Columbia Spotlight

I  am sure many of our students have questions about the invasion of Ukraine. Below are resources for parents and teachers about the current war. If you have additional ones to share with colleagues, please send them our way. For PARENTS . Your children may have asked questions about the current conflict in Ukraine. I know as a parent, I sometimes leave the news on in the evening while working on my laptop or doing other things, without realizing my ten-year-old is walking around observing the television without any context. That’s why I have found the National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s “ Talking to Children about War ” document an excellent resource, especially when I want to talk with my teens about what they are hearing about this conflict.  Here are three additional resources for this topic: ABC News -  Honesty when talking with children about Ukraine Newswise -  Talking with children about traumatic events Childmind Blog -  How to talk with kids about Ukraine  For TEACHERS

Your students may have talked to you about March 24 being a day for advocacy for trans youth. If they are looking for ways to be engaged, share with them this information from Advocates for Youth. (H/T Pat) "I f you’ve heard anything about   Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill , or the attacks on trans youth across the country, you’re probably devastated. On top of that, young people continue to face   discrimination   based on their sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, workplaces, and federally-funded services, such as homeless shelters (a particularly egregious attack given that queer and trans youth are more likely to be homeless than young straight individuals). You may be thinking, “I’ve got to do something.”  While the Equality Act won’t solve every problem, it would ensure that LGBTQ-identified youth are protected from discrimination in schools and end discrimination in federally funded services, meaning they cannot be turned away from service-providers or shelters