16529_ShadySide.qxd:216709Catholic 8/24/09 3:25 PM Page 1

The First “Community of Concern” A Parent’s Guide Washington Metropolitan Area We wish to acknowledge and thank these schools and other organizations who joined together For the Prevention of through this booklet to form the first “Community of Concern,” under the guidance of the Georgetown Preparatory School. Their leadership and vision has inspired all of us—parents, Alcohol, Tobacco, and students and schools—to work together to prevent alcohol, tobacco and other drug use through and cooperation. Other Drug Use The Academy of the Holy Cross Montgomery County Public Schools Archbishop Carroll High School National Cathedral School Best Friends Foundation The Bishop McNamara High School Norwood School The Our Lady of Good Counsel High School Connelly School of the Holy Child Parents Council of Washington DeMatha Catholic High School Parkmont School Elizabeth Seton High School The Potomac School Consortium of Independent Schools Episcopal High School St. Albans School Community St. Andrew’s Episcopal School The Campus School of Carlow University Georgetown Preparatory School St. Anselm’s Abbey School Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School St. John’s College High School Gonzaga College High School St. John’s Episcopal School Fox Chapel Country Day School The Heights School St. Mary’s Ryken High School The Holton-Arms School St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School St. Vincent Pallotti High School St. Edmund’s Academy Langley High School The Langley School Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart The Suburban Hospital Valley School of Ligonier Thornton Friends School Mater Dei High School Washington Episcopal School Winchester Thurston School Washington International School Over one and a half million parents from both public and private schools share this resource throughout the nation. The “Community of Concern” is continuing to grow.

Shady Side Academy

Shady Side Academy 423 Fox Chapel Road Pittsburgh, PA 15238 412-968-3060 PITTSBURGH 16529_ShadySide.qxd:216709Catholic 8/24/09 3:25 PM Page 2

What Our Sons and Daughters Want From Us Shady Side Academy As parents of adolescents, it can be difficult to know how to address alcohol, tobacco and other drug use. This Student Wellness-Substance Abuse Policies survey was distributed to a representative group of students from our schools. These comments and answers were given by our sons and daughters, the most important people to care for, listen to and protect. 1041 students The Junior School community focuses on wellness for our students, allow the use or possession of mind-altering chemicals including alcohol responded. Here is the survey and the top five responses to each question. parents, faculty, staff and administration. The students (at developmentally among our students. We must also acknowledge that ultimately the choice appropriate times) are educated about the life-threatening dangers inherent and the responsibility of making the decision to use is the student’s own. in the use of alcohol and other mind-altering chemicals and about the disease Community of Concern Schools’ Substance Abuse Survey of chemical dependency. This education takes place in their classes STATEMENT or in their homerooms, as deemed appropriate by their teachers. We Current Shady Side Academy students are prohibited to possess, use, sale, Please let us help you. We will be writing an Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Handbook. The most important introduce the topic of refusal skills and through role playing activities we transport and/or distribute any mind-altering chemicals and related aspect of the handbook is to provide information that will be helpful to you, your parents and fellow students. We assist children in understanding how important those skills are to their paraphernalia. Any involvement with alcohol, other mind-altering chemicals wellness. Through this educational process we hope to raise the children’s (including being under their influence), or possession of any related would like your input. Please give us your suggestions about this important topic! awareness and prevent them from making decisions that will hinder them paraphernalia shall subject a student to the disciplinary process. All items from reaching their potential. involved in an offense at Shady Side Academy or a Shady Side Academy event will be confiscated. These items will be disposed of according to the 1.What is the most important thing that people should know about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs? We encourage parents to partner with us in educating our young children laws of the Commonwealth of 1. They can hurt you and are bad for you. about this very important topic by reading the Community of Concern booklet and discussing it with their children as the need arises. We realize POLICY FOR STUDENTS RETURNING FROM 2. They are dangerous and can kill you. we can only be as effective as the support we garner from the entire REHABILITATION community: students, faculty, administration, staff, parents and trustees. Shady Side Academy has mandatory consequences for offenses 3. They negatively affect your future and mess up your life. involving alcohol and other mind-altering chemicals. Shady Side Academy is a smoke free campus and thus the use of any tobacco 4. They are addictive. products, including chewing tobacco, snuff, pipe tobacco, cigars and 1. The student must give the treatment facility permission to release to the 5. Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs are not cool - don’t use them. cigarettes, is prohibited, school any and all information the treatment facility deems necessary. 2. The student must give to the Director of Personal Counseling his or her “They are windows to depression, severe loss of many things and even death . . . they control you.” Shady Side Academy’s Senior School’s policy on alcohol and other drugs is Sober Living Plan upon return to the Academy. printed here in full. The Middle School will follow the guidelines of this 3. The student and the student’s family must work out a contract for re- 2.What is your message to younger students about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs? policy with two modifications: entry to the Academy with the Director of Personal Counseling, the 1. Don’t do them - Just say “NO.” Director of Studies, and the Head of Senior School. The student must be 1. “Disciplinary Process” in the Middle School will refer to the deliberations following an aftercare program that is approved by the treatment facility. 2. Resist peer pressure - find people who don’t use them. and recommendations of the Student Advisory Committee and their The student must be held accountable for fulfilling the contract with clear promulgation by the Head of School. consequences if the student does not fulfill his or her part of the contract. 3. Be careful. 2. Given the ages of the children who are in our care, we may adjust our If a student is not following an aftercare program, or violating any other 4. Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs are not cool. response in consideration of grade level or particular circumstances. terms of their contract, the student and her or his parents will be called in for a conference with the Head of Senior School, the Director of Studies, 5. Don’t drink and drive. POLICY ON ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS (Senior School) and the Director of Personal Counseling. During this conference the student will be informed that he or she must fulfill his or her contract, for “Although it may seem that drinking is not harmful and is fun, its effects can change the course of your life.” PHILOSOPHY the next violation of the contract will be a signal that the student does not 3.What do you want your parents to tell you about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs? WWe, the Shady Side Academy Community, recognize the virtually wish to be at Shady Side, and the student will be immediately unlimited potential that exists within the student body. We believe a part of DISMISSED. 1. Consequences of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use - both punitive and physical. our obligation is to create opportunities to help these young people tap this 4. Recognizing that chemical dependency is a disease that causes great potential. It has been proven that teenage use of alcohol and/or other mind- damage to a family unit, the Academy strongly recommends that the 2. Don’t use alcohol, tobacco or other drugs. altering chemicals can hinder this process and prevent a student from family of a recovering chemically dependent person attend family support attaining all or even part of this potential. As a result of our concern about groups like POTADA, AlAnon, and/or their treatment center's family 3. Nothing or not much. this problem, a policy on alcohol and other drugs has been adopted. The counseling program. Such counseling dramatically increases the chance of 4. Everything they know - what alcohol, tobacco and other drugs did to their friends. goals of this policy are: (1) to urge students to seek other means than the use success at recovery for both the chemically dependent person and their of chemicals as a way of coping with life; (2) to emphasize that to ask for help family. 5. Be careful. Be responsible. is not a sign of weakness, but an act of strength; and (3) to stress that we will keep the best interest of each student as well as the school community in TERMINOLOGY “Let students know the dangers early in life so they don’t have to find out on their own.” mind at all times. It is our hope that the implementation of this policy will 4.What do you want your parents to do if they suspect you are using? enable our students to make informed decisions regarding the use, 1. MIND-ALTERING CHEMICALS shall include but not be limited possession and distribution of alcohol and other mind-altering chemicals. to: any alcoholic beverage; any controlled classified substances; any illegal 1. Talk to me - confront me - ask me. substances; any other substances that lend themselves to abuse; and any All students entering Shady Side Academy will be educated about the life- medication taken not in accordance with the Academy Medication Policy. 