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Parents of children in Henryville schools and other community members got the opportunity to ask a few questions to members of the board of trustees, principals and the superintendent of West Clark Community Schools on Friday night. Most of the questions surrounded transportation issues, but also brought in some community announcements for residents affected by the storms on March 2. Monty Schneider, superintendent of West Clark Community Schools, said the panel was operating under the assumption that elementary students would attend school at the former Graceland Christian School in New Albany and high school students would go to the Mid-America Science Park in Scottsburg, as announced at the district’s board meeting the night before. He said though no contracts have been signed yet, “hand-shake agreements” have been made. Other news includes:
• Normal bus routes for Henryville schools will be maintained, but after students are picked up, they will be dropped off at parking lot behind the Henryville Community Center. From there, students may need to switch buses, but they’ll be taken to whichever facility they’re headed.
• High school students who drive may be limited because of parking at the Mid-America Science Park.
   Troy Albert, principal of Henryville High School, said juniors and seniors may be the only ones allowed to drive.
• The county will cut a road into the parking lot behind the community center to provide an exit. Hazel Street will turn into a one-way street there.
• Buses will run at normal times and parents who are used to picking up their children from school will pick up their children from the lot behind the community center at normal time.
• Parents who wish to drop off and pick up their elementary children at the former Graceland Christian School will be allowed to continue doing so.
• Once the district has counted up the number of days children have missed in Henryville schools, they may request the state to allow a waiver for making up those days in class. Schneider said that will be determined after they get children back into schools.
• In case of severe weather, watch for announcements regarding West Clark Community Schools. Though students will likely be within Scott County School District 2 and New Albany-Floyd County Schools, West Clark may not necessarily follow the decisions of those districts.








Top_Story The Lives Behind Bipolar Carlton Davis works on a self-portrait in the film Of Two Minds.
By Brendan McLean, NAMI Communications Coordinator


It’s been 18 years since her sister’s death; years that have left Lisa Klein wondering whether her sister Tina really wanted to end her life or was simply trying to escape the pain. The diagnosis of bipolar disorder had provided some answers. It gave an explanation for the jubilant highs and feelings of limitless potential her sister felt as well as the devastating lows when she wouldn’t come out of her room for days. It helped explain why wacky, eccentric, outrageous and crazy were the words people often used to describe her. While Lisa may never know for certain why her big sister decided to take her own life, she does know that her feelings often made her feel isolated in the bustling, “normal” world around her, feelings that millions of other Americans who live with bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses experience every day. With her husband Doug Blush, Lisa Klein set out to make a documentary chronicling the lives of individuals impacted by bipolar disorder in memory of her older sister. Four years of work culminated in the finished product Of Two Minds, which has been playing around the country at film festivals this year. Exploring the turbulent journey that individuals living with bipolar disorder often face every day, the film captures the feelings, thoughts and fears surrounding mental illness. There are psychiatrists and psychologists helping to explain what bipolar disorder is along the way, but largely it is the voices of the individuals with bipolar, the family members and others who have been directly influenced by mental illness, that narrate the story. As a result, the film mimics the emotional roller coaster of life—and bipolar disorder—by bringing you up on a humorous high, setting you down into another tear-inducing account, only to bring you back up again. Primarily following the stories of four individuals—starting with three but picking up a fourth along the way—Of Two Minds weaves between the characters' lives, depicting some of the many difficulties that individuals with mental illness face: being turned down for healthcare (and continuing to be turned down because you were previously rejected), balancing relationships when one minute you are the most joyous person in the world and the next when life is hanging on the edge of a razor, losing a family member to suicide, the feeling of knowing medication keeps you stable but at the same time zaps your creativity and individuality, and others. “We didn’t start with a preconceived notion of how this was going to go,” Blush asserts. “We knew that there were going to be major stories that we were going to follow but we didn’t know the form it would take, but it turned out that stories of the people were so compelling, just living life.” And extremely captivating they are. While the four primary stories provide the core of the movie, the peripheral stories help reveal the variety of complex emotions and situations that often arise with mental illness. All of these personal accounts help depict the personal consequences of the illness to an almost unbearable reality. “It’s like taking the best day you’ve ever had and multiplying it by a million,” says Cheri Keating in the film, one of its central figures, about what it feels like to be manic. Keating came to Los Angeles to make it as a makeup artist. Within two months, she was planning her suicide. Her first inclination of her illness was when she was only 8 years old and started having hallucinations. At 14, she attempted suicide for the first time. Artist Petey Peterson and his work in Of Two Minds. Because the film was shot over an extended period of time, we see Keating, and the other subjects of the film grow. For Keating, we see her pack up and move (something she has done 37 times in 37 years), find a boyfriend, Michael “Petey” Peterson, break up with said boyfriend, get back together and break up again. We see her wean herself off psychiatric medication and by the end of the film look wonderfully content as she shops through a local market. Arguably one of the most fascinating turns of the movie is when the aforementioned Peterson, who really turns the three main subjects into four, is diagnosed with bipolar disorder himself. Watching the film, we learn firsthand the ramification of what it means to be diagnosed. Peterson was completely okay when being told about Keating’s bipolar disorder; it didn’t affect him, she was attractive and fun and he liked her—that was all that mattered. But when he received the diagnosis himself, his response was completely the opposite. “He just never realized he had it himself,” says Klein when I asked her about being there for the experience. “For him I think it was like, ‘oh my God, now I’m a label.’” Watching the film one comes to understand that there is a distinct difference between the stigma of mental illness and the stigma of having a mental illness one’s self.





