Parent Resource Page
Supporting parents and families with information about resources and services
The following materials have been curated by district staff to help parents set their children up for success inside and out of the classroom. Check back often for updated tools and resources to help support your young learners.
Competency Based Inclusive Education Plans
English Language Learners Resources
Community Support Programs
Talking to your kids about ‘stranger danger’
Building Better Tech Habits: A Guide to Digital Well-being
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI)
2SLGBTQIA+ Resources |
Safe Spaces – Interior Community Services Program Information Safe Spaces is available in both Kamloops & Merritt and provides:
Who Is Eligible? Safe Spaces is open to people 12-26 years of age. How to Refer: No referral is required, we are an open door to the community. Contact Information Staff Cell: 250-371-3086 (both locations)
Kamloops Office: 250-554-3134
Merritt Office: 250-378-9676
Email: Interior Community Services
Please call to get program locations PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People) Kamloops Chapter
Contacts: Jim and Grace Williams
Phone: 1-888-530-6777 ext. 579 (toll free)
Email: PFLAG
Website: https://pflagcanada.ca/
Kamloops Pride Facebook: @KamloopsPride
Website: www.kamloopspride.com
Orchard Walk Medical Clinic Supporting Team Excellence with Patients Society (STEPS) at the Orchard Walk Medical Clinic provides general family practice, primary care access and services for LGBTQ2S. As well, Dr. Harvey provides gender-affirming care and general primary care for the LGBTQ2S community. Phone: (250) 828-8080
Website: stepshealth.ca
|
SOGI Resources |
Parent Engagement Sessions
English Language Learners Parent Engagement Session |
||
Vaping and Youth - Why Connections Matter |
||
In this one-hour session, we will share some tips and tricks for talking to young people about vaping. We will then outline healthy and unhealthy coping and discuss how to support young people in developing healthy coping strategies and in building connections. |
||
Keeping the Connection |
||
Ways that Parents and Caregivers Can Support Youth Regarding Substance Use Issues All young people face decisions about drug use, even those who choose (for now) not to use. How best can parents and caregivers support adolescents to make healthy choices regarding alcohol, vaping, cannabis and other substances? |
||
Cybersafe from Exploitation | ||
Learn about all forms of sexual exploitation amongst teens online, the current trends, the warning signs, and the practical steps parents can take in keeping their teens safe. A Canadian expert in the field of anti-human trafficking and sexual exploitation, Tiana Sharifi is the founder of the agency, Sexual Exploitation Education, which seeks to provide a dynamic approach to prevention of sexual exploitation. Using her background in Psychology and Counseling, in addition to her expertise in this field, she has worked effortlessly and with intention to incorporate her knowledge from both spheres into a successfully new approach to prevention on this prevalent matter. Since its inception, SEE has been a leading agency in this field, being called upon for research, pro-d keynotes, international conference presentations, nation-wide law enforcement trainings, and non profit consulting. Tiana has presented to over 40,000 students and adults across Canada, utilizing an innovative and accessible approach to prevention. |
||
Your Child and the New Competency Based IEP | ||
Does your child have an Inclusive Education Plan (IEP)? If so, then this session is for you! School District No.73 is rolling out competency-based IEPs in September 2022. Learn how competency-based IEPs are similar and yet different from the current IEP being used. You will also learn more about how you, the parent/guardian, will be a significant stakeholder in the development of the new competency-based IEP process. |
||
Parenting and Anxious Child | ||
At times, everyone has anxiety but for some children, anxiety can be overwhelming and an obstacle to enjoying kid activities like going to school, joining after school programs, having fun with friends, and trying new things. In this one-and-a-half-hour session, SD73 Mental Health Clinicians will provide anxiety 101 information and some tools that can help at home. |
||
ADHD |
||
POPARD Family-School Liaison Workshop:
|
Inclusive Sexual Health |
1-800-SEX-SENSE (1-800-739-7367) This website provides contact information that can help provide any information regarding sexual health. Exclusive for BC residents, the people that talk on the other line are registered nurses, clinical counsellors and educators. All information provided is kept confidential. |
Raising Digitally Responsible Youth |
Your child has now entered into their digital media lives, where cell phone ownership doubles, video game use explodes and they dive into the world of social media and hypertexting. Your child is rapidly developing their personal identity with cell phone in hand and you need to be prepared. Family rules, parental controls and developing a family tech plan will be outlined as well as recommendations for monitoring your teen’s digital life.
