Good Afternoon, Saranac Families-

It has been a busy few weeks here at Saranac High School but we are working diligently to ensure our building is as safe as it possibly can be for all our students. However, we strongly need your help in curbing student nicotine/marijuana use from home! 

I wanted to touch on a few important items:
-Nicotine/Vape usage in teens is a national epidemic issue, not just an issue experienced at Saranac High School.
-Usage is constant (morning, midday, evening) and most of which are using from the comfort of their own bedrooms.
-Vapes can contain nicotine, THC/CBD, and/or both.
-Vapes that are nicotine, typically smell fruity.
-Vapes including THC smell more like cannabis.
-Vapes can either be rechargeable, disposable, and/or cartridge base.
-Devices come in all shapes, sizes, colors and flavors so do not assume a one size fits all model.
-All populations and walks of life are partaking in this trend, so please do not assume that "your child would never."

Types/Warning Signs:
-Irritability and/or lethargic behaviors.
-Change in behavior (trust your parent gut).
-Blood shot eyes or large/dilated pupils.
-Fruity smells that are not associated with perfume and/or cologne.

Many students hide these vapes in their rooms (pillow cases are a great place for this) and/or carry them on themselves at all periods of time. This can include the common areas like pockets, purses, and backpacks, but most are stored in areas that are not obvious such as underwear/boxers, bras/bralettes, waist bands, socks, shoes, etc.). The level of nicotine access is proven to cause addiction and/or addictive behaviors at a rapid rate in the developing brain. That being said, if you suspect your child is using, there is a good chance your child might already have a dependency issue.

While we continue to confiscate devices daily, and provide consequences to those students using and/or in possession, we are asking for your help in order to keep up with the demand and in hopes of keeping such devices out of our building. We have made a ton of progress these last few weeks, and will continue to do so, but we greatly appreciate any support that you may be able to provide us with from home. 

Some measures already taken place are the following:
-Drug/alcohol counseling services.
-Vape detectors.
-Investigating and following up on anonymous tips.
-Continued adult presence in the hallways and bathrooms.
-Zero tolerance policy pertaining to THC/CBD devices.
-Re-entry plans that include random searches for using offenders (both nicotine and THC/CBD).
-Metal detecting wands (soon to come) in order to provide a more thorough search if be needed.
-Continued school to home communication.

If you are looking for further supports for your child, or you suspect use, please do not hesitate to reach out to our administrative and/or counseling team members at any point. While we might not have all the resources, we certainly can do our best to connect you with the proper outside agency supports that your child may need.

As always, we appreciate the continued support for all of our students and we look forward to working together to help curb such an unhealthy habit in todays youth.

Thank you,
Stephanie Murphy & Tracy Manor