Coalition encourages parents to know more

Published 12:00 pm Wednesday, September 28, 2005

POULSBO — If the adage, “It takes a village to raise a child,” is true, then Poulsbo resident Renee Arcement is doing all she can to ensure this village is well-prepared to do so.

Arcement, the public education coordinator for the Youth Suicide Prevention Program in Washington and a North Kitsap School District parent, has been planning a forum since April called “Know More” to help parents deal with teen and children’s issues.

Since 2002, North Kitsap has lost three teens to suicide and two more in automobile accidents. Arcement believes that many cases of teenage tragedy can be prevented through educating parents.

“Our community has been affected by these suicides and these automobile accidents, and all of us feel the loss in one way or another,” Arcement said. “By doing this, we can educate each other so we can be a part of that village.”

Arcement works for YSPP in Seattle but lives in Poulsbo and has two children here as well: Brian, a 2004 NKHS graduate and Clare, a seventh grader at Poulsbo Junior High.

The event is being coordinated by the Know More Community Connections Group, which consists of NK LIV (North Kitsap Life is Valuable), the Youth Suicide Prevention Task Force, North Kitsap School District, the S’Klallam and Suquamish tribes, Kitsap County Health District and multiple civic organizations.

The topics at the event will not just revolve around youth depression and suicide, Arcement said, and will cover a multitude of issues from bullying to adolescent sexuality.

One such topic that is on the rise is cyber-bullying, where kids use the Internet to intimidate their peers through the Web, blogging, e-mail and other means.

“It’s bullying taken to the next degree,” Arcement said. “Writing things about other kids and they can’t even get away from (the bully) away from school.”

NKSD Supt. Gene Medina will provide an introduction at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 1 in the NK Commons for the event and a continental breakfast will be served. The keynote speaker, Stephen Bogan, who works for the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Division of the Washington Department of Social and Health Services, will follow.

After the informational seminars from 9 a.m. to noon (listed on Page 8), a youth panel will be held so parents can ask area youth about the issues themselves.

“We’re focusing on parents because we need to continue to build that safety net for kids,” Arcement said.

Seminars will include:

• “Adolescent sexuality: what’s really going on?” hosted by Candy Cardinal, Health Educator for the Kitsap County Health District

• “Bullying,” hosted by Kaden Sullivan, Community and Outreach Educator for the Kitsap Safe Schools Network

• “Coping with adolescent stress and depression,” hosted by Sue Eastgard, Director of the YSPP

• “Dating violence 101: What Every parent needs to know,” also hosted by Cardinal

• “Self-harming,” also hosted by Eastgard

• “Supporting and promoting our children’s strengths,” hosted by Maggie Smith, North Kitsap School District Registered Nurse

• “Talking pre- and young adolescent sexuality: What’s normal and what do we know now?” also hosted by Sullivan

• “Safe driving,” hosted by Jill Zimmerman, Washington State Patrol officer

• “The adolescent brain: “How alcohol, tobacco and other drugs affect the brain,” hosted by Beth Mosley, Chemical Dependency Profession at North Kitsap High School

• “The ‘social’ side of the Internet: What parents need to know,” hosted by Allan Kush, Deputy Executive Director of WiredSafety

• “We do what we eat: Lifestyle and food can change our behavior,” hosted by Dr. Jane Pearson.