err in the direction of over- versus underreacting. Warning signs are listed on the FACTS sheet you received. 

1. Create occasions for communication.
   • No TV during dinner.
   • At times, no radio in the car.
   • Do chores together.
   • Stop by just before bedtime—teens are more relaxed and less guarded at this time.
   • Share information about your day and feelings. (Often parents don’t engage in small talk with their kids. Instead most of their communication consists of questions and “tidying up” kids’ behavior.)
   • Find common interests/activities.
2. When you talk with your teen:
   • Really listen.
   • Try to understand his or her viewpoint first, before trying to provide an alternate viewpoint.
   • Accept your teen’s feelings and concerns rather than evaluate. (Avoid statements such as “You shouldn’t get upset over that!” and “If you had made a decision earlier, this wouldn’t have happened!”)
   • Don’t minimize. (Avoid statements such as “Everyone feels that way.” and “Don’t let little things like that get to you.”)
   • Recall that your teen sees his or her experience as unique. Acknowledge this and then let him or her know that others may have also struggled with these concerns.
   • Don’t compare your teen with siblings, other kids, or your childhood.
   • Don’t overreact. (Avoid statements such as “How could you think something like that?”)
   • Pause; take a deep breath and listen.
   • Have definite standards and limits, but follow the rule of minimum conformity. That is, decide on the absolute minimum requirements for behavior, talk, dress, and so forth, and let the rest go. You can’t enforce these anyway, and the more requirements you have, the less influence you have.
3. Be aware of the pressures and expectations you place on your child. Clearly, kids must learn to stick it out and develop discipline, but each achieves in his or her own way and at different paces. It is difficult to walk the line between preparing kids for life’s pressures and adding too much pressure of your own in regard to school, sports, achievement, appearance, manners, and so forth.
4. Be aware of demands kids place on themselves. This may be a very important source of stress for teens.
5. Follow this simple rule from Dr. Hiam Ginott, author of Between Parent and Child: “Acknowledgment always precedes advice or directives.” (For example, “I know that college was very important to you and I can see this is very upsetting, but let’s look at some other alternatives.” or “I see that Tom meant a lot to you. This is hard, but I’m wondering if you’re not being a bit hard on yourself.”)

If your child seems troubled or makes a seemingly out-of-the-blue comment about harming himself or herself, don’t worry about taking it too seriously. Sit your child down, let him or her know of your concern, and say that you would rather overreact than underreact and that you will always respond to such behavior or statements. 

If you are unsure of how to respond to your child, talk to another adult whom you trust: another parent, school personnel, clergy or religious leader, or a mental health provider. Then decide on a specific course of action. 

Remember that it is difficult for parents to imagine that their teens could feel so bad that suicide is a possible alternative. But recall that parents of teens who have died by suicide all say that they also felt this way, and they urge parents to listen and take action.

The final point in regard to parents’ responsibilities has to do with two facts: (1) much of teen suicide is more impulsive than adult suicide, and (2) the primary method of teen suicide is firearms. Thus, restricting access to means is an important way to prevent suicide. For now, this may mean keeping firearms locked up, but this is not foolproof. Clearly, if a teen is depressed or anxious, or is exhibiting impulsive behavior, guns should be removed from the house.

Download a pdf copy of the What Can Parents Do?

As parents, your role in suicide prevention is crucial. You know your child’s moods and behaviors better than anyone else. If certain behaviors concern you, it’s important to take these worries seriously. Here are guidelines to follow when addressing worrisome behaviors with your child:

• Don’t worry about overreacting. Sit with your child and let him or her know about your concerns. (“You said something that worries me.” or “You don’t seem to be yourself lately.”)
• Be specific about your concerns. (“I’ve noticed you aren’t spending as much time with your friends and you seem annoyed when they call you.” or “You spend hours doing your homework, but every time I check on you, you’re just staring into space.” or “Your teacher called and said you’re failing English because you’re late to class almost every day.”)
• Expect your child to discount your concerns. (“All the kids are having trouble getting homework finished.” or “My friends are annoying.” or “That teacher fails everybody.”) Explain that you’re not concerned about everybody in the class. You are concerned about your child. Be prepared to offer more than one example; the more evidence you have, the harder it will be for your child to minimize your examples.
• If your child says anything that even hints at thoughts of suicide, ask about it. For example, statements like “Sometimes I’m not sure life is worth living.” or “I just can’t take it much more.” must be explored further! You cannot plant the idea of suicide in your child’s mind by asking about it! In asking about thoughts of suicide, you open up the lines of communication as well as introduce the idea of help-seeking behavior by asking to hear more about your child’s distressing thoughts.
• Act immediately if you have concerns about suicide. Get your child to a mental health professional as soon as possible for an evaluation. There are several ways to do this. Click here for a list of local and national mental health resources.
• Whatever resource you choose, indicate the urgency of the situation. Make sure to use the phrase “at risk for suicide.” (“I’m concerned that my son may be at risk for suicide and I’d like to schedule an evaluation as soon as possible.”) Although the evaluation might determine that your child is not at immediate risk for suicide, this is an assessment you’d like to have made quickly, and it is a decision that is best left to a trained mental health professional.

