Welcome Back!
Wow! Summer sure picks up speed each year. We hope your summer was full of good rest, adventure, and fun and that this new school year will bring you many rewarding challenges. Don’t ever forget the work you do is invaluable; educators impact lives in a way that’s remembered forever. Welcome back!
Here’s a reminder that the OPI Tobacco Use Prevention Education program continues to support the work you do to help your students choose to stay tobacco-free. We are once again offering to provide vaping prevention presentations free of charge to upper elementary, middle, and high school students across the state. If you’re interested in reinforcing your tobacco use prevention curriculum with any of these presentations, you can submit an inquiry here and we’ll get you scheduled.
If you need to order new “tobacco-free campus” signage, you can set up an account here and have your order shipped at no cost, right to your school. Keep your eye on this website because soon it will offer “Quit Kits” designed to aid students wanting to overcome their addiction to nicotine. We really appreciate the effort the Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program is making to support kids who may have fallen into a trap that can be so hard to get out of.
Don’t forget, the OPI Tobacco Use Prevention website has links to lots of great resources. From coloring pages for primary grades to curriculum for middle and high school and even websites to help parents become better informed about the harm of youth vaping.
If you have any questions about how the OPI Tobacco Use Prevention Education program can assist your school, don’t hesitate to contact Kris Minard 406.444.0785 or Dr. Beth Dominicis.
Thank you for your commitment to the education and health of your students. May this school year be your best ever!
The 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey is coming soon!
Montana is preparing for its 34th year of participating in the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. We hope to have as many middle, high, alternative, and non-traditional schools in Montana participate as possible. We cannot acquire current trend data and provide this valuable report without the help of school staff and passionate advocates such as yourselves.
This survey is crucial for assessing and improving school health and safety practices. The YRBS combines data requirements for several state departments into a single survey, assessing student risk behaviors for unintentional injuries and violence, tobacco use, alcohol, other drug use, sexual behaviors, nutrition and dietary behaviors, and physical activity. Participating in this comprehensive survey helps schools avoid multiple surveys and classroom interruptions throughout the school year.
As a reminder, your superintendent, principal, lead teacher, or primary decision-making authority must register with the Office of Public Instruction to enroll your school in the 2025 YRBS. This is an especially important step because, for the first time, the YRBS will be conducted entirely online, hopefully making it more convenient for all. We will provide more information as the event approaches and schools register.
Registration will be open from October 1st through November 30th, 2024. Please go to: https://opi.mt.gov/Leadership/Data-Reporting/Youth-Risk-Behavior-Survey for more information and to register. The registration link will go live on 10/1/24.
We appreciate your participation in this important survey. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Genie Zeeck at genie.zeeck@mt.gov or 406-594-9851
The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.
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