Understanding and respecting the person with dementia ;

It's very important that people with dementia are treated with respect. It is important to remember that a person with dementia is still a unique and valuable human being, despite their illness. This factsheet looks at ways that you can help the person to feel valued and good about themselves. When a person with dementia finds that their mental abilities are declining, they often feel vulnerable and in need of reassurance and support. The people closest to them - including their carers, health and social care professionals, friends and family - need to do everything they can to help the person to retain their sense of identity and feelings of self-worth. Helping the person feel valued The person with dementia needs to feel respected and valued for who they are now, as well as for who they were in the past. There are many things that the people around them can do to help, including: trying to be flexible and tolerant making time to listen, have regular chats, and enjoy being with the person showing affection in a way they both feel comfortable with finding things to do together, like creating a life history book. What's in a name? Our sense of who we are is closely connected to the names we call ourselves. It's important that people address the person with dementia in a way that the person recognises and prefers. Some people may be happy for anybody to call them by their first name or nickname. Others may prefer younger people, or those who do not know them very well, to address them formally and to use courtesy titles, such as Mr or Mrs. Respecting cultural values Make sure you explain the person's cultural or religious background, and any rules and customs, to anyone from a different background so that they can behave accordingly. These may include: respectful forms of address what they can eat religious observances, such as prayer and festivals particular clothing or jewellery that the person (or those in their presence) should or should not wear any forms of touch or gestures that are considered disrespectful ways of undressing ways of dressing the hair how the person washes or uses the toilet. Acting with courtesy Many people with dementia have a fragile sense of self-worth; it's especially important that people continue to treat them with courtesy, however advanced their dementia. Be kind and reassuring to the person you're caring for without talking down to them. Never talk over their head as if they are not there - especially if you're talking about them. Include them in conversations. Avoid scolding or criticising them. Look for the meaning behind their words, even if they don't seem to be making much sense. Whatever the detail of what they are saying, the person is usually trying to communicate how they feel. Try to imagine how you would like to be spoken to if you were in their position. Respecting privacy Try to make sure that the person's right to privacy is respected. Suggest to other people that they should always knock on the person's bedroom door before entering. If the person needs help with intimate personal activities, such as washing or using the toilet, do this sensitively and make sure the door is kept closed if other people are around. Everyone involved - including the person's friends, family members, carers, and the person with dementia themselves - reacts to the experience of dementia in their own way. Dementia means different things to different people. Helping the person feel good about themselves There are lots of things you can do to help the person with dementia feel good about themselves. When you spend time with someone with dementia, it is important to take account of their abilities, interests and preferences. These may change as the dementia progresses. It's not always easy, but try to respond flexibly and sensitively. Supporting the person to express their feelings Dementia affects people's thinking, reasoning and memory, but the person's feelings remain intact. A person with dementia will probably be sad or upset at times. In the earlier stages, the person may want to talk about their anxieties and the problems they are experiencing. Try to understand how the person feels. Make time to offer them support, rather than ignoring them or 'jollying them along'. Don't brush their worries aside, however painful they may be, or however insignificant they may seem. Listen, and show the person that you are there for them. Offering simple choices Make sure that, whenever possible, you inform and consult the person about matters that concern them. Give them every opportunity to make their own choices. When you are helping someone, always explain what you are doing and why. You may be able to judge the person's reaction from their expression and body language. People with dementia can find choice confusing, so keep it simple. Phrase questions so that they only need a 'yes' or 'no' answer, such as 'Would you like to wear your blue jumper today?' rather than 'Which jumper would you like to wear today?' Tips: maintaining respect Avoid situations in which the person is bound to fail, as this can be humiliating. Look for tasks that they can still manage and activities they enjoy. Give plenty of encouragement. Let them do things at their own pace and in their own way. Do things with the person, rather than for them, to help them retain their independence. Break activities down into small steps so that they feel a sense of achievement, even if they can only manage part of a task. Our self-respect is often bound up with the way we look. Encourage the person to take pride in their appearance, and compliment them on how they look. Try not to correct what the person says to you, the accuracy of the information is not as important as what the person is trying to express. Supporting other carers Make sure that anyone involved in caring for the person has as much background information as possible, as well as information about their present situation. This will help them see the person they're caring for as a whole person rather than simply 'someone with dementia'. It may also help them to feel more confident about finding conversation topics or suggesting activities that the person may enjoy. If someone is not used to being around people with dementia, it may help to emphasise the following points: Dementia is nothing to be ashamed of. It is no one's fault. If the person tends to behave in ways that other people find irritating or upsetting, this may be because of the dementia - it's not deliberate. The person with dementia may remember the distant past more clearly than recent events. They are often happy to talk about their memories, but anyone listening needs to be aware that some of these memories may be painful. Always try to remember Each person with dementia is a unique individual with their own individual experiences of life, their own needs and feelings, and their own likes and dislikes. Although some symptoms of dementia are common to everyone, dementia affects each person in different ways. We all need to feel valued and respected and it is important for a person with dementia to feel that they still have an important part to play in life. Give encouragement and reassurance and support other family members to understand the person's needs and concerns.

 




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