Principal's Message

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Dear Skyline Families,

 

I recently met with Earl Warren’s principal, Justin Conn, and we talked about the alarming rise of vaping among today’s teens. He reported that this is an issue at Earl Warren, as well as at the high schools. We have a window of opportunity here at the elementary school to educate our children, before they leave for middle school, about the harmful effects of vaping.

 

If you are not familiar with vaping, it is the act of inhaling and exhaling the vapor produced by the heated nicotine liquid (often called “juice”) of an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette or e-cig), vape pen, or personal vaporizer. It’s also commonly called JUULing (pronounced jewel-ing).

 

What originated as a smoking cessation aid has quickly became a popular — and addictive — product in its own right. Sarper Taskiran, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, attributes the recent rise in popularity to packaging and advertising. “The teens are after innovation and they’re attracted by the sleek design and ease of use,” he says. “They look like an Apple product.”

 

It is particularly concerning that teens think that these devices are not as bad for your health as smoking cigarettes and think there is no harm. They think they are mostly flavors and that they are inhaling a pleasant gas. Although some of the health risks associated with vaping appear to be less severe than traditional cigarettes (there’s no tar, for example), there are still risks. I would encourage all families to begin discussions about these risks before your children enter middle school. It is important for our children to know the following:

 

1. E-cigarettes contain high levels of nicotine. The nicotine content of one JUUL-pod is equivalent to one pack of cigarettes.
2. Because of these high nicotine levels, vaping is addictive, and teens are already more susceptible to addiction than adults because their brains are still developing.
3. Studies are showing that addiction is impacting the ability to focus as well as causing increased anxiety.
4. Vaping does, in fact, cause lung irritation similar to that seen in smokers and people with lung disease.
5. Vaping increases heart rate and blood pressure which can increase circulatory problems.

 

I encourage families to educate themselves so that you can have an honest discussion with your child. I would recommend watching the Ted Talk by Suchitra Krishnan to provide additional information.

https://www.ted.com/talks/suchitra_krishnan_sarin_what_you_should_know_about_vaping_and_e_cigarettes?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_content=button__2019-05-15#t-312820  

 

Summer Enrichment

We want to let you know about an exciting summer opportunity for your child. Our Solana Beach Summer Enrichment program combines academics and fun into a complete learning experience! A select group of Solana Beach teachers have developed Summer Enrichment courses designed to help sharpen your child’s skills in a hands-on, engaging, and interactive way. Be sure to register now as classes are filling quickly! For more information and to register, visit the Solana Beach School District Summer Enrichment page here: https://sbsd.ce.eleyo.com/courses/category/60/summer-enrichment

 

 Sincerely,

 

Lisa Denham

 

 

 

Don’t forget to mark these important dates on your calendar:

 

May 27 . . . . . . . . . . Memorial Day Holiday

May 30 . . . . . . . . . . Skyline Open House

May 31 . . . . . . . . . . Student Council Spirit Day-"Career Day"