[BHS Etree] PTSA: Teens, Alcohol & Rally Day – Things You Need To Know

[BHS etree]

Please DO NOT REPLY to the E-tree. Contact Natasha Beery [mailto:natashabeery at earthlink.net]

Parents! Bring Your Kids To The Ralph Cantor Presentation 
Tuesday, October 26th, College & Career Center from 7 to 9 PM

Spirit Week: Each year, Spirit Week brings a tremendous amount of fun and excitement for Berkeley High's students. Unfortunately, there is also an undesirable tradition of alcohol use on Rally Day, the last day of Spirit Week. As you've read in the BHS administration's posts on Rally Day, many precautions are being put in place to discourage students from bringing alcohol on campus or coming on campus under the influence, in an effort to make the day both safe and fun.

Rally Day & Alcohol: With Rally Day only a few days away, the PTSA and Principal Scuderi both felt it was very important to bring parents and students an evening dedicated to promoting alcohol and drug awareness. There is also a new trend of drinking high-caffeine "energy drinks," which, especially in combination with alcohol, present additional dangers for kids.

Don't Miss Ralph Cantor: Ralph Cantor, former head of Alcohol & Drug Prevention for Alameda County Schools is one of the acknowledged leading experts in the field. As well as rave reviews from parents, we've had many students tell us that Ralph was the first person who spoke about alcohol and drugs that they "got." It's a remarkable presentation that should not be missed. If you've heard Ralph Cantor speak before, you should know that this presentation will include new information, including information on alcohol and energy drinks, a discussion of the Prop. 19 debate around marijuana, and the effects that alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs have on the developing brain that make teens more vulnerable to long-lasting negative effects.

Short Student Presentation: We are also pleased to provide a short presentation by several students from Berkeley High's student leadership who have been working with Principal Scuderi on these issues and have asked to speak at the meeting to help keep the parent community as "well informed about what we [students and BHS admin] will be doing to try to curb violence, alcohol consumption, and unsafe behaviors on Rally Day as to keep this tradition fun and safe for everyone."

Please bring your teenagers, and we hope to see you there!

Natasha Beery & Mark van Krieken
BHS PTSA