Thursday, April 28, 2022 Volume 16 Issue 28
ACEs are adverse childhood experiences.
These are things that happen to us as children, which can impact us both as children and in our future as adults. These stressful experiences can influence both our mental and physical health.
John Legend, working with California Surgeon General Dr. Burke Harris, posted a video about ACEs on Twitter. You can view it here: https://twitter.com/johnlegend/status/1392911272652378113 . The website https://numberstory.org/ is a great place to learn more about ACEs and also find resources to help.
Two-thirds of us (and our children) have experienced at least one ACE. There are additional experiences that can also impact us such as discrimination, racism, poverty, and separation from a caregiver due to immigration or foster care, for example. This does not need to determine our quality of life or our outcomes. Learning more about the toxic stress these experiences can cause and getting help for this stress can change the course of events whether you are an adult or a child who had these experiences. If you are a parent, getting support for yourself will benefit your children.
At Thurgood Marshall, we continue to see the impacts of various types of ACEs on our students. This can cause students to withdraw, to struggle with self-regulation resulting in behavioral outbursts, and to become easily overwhelmed by life’s challenges. It can also cause somatic issues such as headaches and stomachaches. Even very young children can be impacted by stress.
We have all been under stress during the pandemic which can further compound individual difficulties. You can find resources for support at https://numberstory.org/heal-myself/ .
You can also reach out to Ms. Matsui, our school counselor for local resources. Additionally, King County’s Crisis Connections is available 24 hours to help connect you to many kinds of resources. You can call 866-427-4747 or visit https://www.crisisconnections.org/get-help/ to learn more.
Superintendent Jones Listening Tour
Seattle Council PTSA and Seattle Public Schools are hosting a series of online community engagement events with Dr. Brent Jones.
Please join a Zoom meeting to share your thoughts and perspectives with the Seattle Public Schools superintendent! Dr. Jones will be listening to families about how our schools can be safe and welcoming spaces where students can learn and thrive.
ASL and closed captioning will be available at each listening session. Amharic, Cantonese, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese interpreters will be available at each event.
To register for an event, please use the following links.
Superintendent Jones will be listening to students about how our schools can be safe and welcoming spaces where students can learn and thrive.
Students with IEPs or 504s (special education services and student accommodation) May 2, 5:30 – 7 p.m. Register for this event on Zoom
Students May 5, 5:30 – 7 p.m. Register for this event on Zoom
Other upcoming dates for families
Families with a Student Receiving Special Education Services May 9, 5:30 – 7 p.m. Register for this event on Zoom
All Families May 16, 5:30 – 7 p.m. Register for this event on Zoom
East African and Black Immigrant Families May 23, 5:30 – 7 p.m. Interpretation in Amharic, Oromo, Somali, Tigrinya. Register for this event on Zoom
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