Download a pdf copy of the Addressing Worrisome Behaviors

Talking with your child about suicide is as important as talking about drugs and alcohol and safe driving. However, it can be difficult to bring up this subject with your child. Below are tips for talking with your child about suicide.

1. Pick a good time. You want your child’s full attention, so choose a time when there are minimal distractions and a reasonable degree of privacy.
2. Be conversational. Remember that your goal is to have a conversation with your child, not deliver a lecture. It always helps to have a “reference point”— such as an event or a news story or the school’s Lifelines classes—to start the conversation. (“I was reading in the newspaper that the rate of suicide for teens has increased . . .” or “I noticed on the school’s Web site that the school is having a suicide prevention workshop for the teachers . . .”)
3. Be honest. If this is a hard subject for you to talk about, acknowledge it. (“You know, I never thought I’d be talking with you about suicide. It’s a topic I’ve never been really comfortable with . . .”) By acknowledging your discomfort, you give your child permission to acknowledge his or her discomfort, too.
4. Be direct. Ask open-ended questions to clarify your child’s responses. (“Tell me how you feel talking about suicide.” “What do you think about suicide?” “What have you learned about suicide in school?”)
5. Listen to what your child has to say. You’ve brought up the topic. You’re interested in his or her responses, so simply listen to your child’s answers. Don’t interrupt or interject your opinion unless asked.
6. If you hear something that worries you, ask for more information. (“You say that one of your friends has talked about suicide. Tell me more.”)
7. Open the door to revisit the conversation. Suicide isn’t a one-time discussion topic. Once you’ve made it okay to talk about, it should be easier to bring up again. If you’ve heard something that concerns you, make sure to ask about it again.

http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Warning signs of suicide can be organized around the word “FACTS.”

FEELINGS

• Hopelessness: feeling like things are bad and won’t get any better
• Fear of losing control, going crazy, harming himself/herself or others
• Helplessness: a belief that there’s nothing that can be done to make life better
• Worthlessness: feeling like an awful person and that people would be better off if he/she were dead
• Hating himself/herself, feeling guilty or ashamed 
• Being extremely sad and lonely
• Feeling anxious, worried, or angry all the time

ACTIONS

• Drug or alcohol abuse
• Talking or writing about death or destruction
• Aggression: getting into fights or having arguments with other people
• Recklessness: doing risky or dangerous things

CHANGES

• Personality: behaving like a different person, becoming withdrawn, tired all the time, not caring about anything, or becoming more talkative or outgoing
• Behavior: can’t concentrate on school or regular tasks
• Sleeping pattern: sleeping all the time or not being able to sleep at all, or waking up in the middle of the night or early in the morning and not being able to get back to sleep
• Eating habits: loss of appetite and/or overeating and gaining weight
• Losing interest in friends, hobbies, and appearance or in activities or sports previously enjoyed
• Sudden improvement after a period of being down or withdrawn

THREATS

• Statements like “How long does it take to bleed to death?”
• Threats like “I won’t be around much longer” or “Don’t tell anyone else . . . you won’t be my friend if you tell!”
• Plans like giving away favorite things, studying about ways to die, obtaining a weapon or a stash of pills: the risk is very high if a person has a plan and the way to do it.
• Suicide attempts like overdosing, wrist cutting

SITUATIONS

• Getting into trouble at school, at home, or with the law
• Recent loss through death, divorce, or separation; the breakup of a relationship; losing an opportunity or a dream; losing self-esteem
• Changes in life that feel overwhelming
• Being exposed to suicide or the death of a peer under any circumstances

Download a pdf copy of the FACTS Warning Signs

A student safety & wellness program

P-H-M Administration and the Board of School Trustees have examined all facets of our safety protocols. Safety is a number one priority for Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation; but as we all know, safety no longer just refers to students’ physical safety. We also need to make sure we’re equipped to help our students feel emotionally and psychologically safe.

