Counselor’s Office

• Bullying Resources and Information
• Cyberbullying
• Kids Against Bullying
• Reporting Bullying

 

FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid

Filling out FAFSA or TAFSA

Student Support Resources

Report Abuse

• By Phone: 1-800-252-5400
• Online: https://www.txabusehotline.org/Login/Default.aspx

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) has a central place to report:

• Child abuse and neglect.
• Abuse, neglect, self-neglect, and exploitation of the elderly or adults with disabilities living at home.
• Abuse of children in child-care facilities or treatment centers
• Abuse of adults and children who live in state facilities or are being helped by programs for people with mental illness or intellectual disabilities. These are run by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) or Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS).

Texas law says anyone who thinks a child, or person 65 years or older, or an adult with disabilities is being abused, neglected, or exploited must report it to DFPS. A person who reports abuse in good faith is immune from civil or criminal liability. DFPS keeps the name of the person making the report confidential. Anyone who does not report suspected abuse can be held liable for a misdemeanor or felony. Time frames for investigating reports are based on the severity of the allegations. Reporting suspected abuse makes it possible for a family to get help.

Call Abuse Hotline toll-free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, nationwide, or report with our secure website and get a response within 24 hours.

• Texas Abuse Hotline Website

  The Department of Family and Protective Services provides a secure website for reporting suspicions of abuse, neglect and exploitation of children, adults with disabilities, or people 65 years or older.

  Use this website to report situations that do not need to be investigated right away. It may take more than 48 hours to process online reports due to high volume.

  For urgent or emergency situations call:

  1-800-252-5400 or 911

• Recognizing Signs of Child Abuse

• Teen Dating Violence is a pattern of emotional, verbal, sexual, or physical abuse used by one person in a current or past dating relationship to exert power and control over another when one or both of the partners is a teenager. Abuse may include insults, coercion, social sabotage, sexual harassment, stalking, threats and/or acts of physical or sexual abuse. The abusive partner uses this pattern of violent and coercive behavior to gain power and maintain control over the dating partner. This may also include abuse, harassment, and stalking via electronic devices such as cell phones and computers, and harassment through a third party, and may be physical, mental, or both. In Teen Dating Violence relationships, there are Three Important Roles:

  • The Abuser - A person who physically, sexually, verbally or emotionally hurts a dating partner.
  • The Victim - A person who is hurt physically, sexually, verbally or emotionally by a dating partner.
  • The Bystander - A person who is aware that someone is being abused in a dating relationship. The bystander may become aware of the abuse through the abuser's or target's actions or words, or through second-hand information.

   

  Young adult dating violence is an increasing problem, affecting youth in every community across the nation.

  • Nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a single year.
  • One in three adolescents in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds rates of other types of youth violence.
  • One in 10 high school students has been purposefully hit, slapped or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend.
  • Girls and young women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence — almost triple the national average.
  • Among female victims of intimate partner violence, 94% of those age 16-19 and 70% of those age 20-24 were victimized by a current or former boyfriend or girlfriend.
  • Violent behavior typically begins between the ages of 12 and 18.
  • The severity of intimate partner violence is often greater in cases where the pattern of abuse was established in adolescence.

   

  National Teen Domestic Violence Hotline

  1-866-331-9474 or Text "loveis" to 22522

• Break the Cycle

• Love is Respect

• Violence Prevention

   

Parents are often concerned about whether their children will start or have already started using drugs and alcohol. Learn the facts about drugs and drug abuse and what you can do to prevent your children from starting to take drugs.

• Addiction

  Information on ending addiction.

• Alcohol

  How to talk to your kids about underage drinking.

• Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

  Alcohol abuse and alcoholism

• Alcohol Abuse

• Drug Abuse and Addiction

  Drug abuse and addiction information.

• Electronic Cigarettes/E-Cigs

  Know the Risks: E-cigs and young people

• National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign

  Information for parents and educators is available on this National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign's parent web site.

• Start Your Recovery

  Start your Recovery helps individuals learn about addition, recognize sings of a problem, and find local support and treatment. Visitors to the site can hear about stories from their peers who have overcome substance abuse challenges.

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

  Substance abuse and mental health services.

• Tobacco

  Tobacco free kids.

