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Social Worker News
Standardized Tests
In April and May, your child will be taking the MCA and MAP tests. These tests can produce anxiety
in children. There are a few things you can do to help alleviate the stress and anxiety your child may
feel.
1. Explain that the tests will show how much they have learned. Encourage them to do their
best.
2. Limit activities the night before tests. Make sure they get to bed on time to get a good night’s
sleep.
3. On test day, give your child an energy-boosting breakfast. Try to include protein (eggs
yogurt, cheese, meat, and milk) and carbohydrates (fruit, cereal, toast, etc.).
Deployed Service Members
Do you know a family that has a deployed service member, or do you have someone in your family
that is deployed? There are many services that are available to you and your family. Please contact
me at 952-431-8795 or go to the following website for more information:
www.beyondtheyellowribbon.org/apple-valley.
Food Drive
Many families in our own school community frequent food shelves regularly. The need for food is
growing daily. Cedar Park Student Council will be running a food drive from April 6th – April 17th. We
will have boxes in the link area to put the food in. Below are some suggested food shelf donations:
Peanut butter, canned tuna or chicken, pancake mix, syrup, cereal, spaghetti sauce,
pasta, canned veggies, macaroni & cheese, soup, canned fruit & juices. Please check
the items that you bring in for expired dates. Thank you in advance for your support of this
important cause!
Video Gaming
Playing video games has become a national pastime for people of all ages. Many children and
adolescents spend 50 plus hours a week in front of a screen. Video games have become very
sophisticated and realistic. Some games connect to the internet which can allow you to play with
unknown people. While many games have educational content, the most popular games emphasize
negative themes and promote the killing of people and animals, abuse and use of alcohol and drugs,
criminal behavior and disrespect for authority and the law, sexual exploitation, violence toward
women, foul language, and obscene gestures.
There is growing research on the effects of video games on children. There are the positive points
that they may promote learning, problem solving, and help with development of fine motor skills
and coordination. However, there are concerns about the effect of violent video games on young
people who play them excessively. Studies have shown that children can become immune or numb
to the horror of violence and imitate the violence they see or show more aggressive behavior with
peers. Children that spend more time with video games than with other children can also have poor
social skills, become obese, suffer from lack of exercise, have lower grades, and have more
aggressive thoughts and behaviors.
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Social Worker News (continued)
Parents can help children by checking the game ratings to ensure that games are age-appropriate
and not allowing elementary children to play teen games. Play the game first to ensure the content.
Many parents are not aware of what was in the games and were shocked when they saw what their
children were playing. It is also important to limit the screen time for your children to ensure a
healthy balance, and set rules for the use of video games in your home. For more information about
video ratings and reviews go to www.commonsensemedia.org. (Information taken from the
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
I am in school Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. If you have questions or concerns, feel
free to stop in, give me a call, or send and email. My confidential voice mail is 651-683-6969, ext.
18795. My direct line is 952-431-8795, and my email is diane.johnson@district196.org.
Diane Johnson, Cedar Park STEM Social Worker ☺
Youth Teaching Youth
Cedar Park’s 4th grade students had the opportunity to participate in the 4-H Youth Teaching Youth
Alcohol and Tobacco Decisions Program. 4-H Youth Teaching Youth is a cross-aged teaching
program that has proven the success of connecting older and younger youth. Trained 4-H Youth
Teaching Youth High School Teen Teachers shared the message about alcohol, tobacco, and
decisions (peer pressure). This program ran from 2:30-3:30 p.m. on Mondays during the month of
March.
We would like to thank the staff and families who supported our March Community Day at Culver’s.
We received a check for $179.72!!! Many thanks to Mrs. Husemann, Mrs. Kostecka, and Mrs.
Komperud for delivering food to tables from 5:00-6:00 p.m. and Mrs. Tousignant for delivering food
to tables from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Our April Culver’s Day is on Monday, April 13th. The flavor of the day is
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake! Mrs. Diver, Mrs. Jones, and Mrs. Monio will deliver food to tables from
5:00-6:00 p.m. Mrs. Altendahl, Mrs. Davis, and Mrs. Schoenbauer will deliver food to tables from
6:00-7:00 p.m. Don’t forget to mention you are from Cedar Park, so we receive 15% of your order
total! We hope to see you there!!!
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