Apr 26, 2017 - young people are watching a new Netflix series entitled â13 Reasons Whyâ. The show, based on a book b
Flushing Community Schools 522 N. McKinley Road, Flushing, MI 48433 Phone: (810) 591-1183 ~ Fax: (810) 591-0656
April 26, 2017 Dear Parents/ Guardians: Recently, it has been brought to our attention by colleagues across the county that a growing number of young people are watching a new Netflix series entitled “13 Reasons Why”. The show, based on a book by Jay Asher, follows a high school student who sets out on a mission to uncover the reason a fellow classmate (and crush) decided to end her own life. He receives a number of audio tapes after the teenage girls perplexing suicide that, ultimately, unravels the mystery of her tragic decision. The reason we are bringing this to your attention is we are concerned that many parents may not be aware that their child is viewing this deeply emotional series, which is appropriately rated MA for mature audiences. While the series is fictional, young people may sometimes have a hard time discerning fiction from reality. A growing fear is that after watching the emotional series, some students may mistakenly see suicide as a heroic or romantic act. This is quite different from the message that we have continued to send to our students that suicide is never the answer and that there are a number of healthy ways to cope when having suicidal thoughts. We encourage you to check with your child to see if he or she is watching this deeply emotional series. You can also click on the link: http://students.georgiasouthern.edu/counseling/files/13RW-TalkingPoints-JED-SAVE-Netflix.pdf for important talking points that may assist you in any conversations you may want to have with your child regarding this topic. An additional helpful link regarding this topic can be found at: https://www.flushingschools.org/Page/6665. It is incredibly important that all of our students are not only supported academically, but supported emotionally and mentally as well. We have counselors, home-school coordinators, social workers, principals, teachers, and other trained professionals in our buildings that are available to our students should they want to speak with someone or share information regarding anyone else they are concerned about. If you need additional information or resources, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s principal or any other school official in order to help. Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter in support of our students. Matt Shanafelt Deputy Superintendent Flushing Community Schools
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