*I sent this home to our parent body today. I dwelled on whether or not to send it and then a mom asked me about it. I don’t normally make such hay over Netflix but this is too important.*
As many of you have likely seen in the news and on social media, the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why has become wildly popular with a wide ranging audience. Many of our students have expressed to their peers that they have watched this program. I was able to watch the entire series when it first premiered a few weeks ago.
The series, based on the book of the same title by Jay Asher, deals with very raw themes of suicide, sexual assault, bullying, and children/adults in crisis. These themes are portrayed very openly and graphically. While I wouldn’t recommend this series for anyone under grade 8, I encourage any family who has considered watching this to make sure that it is done together and with conversation. I’m attaching some resources that have been published in the last few weeks to assist with these conversations and decisions about viewing. As with all media consumption for our adolescents, I recommend open communication with your child about what they choices they make in viewing and listening.
We will continue to address issues of character, kindness, respect, good decision-making, and safety in a proactive manner with our students. Mrs. Wright and I maintain an open door for any of our students in need, as do all of our Middle School teachers. Please feel free to reach out to us if we can be of assistance to you.
Common Sense Media 13 Reasons Why Resource
Teach2Connect 