FROM MARIN OFFICE OF EDUCATION

MCOE is hosting another Community Conversation with Public Health on Thursday, October 29th from 1:30-2:30PM. The conversation will center on the release of the School Status Dashboard and the implications of the Tiered System for our schools. A Q&A with Public Health will follow as well.

Please pass this onto your school communities sharing far and wide. Questions can be submitted to [email protected].

Link to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87282219625?pwd=SUNVZzByZWc1S24zOCt0WDRZV3p0dz09

Dial In: +1 669 900 6833 | Webinar ID: 872 8221 9625 | Passcode: 913910

Presented in English with Live Spanish Translation. Session will be recorded in English and Spanish.

Information also on our Rethinking Schools Website.

FROM MARIN HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

Free COVID-19 Testing for Novato Residents

Tuesdays through November  1-3 pm

Novato High School, 625 Arthur Street

Questions?  415-473-7191

CHROMEBOOK REPLACEMENT & REPAIR

Information Technology is holding drop-off hours:

Hill Education Center Library:
720 Diablo Avenue

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday  1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Please email [email protected] to initiate a ticket and schedule an appointment with Information Technology for drop-off and repair.

SOCIAL HOST ORDINANCE AWARENESS

The Marin Prevention Network is launching a Social Host Ordinance (SHO) awareness campaign and asking the Marin community to help by sharing the important messages with friends and family.

The reminder from the network – a community coalition that includes the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – comes at a critical time when youth are more isolated because of the COVID-19 sheltering order and online learning during the pandemic. Top that with fires and holidays. Stressful times can lead to unhealthy decisions by both youth and adults.

Through collaborative outreach, the goal of the SHO campaign is to educate the community and debunk common myths surrounding youth/young adult drinking and drug use.

What is SHO?

All cities and towns in Marin, as well as County of Marin, have adopted some form of Social Host Ordinance that holds adults responsible for underage use of alcohol and other controlled substances in their households whether the adults are present or not. The ordinance is designed to confront and mitigate the prevalent problem of underage drinking and drug use at private residences or rented facilities. The intent is to support parents and guardians in taking responsibility for what is happening in their home and to support neighbors in looking out for one another.

Law enforcement officials can issue citations for civil fines and fees for such gatherings. However, restorative justice is a key component that allows for learning on part of both youths and adults as opposed to parents simply paying a fine. It can further promote youth leadership, get young people involved in creating positive change and will make them more aware of the consequences.

The County’s SHO was first enacted in November 2006 to deter underage drinking. In recent years it has expanded to include cannabis and other controlled substances. The County of Marin’s expanded ordinance was adopted in 2017 and served as a model to be used and modified by other jurisdictions.

Why is SHO important?

While Marin is consistently ranked as the healthiest county in California by the Robert Wood Johnson County Health Rankings, it’s also known for having high rates of underage drinking and drug use.

In Marin County, alcohol and marijuana are reported to be easily accessible and readily available, and they are more accessible in social settings. According to California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) data (2017-18), almost 80% of 11th graders in Marin County reported that alcohol and marijuana were easy to access, and many reported accessing alcohol and drugs at parties (23%) or at a friend’s house (17%).

There is limited recognition and acknowledgement among many parents, families, school personnel, and other caregivers of the scope of and consequences related to substance abuse among youth: More than 85% of the parents and caregivers surveyed by the Marin County Department of  Health and Human Services (HHS) Parent Norms Survey did not believe that their high school student consumed alcohol in the previous month. However, according to self-report CHKS data, more than 40% of 11th graders and 20% of ninth graders reported drinking alcohol in the previous month.

How can you help?

The campaign, running mid-October through mid-November, is primarily through social media and works to debunk common myths such as “If I’m too strict with them now, they’ll go off the rails in college” and “I’d rather they drink here than somewhere else.” Social media will be developed in both adult and youth voices and shared by grassroots partners across the county including community-based organizations, local governments, law enforcement, educators, businesses and others. We invite you to join us in creating awareness in your community, among your friends, family and neighbors.

What you can do:

Thank you for your support in sharing this important message. Please contact Roxy Yekta at [email protected] with any questions or suggestions.

The Marin Prevention Network is a collaboration of community organizations and individuals seeking to change norms, policies, and laws that affect the availability, promotion, sale, and use of alcohol and other drugs.