As a parent, you must lead the charge as a digital role model and help your child develop a strong digital citizenship foundation while reminding them that their digital footprint is a reflection of their real and online selves. At this age, they will encounter situations that will challenge their independence, including cyberbullying (and more commonly – cyberexclusion), the dangers of anonymity, privacy, sharing intimate images, and inappropriate websites, and you need to be there to provide support and guidance during this critical period. Finally, to better equip you for your digital parenting strategy, a snapshot of the current trends and concerning apps will be provided. For more information please see Raising Digitally Responsible Youth: A Parent's Guide. Presentation at SD73 by Robyn Boffy from Safer Schools Together. |
ADHD Resources |
"Rolling with ADHD" from BC Children's Hospital Teaching and Learning ADHD Basics with the BC Children’s Hospital: Rolling with ADHD Basics - Healthy Minds Learning is a video in the parent and educator series. Find out what ADHD is (and is not) in this short 20-minute video. BC Children’s Hospital team of ADHD specialists guide you through the basics and do some myth busting along the way. |
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) |
Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre WRaP 2.0:
Asante Centre: FASD Network: Me & My FASD: |
Safer Schools |
Administrative Procedures: |
Substance Use Education |
Preparing Parents and Caregivers for Substance Use Connections |
Cybertip.ca Alerts - Sign up to Get Notifications |
Cybertip.ca Alerts are notifications sent out to inform the public of concerning technology trends and new resources designed to increase children’s personal safety. As Canada’s national tipline for reporting the online sexual exploitation of children, the information reported to Cybertip.ca enables us to identify the online risks children and youth are facing. Recognizing that it can be difficult to keep up with technology, signing up for these alerts provides you with important information to help keep your family safe while using the various popular platforms on the Internet. Sign-up here to receive Cybertip.ca Alerts notifications. |
Wellness Apps and Tools |
Foundry BC App Helps Youth Facing Unprecedented Stress Mental health and substance use services and supports are faster and easier to access for youth and their caregivers across BC with the Foundry BC app. It was co-created by youth for youth for 12-24 year-olds. Services offered include drop-in and scheduled counselling, primary care, peer support and group sessions. MindShift - Anxiety Canada - Gr 5-12 Teaches about anxiety, helping users to engage in healthy thinking and to take action My Anxiety Plan - Anxiety Canada - Children/Teens & Adults Anxiety management programs with a series of lessons for children, teens and adults Breathe Think Do (Sesame Street) - K-1 Help Children to use the “Breathe, Think, Do” strategy to calm down, identify their feelings and work to solve their problem Happify provides effective tools and programs to help you take control of your feelings and thoughts Interactive Wellness Tool: Find common questions that families ask about mental health supports and services in BC for their child. |
Mental Health and Wellness Support for Those Affected by Wildfires |
Kids Help Phone is available 24/7 to anyone (youth or adult) providing free, online mental health services. Support is available through text, phone, and online chat. Kids Help Phone - Mental Health and Wellness Support Information for school communities affected by wildfires. For more information, visit Current wildfires in Canada: How to get mental health support and the ministry’s erase Mental Health and Well-being web page. |
Conversations about Global Issues |
How to Talk to Kids About Violence, Crime, and War: Common Sense Media gathers tips and conversation starters to help you talk to kids of different ages about the toughest topics. Resilience in a time of war: Tips for parents and teachers of elementary school children: This article from the American Psychological Association can help adults guide their young children beyond fear and to resilience. Resilience in a time of war: Tips for parents and teachers of middle school children: The American Psychological Association breaks out tips and strategies for parents and teachers of middle school-aged children. National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Provides resources that can be filtered by topic or keyword and by audience with a focus on how adults can identify traumatic responses in young people and how to support them. |
Ministry of Education and Child Care |
The Ministry of Education and Child Care’s erase strategy was expanded to include mental health. For more information about available child and mental-health supports and contact information, visit: Child & Youth Mental Health Intake Clinics page. |
Crisis Lines and Contacts |
Hope for Wellness Help Line
KUU-US Crisis Line
Métis Crisis Line
National Residential School Crisis Line
BC 310 Mental Health Line
Helpline for Children
Foundry BC App
|
Emergency Assistance |
|
Interior Health |
Rekindled Trauma - Former Kamloops Residential School | ||||||||||
June 2, 2021 - Here are some useful tips for parents and educators about how to talk to students and children about the recent confirmation of the remains of 215 children found buried at the former Kamloops residential school. Some of what follows is information from the North American Centre for Threat Assessment and Trauma Response (NACTATR), which among other things, is dedicated to preventing and reducing violence and trauma in North America through training, tools and technology. We would like parents and guardians to know, too, that along with Sherri Mohoruk, from Safer Schools Together, NACTATR Executive Director J. Kevin Cameron will be a guest at the June 3, 2021 District School Leaders' meeting. We will continue to post resources here, as they become available.
|
Q'wemtsín Health Society |
Resource Numbers |
Secwépemc Mental Health |
Mental Health Provider Contact List |
Contact Us