Dual Credit Application 2022-23

Alto ISD policy states that students must declare in writing their intention of graduating early by June 1st at the end of their sophomore year. A student who is graduating early will be included in senior class rank ONLY if he/she is in a position to complete all required coursework after the fall semester of his/her third year in high school, and has passed all STAAR tests. Years two and three must be completed at Alto High School. If a student does not declare early graduation after the end of their sophomore year, he/she will NOT be included in the class rank. Students who declare early graduation may not receive initial course credit via Edgenuity, unless a course required for early graduation is taught through Edgenuity per District policy or administrator discretion.  More information may be found in the AHS Handbook.

---

Texas First Early High School Completion Program to allow public high school students who demonstrate early readiness for college to graduate early from high school.

Texas First Early High School Completion Program Requirements

Texas First Diploma Flyer

• KidsSmartz
• NSTeens
• NetSmartzKids
• NetSmartz

Local Resources 

Local Mental Health Providers

What is self-injury? A deliberate act to injure the body as a way of coping with emotional distress or discomfort.

How are kids injuring? There are many ways to injure. Popular methods among kids are cutting, scratching, burning, hitting, or over medicating themselves.

Why do kids injure? To communicate emotional pain to others, to distract themselves from emotional distress, or to feel something when experiencing numbness or a disconnect.

• The Butterfly Project- Self Harm Project
• Self Injury
• Self Harm
• Help Guide to Cutting and Self-Harm,Cutting and Self-Harm,Self-Injury Help, Support, and Treatment

 

• 10 Habits for Highly Effective Students
• Study Skills for Students

Texas Senate Bill 9 requires public schools to provide instruction to students in grades 6-12 relating to the prevention of child anti-victimization. SB 9 requires school districts to obtain written parent/guardian consent before a student is provided with this specialized instruction. Anti-victimization instruction includes topics such as the prevention of child abuse, family violence, dating violence, and sex trafficking. The goal of Senate Bill 9 is to educate students to develop healthy relationships and behaviors that can overall improve their health and contribute to patterns of wellness that will extend into adulthood.

To help achieve this goal, Alto ISD has taken a proactive approach in creating a curriculum that helps guide students along the path to healthy living. The district is confident the information presented to students on the above topics is both age appropriate and grade-level appropriate.  Parents or guardians of AISD students have the opportunity to view the used curriculum and/or remove their child from this instruction. Our social and emotional curriculum outline is located below. Parents and guardians have the ability to proceed through the grievance procedure concerning complaints due to violation of TEC, §28.004.

Letter to Parents of 6-12 Graders

Content:

CharacterStrong

Capturing Kids Hearts

Sandy Hook Promise

RedRibbon.org

Unbound Houston

Office of Victims of Crime

ReallyVille

EduHero

 

August: Empathy

●     Building Strong Connections and Communities- Culture Camp

●     Digital Citizenship

 

September: Empathy

●     Middle School Mythbusting (worries & wonders)

●     Understand the Character Dare Process

●     Developing Community Agreements

●     Meeting New People

●     Suicide Prevention

●     Start with Hello

 

October: Self-Direct

●     Values Exploration

●     Listening

●     Perspectives

●     Alcohol/Drug & Child Abuse

●     World Mental Health Day

 

November: Teamwork

●     Perspective-Taking

●     World Kindness Day

 

December: Responsibility

●     Understanding Emotions

●     International Day of Persons with Disabilities

 

January: Respect

●     Conflict Resolution

●     Developing Friendships

●     Dating & Family Violence

 

February: Kindness

●     Friendships

●     Empathy

●     Human Trafficking

●     Random Acts of Kindness

 

March: Courage

●     Motivation & Emotions

●     Being a better you

●     Say Something- Sandy Hook Promise

 

April: Perseverance

●     Resolving conflicts

●     World Health Day

 

May: Integrity

●     Choices

 

1. Know the warning signs:

• Suddenly deteriorating school performance
• Changes in school attendance
• Talking about suicide and making suicide threats
• Loss of interest in things they use to enjoy doing
• An unusual interest in death or dying
• Taking unnecessary risks
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Depression
• Bullying (both the victim of bullying and the bully are at risk)
• Change in friendships or withdrawing from friends and school activities
• Mood swings or personality changes
• Changes in eating and sleeping habits
• Increased use of alcohol and/or drugs
• Giving away prized possessions  

2. Talk to your child:

• Let your child know that you care
• Do not be afraid to ask your child if they have or are thinking about suicide

3. Seek help:

• If it is an emergency, call 911
• Contact your child's pediatrician or doctor
• Contact a local mental health provider
  • or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255
• Notify your child's campus administrator and guidance counselor
• Additional Information and Resources are available at the following
  • ​National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
  • The Jason Foundation
  • Texas Suicide Prevention