The school district began working with Ms. Alice Jordan-Miles, Director of the Behavioral Health and Family Studies Institute at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, in the winter of 2016 to identify a suicide prevention and mental wellness program for P-H-M students in grades 7-12. The Lifelines Program is a 20-year evidence-based curriculum designed to assist school districts with the preparation steps and implementation of a student wellness initiative. Lifelines student curriculum is comprised of four 45 minute sessions that will be incorporated into PE and Wellness classes throughout the school year starting in the fall of 2016. The sessions will focus on these topics:

• What to do when a friend is in trouble
• How to help a friend in trouble
• Where a student can go to get help
• How to use what they’ve learned

P-H-M’s goal is to cultivate an informed caring community to help prevent vulnerable individuals from ending their lives. P-H-M families, parents and guardians are a key component to the success of the Lifelines Program.

Click on the resource links below to find the help you need to assist a struggling child …

• Parent Tips on “13 Reasons Why” & Suicide
• Parent Talking Points for “13 Reasons Why”
• Parent Workshop video 
• Warning Signs
• Starting the Conversation
• Addressing Worrisome Behaviors
• What Can Parents Do?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Mental Health Flow Chart
• Local & National Mental Health Resources
• Grief Resources for Parents

National Night Out is celebrated by hundreds of communities across the United States on the first Tuesday in August. 

The annual event—now in its 33^rd year—brings together members of local law enforcement and the communities they serve in a free evening of food, fun and fellowship.

This year Michiana will celebrate National Night Out at Penn High School on Tuesday, August 2. 

The event will be from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. with all activities on Penn’s football practice field, adjacent to TCU Freed Field on the east side of the high school. 

Sponsored by St. Joseph County Police, along with other local businesses and community partners, there is no charge to park or attend. 

The weather forecasters are predicting a perfect summer evening, so plan to get out and get in on the fun! 

The Pesticide Use at School's Rule went into effect in 2010 as part of Indiana state law.

The purpose of the rule is to minimize the potential for pesticide exposure to students at school by ensuring the following:

• That pesticides are only used by certified applicators or individuals they supervise.
• Pesticides are not used when students are in the application area.
• Pesticides are stored in locked and marked areas.
• Advance notice of pesticide applications is provided to interested parents and staff.
• School corporations keep records of pesticide applications.
• Pesticides with the lowest hazard to children are used whenever possible.

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation is in compliance with these rules and as a parent or guardian, you can register to receive notification of when pesticides will be used at your child's school.

Please send notice in writing or by email to your school's office (this is a list of schools and their contact information) asking to be added to the notification registry for pesticides at your school. You will need to include your name, address, phone number and email address to be added to the notification registry. We will notify you 48 hours in advance of the application.

You can find extensive information about Rule 16: Pesticide Use at Schools on the Indiana Government website.

e~Funds for Schools will be used to make the following payments:

• Early Learning Academy fees
• Penn PALS

*Note: There is a flat fee of $1.50 for payments made when using a checking account. For payments using a credit or debit card, there is a fee of $2.85 for every $100 increment

The RevTrak Webstore is used to make payments for other P-H-M services including: student-athlete activities fees, DVT/Planetarium show tickets, Community Education classes, and Summer Camps run by P-H-M’s Community Education program.

*Note: RevTrak will charge a 3.49% service fee per transaction (no minimum purchase required).

To use RevTrak you will need to set up an account on phm.revtrak.net if you don’t yet have one.

• Click here for step-by step Instructions to set up your RevTrak account.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT:

For e~Funds for Schools or P-H-M RevTrak:

EMAIL: onlinepayments@phm.k12.in.us

CALL: (574) 259-7941

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation is switching to a new online payment system for cafeteria meals.  

ParentOnline will replace MySchoolBucks on (insert date).  All account balances will automatically transfer from MySchoolBucks to ParentOnline at that time. Current users of MySchoolBucks MUST create an account with ParentOnline to reestablish online payments for their child’s cafeteria account. 

• Click to learn more about the switch. 
• Click to continue to the MySchoolBucks.com website.  Keep in mind, your MySchoolBucks account will no longer exist after (insert date)! 
• Click to continue to the ParentOnline.net website.  Remember to set up your new ParentOnline account before (insert date)!