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ATTN: 7th Grade Parents: SOS Program Notice
Dear Parents and Guardians
During this challenging year, school staff are working to teach students about mental health and how to
seek help if they are worried about themselves or a friend. We are using a program called SOS Signs of
Suicide. The program teaches students about this difficult topic and encourages them to seek help. All 7th and 10th graders will participate.
SOS has been used by thousands of schools over the past few decades. Studies have shown that it
effectively teaches students about depression and suicide while reducing the number of students’ selfreported suicide attempts.
Through the program, students learn:
that depression is treatable, so they are encouraged to seek help
how to identify depression and potential suicide risk in themselves or a friend
to ACT (Acknowledge, Care and Tell a trusted adult) if concerned about themselves or a friend
who they can turn to at school for help, if they need it.
Students will watch age-appropriate video clips and participate in a guided discussion about depression,
suicide, and what to do if they are concerned about a friend. Following the video, students will complete a
response slip which asks whether they would like to talk to an adult about any concerns. School staff will
conduct brief meetings with any student asking to talk.
We will host a parent workshop on Thursday April 22nd from 5-6pm during our Parent Coffee Hour for
parents interested in learning more about this program. We also encourage you to
visit www.sossignsofsuicide.org/parent for information on warning signs for youth suicide, useful resources, and some of the key messages students will learn.
We are including:
An infographic for you to reinforce the ACT message at home
The “What If List” sheet with community resources
If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s participation in this program, please contact me at 209-283-1775 Mon-Friday from 8am-3pm or email nlyles@stocktonusd.net or any of our school
counselors. Counselor information can also be found on our school website:
https://www.stocktonusd.net/domain/4093 .
Sincerely,
Natalie Lyles
Middle School Counselor