2. Help me - get me to rehab. threatening dangers inherent in the use of alcohol and other mind-altering 2. POSSESSION is the intent to use, and thus is equal to use. If the student chemicals and about the disease of chemical dependency in our Health has no intention to use one of these substances, then he or she should have 3. Stop me - help me quit. curriculum. Through this educational process we hope to raise the students’ no need to possess it or any related paraphernalia. If a friend has asked a 4. Punish me. awareness and prevent them from making decisions that will hinder them student to hold something for him or her, then that student should from reaching their potential. exercise the same good judgment she or he possesses regarding the use of 5. Search my room for alcohol, tobacco and other drugs - test me - find out the source. such substances. The Academy is committed to the early identification of and intervention for 3. SHADY SIDE ACADEMY shall include not only the entire three- “I want them to get me help as soon as possible without regard to my feelings about it.” students who are at high risk for chemical dependency. Any members of the school campus, but also all locations of any school-sponsored functions 5.What do you want your friends to do if they think you have a problem? community (students, faculty, staff, parents and trustees) can and should (sporting events, dances, trips, etc.), parking lots associated with such consult with a member of the Counseling Services staff when concerned events, school buses, school bus stops, and any location a student goes as 1. Tell me - confront me - talk to me. about another’s behavior, decisions, actions or attitudes and their possible a representative, or under the auspices and jurisdiction of, Shady Side relationship to chemical use. The Counseling Services staff is charged with Academy. 2. Get me help. the collection and analysis of any such information. The Director of Personal 4. ENABLING is allowing irresponsible and destructive behavior patterns 3. Call my parents, pastor or counselor. Counseling and another member of the Counseling Services staff will to continue by taking responsibility for others and not allowing them to confront the at-risk student with specific observations, try to indicate the face the consequences of their own actions (helping, placating, providing, 4. Take the alcohol, tobacco or other drugs away - cut off the source. direction he or she seems to have chosen and the possible consequences of ignoring, etc.). Enabling also includes failing to take appropriate action those decisions, and suggest sources for counseling or therapy. In the event when the situation warrants. 5. Be considerate and support me. of a student becoming involved in the use of mind-altering chemicals, the 5. CONFISCATION. When there is probable cause to believe that a Academy will make every effort to assist the student to seek treatment. student is in possession of alcohol or other mind-altering chemicals, the “Help me cope . . . stop me.” Academy has an obligation to search for and seize such chemicals or 6.What do you want the school to do if you get caught using alcohol, tobacco or other drugs? Once he or she is part of a recovery program, the Academy will again assist substances and related paraphernalia. This search could include school the recovering chemically dependent individual as long as she or he lockers, , cars on school property, clothing, purses, book bags, 1. Help me - get me to rehab. continues to follow the requirements for recovery. The Academy will be books, and other personal property. Any search will be conducted understanding and supportive, but not enabling, of the recovering according to the procedures established by the school or legal authority. 2. Punish me - progressive actions, e.g., suspension, probation and rehab. chemically dependent individual and will lessen a student’s work load where 6. CONFIDENTIALITY between students and advisors, counselors, the 3. Suspend me. appropriate. We will not reduce the graduation requirements, but the school nurse, trainer, school psychologists, and staff shall be respected Academy will do everything in its power to help the recovering chemically unless the best interests of the student can be served only by violating that 4. Expel me. dependent person. confidence, in which case every effort will be made to obtain the student’s permission, if it is possible to do so. 5. Give me a second chance. We realize we can be only as effective as the support we garner from the 7. SOBER LIVING PLAN is a contract made between a recovering “Get me help . . . give necessary punishments.” entire community: students, faculty, administration, staff, parents, and chemically dependent person and his or her treatment center. It outlines trustees. We strongly encourage parents to take a firm stand in refusing to the requirements for continued sobriety. We wrote this Substance Abuse Manual as a guideline for us and for our sons and daughters. The Georgetown Prep Parents’ Substance Abuse Manual Committee