ChatGPT: A Tool Or A Problem?

I've been writing about private schools for twenty-five years. I always come back to how little we knew about private schools when we started looking for schools for our girls. My late wife had attended several private schools when she was growing up in New York City. So, she was at least familiar with them. She spoke favorably of the small classes and individual attention she received. I attended the Westmount Public Schools growing up in Montreal. Those schools were run along English public, i.e., private, school lines and might as well have been private schools. They had small classes and lots of individual attention. They also had strict codes of discipline.

However, when it came to identifying private schools for our children, our choices seemed limited. Back in those days before the Internet and smartphones, we had to research schools by phone and snail mail. We asked around and found out about schools from friends and associates. Fortunately, we lived in the suburbs, which always seemed to have a school or two for us to consider.

In any case, in the 2020s, you have some truly amazing tools to help you identify the right school for your children. So, let me save you time and lay out a road map for your research. Your decision process will include consideration of cost, suitability of schools in your area, the reputation of schools and their teachers, curriculum, athletic and extracurricular activities programs, among other items.

The first thing

I grew up when polio, whooping cough, and chicken pox were the diseases parents dreaded. I remember getting shots in August before school started. That doctor's visit always seemed to be combined with visits to the shoe store for a new pair of black leather school shoes, the department store for a new pair of grey dress shorts, white shirts, and a school tie. Yes, the Westmount Public Schools had a uniform code back then.

Fast forward to the 21st century when 99% of private schools will require your children to be vaccinated. I was curious about where things stand. Here's what I discovered.

What entity requires vaccinations?

The department of health in each state publishes a list of vaccinations required by law for children. It also will list recommended immunizations. The wording will vary from state to state, of course. For example, North Carolina's K-12 School Requirements spells out the vaccinations required at each age level. It also provides details about why a particular vaccination is required and links to further information from authoritative sources such as the Centers for Disease Control.

This video reports on the vaccinations required for children attending school.

Which vaccinations are commonly needed?

The major Los Angeles healthcare organization Cedars-Sinai offers a list of immunizations needed for students ages 7 to 12.

• 4 doses diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP, DTP, DT, Tdap or Td); 3 doses

The nation got a new Suicide Hotline on July 16, 2022. All somebody has to do is dial 988 to speak with a trained counselor.

988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (now known as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), and is now active across the United States. When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary. Source: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Before we discuss suicide in more detail, please print out the logo above and pin it to your kitchen noticeboard. Then, tell your children what 988 is and what it is used for, so they can help somebody in need the same way they do by knowing how and when to call 911.

This video explains how the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline number works.

Suicide: The Subject Nobody Wants To Talk About

Suicide knows no age limits. It is shocking and tragic no matter how or when it occurs. It scatters guilt widely as the friends and loved ones of the deceased wonder what they could have done to prevent somebody from taking her life. What subtle warning signs did

We see the never-ending reporting about school shootings. They occur in places we may have visited. We may even have friends and relatives whose lives have been impacted by this violence that seems endemic in our society. But that could never happen in our children's school, or could it?

Safety is at the top of the list of concerns for parents and students. Harassment, bullying, and COVID are all still concerns, but shootings have unnerved people in every age group and walk of life. It seems as though no public place is safe anymore.

Preparing for emergencies is an ongoing process—even if a school (public or nonpublic) is at a high state of readiness for an emergency, there will still be a need for continued security, safety, and emergency management. Source: REMSTA (Readiness & Emergency Management for Schools)

Prevention

Preventing incidents from happening requires action from you and your children's school. You are partners in keeping young people safe.

The Parent's Obligation

• Understand the measures your school has put in place to prevent incidents from occurring.
• Discuss these measures regularly with your children.
• Teach your children to be situationally aware.
• Keep your lines of communication open and relaxed, so your children will tell you about anything and everything.
• Keep your phone charged with the school's emergency alert application configured to notify you anytime.
• Monitor your local weather conditions as emergencies can include severe storms, tornadoes, and flash floods.
• Teach your children how to call 911 for help.
• Teach your children how