10th Grade Parents, 

The Denver Department of Public Health & Environment’s (DDPHE) Community & Behavioral Health team, in partnership with Denver Public Schools and community partners, is providing a JFK: We Got This! event on January 9, 2022 for sophomores!

The event will include exciting and interactive sessions on topics to support mental health wellness. There will be engaging activities, music by 2MX2, keynote speaker from an Olympian and former NFL player, and other guests! Students will not want to miss this event! 

DETAILS ABOUT THE EVENT

The day’s events will include: 

• Welcome Event – Youth and adults will be together in the Auditorium to hear about the day’s events and get hyped for the experience! 

• End of Day Event– Youth and adults will join in the Auditorium to celebrate the day’s event and share the spirit of hope as we continue to support youth mental health wellness! 

Additionally, students will rotate through 3 different sessions during the day. Session options include: 

• Judi’s House – Judi’s House is a grief counseling center for bereaved youth and families in metro Denver. We believe that grief is both universal and unique, and it is a natural and normal reaction to experiencing loss. Judi’s House provides supportive space for creative expression, building connections, and finding healing in your grief journey.  

• 2MX2-Artistic coping tools- The Power of Storytelling provides an interactive discussion on how to craft your own story with prompts, fostering community, connections and a sense of belonging. Whether you are a  creative, visual artist or musician or just someone seeking to find your voice, you can use storytelling as a tool of empowerment.

• Soul Stories– Our workshop utilizes storytelling, play, coping strategies and performance to take students through a unique, facilitated experience that will help them build their social-emotional skills and improve their ability to form trusting and meaningful connections with adults and peers. Youth will be taken through a process that prioritizes self-expression and empathy-building that allows each participant to feel seen for who they authentically are.

• Youth WRAP– Youth-WRAP is an evidenced-based wellness program created by Dr. Mary Ellen Copeland. It’s a prevention and wellness process that youth can used to get well, stay well, and make their life more the way want it to be through a series of tools and action plan called WRAP. It’s about what youth can do for themselves and how they can build and maintain support from others to improve their overall health and well-being. WRAP is used to manage stress and a range of health conditions and challenges. WRAP is for anyone who is interested in feeling empowered and supported in improving their health and well-being through a process called WRAP.

• Cultures of Dignity– Young people are asking for leadership roles in new and innovative ways. These roles include traditional leadership positions like student councils, peer leadership, orientations, athletic teams and student advocacy groups. How do students bring dignity into their understanding of leadership and learn effective strategies to manage groups, inspire, and listen to others?

Topics covered:

• Understanding how young people’s experience with people in authority influence their own leadership style

• Creating a feeling of belonging in the group so people feel their contribution is valued

• Managing conflicts as a leader

• Art from Ashes – Art from Ashes facilitates creative empowerment workshops for young people, based in spoken word, poetry, creative writing, and art! We are not here to teach what poetry is or isn’t, but rather to hold a brave and uncensored space where youth can come as they are, intuitively explore their creative identities, hone in on their voices, listen to themselves, and share with others. We believe in the cathartic and healing process of tapping into creativity and we honor spoken word and storytelling as ways to express, connect, transform, claim space, and amplify young voices in a society that isn’t often listening. 

• Sources of Strength – A best practice youth suicide prevention project designed to harness the power of peer social networks to change unhealthy norms and culture, ultimately preventing suicide, bullying, and substance abuse. The mission of Sources of Strength is to prevent suicide by increasing help seeking behaviors and promoting connections between peers and caring adults. 

• Youth Scan – Did you know that as teens, you know the issues in your community 3 years before adults? Your point of view should be front and center in decision-making on issues affecting your life. When it comes to mental health, who knows better than youth what young people are dealing with, and what is needed for youth to thrive? In this workshop, participants will share their unique point of view through The YouthScan Project. The real-time input creates an interactive dashboard featuring perspectives from young people, in their own words. Participants’ ideas to improve mental health will have an impact in their own community, and across Colorado!

THE INTENTION

Our priority for the event is to recognize and address the stress of being a young person today. As part of our overarching goals, the presenters aim to:  

• Educate youth on how to live a mentally healthy lifestyle and provide access toinformation (including coping skills, therapy options, suicide prevention resources, and community help) to support youth suicide and violence prevention in our communities 

• Help youth build relationships with their peers to find common humanity in others and transform divisive attitudes by encouraging open, honest dialogue that allows youth to speak their truths

• Guide youth toward understanding and how to access help if they are worried abouta family member, friend, classmate, or other person they are in contact with who might be struggling or need assistance

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

If you would like to speak with someone about any questions you might have, please reach out to Brian Powell (brian_powell@dpsk12.net) or Tiffany Almon (tiffany_almon@dpsk12.net). 

Take Command of Your Involvement!

Congratulations to:
– The wrestling team for winning their first match! 
– Boys basketball dominated against Liberty Tree High School with a final score of 73 – 28! 
– Girls basketball for their win against Gateway High School! 
Way to go Commanders!

Keilani Venegas Alvarez averages 21 points per game

Events & Activities Calendar 

Take Command of Your Health and
 Safety!

As you are aware, in December a JFK student experienced a medical emergency that involved fentanyl. Denver experienced 472 drug-related deaths in 2021, with sadly 29 youth between the ages of 10-18 dying as a result of fentanyl during the 2020-2021 school year. Denver Public Schools currently does not require health education (including drug prevention education) as a graduation requirement.
However, at JFK we pride ourselves on educating the whole child, including how to keep themselves and their friends safe. As such, during Spring Semester our social workers will be pushing into all Science classes to provide drug education. Topics will include but are not limited to vaping, marijuana, alcohol, and fentanyl. This education will also teach students how to access mental health supports, as we know drug use can be a sign of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.
Session 1: 1/17-1/27 
Session 2: 2/13-2/17 
Session 3: 3/20-3/24
To opt out your student from this program or for more information, please email Ms. Annie the JFK social worker at anne_walden-newman@dpsk12.net.

Opportunities to get Involved!

We want to hear from you!
Please take a few moments to fill out the Tu Voz survey!

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