“Paper Tiger” addresses how one school took on toxic stress

The Eagle Grove Area School District has always put students as their number one priority. As times continue to change and society faces new challenges, so too has the school, always moving in the direction of providing the best education and support system for the students to have the greatest potential for success. That’s why they are inviting the community to a free screening of “Paper Tigers” at the Robert Blue Middle School auditorium on Monday, Jan. 13. The event begins at 5 p.m. with a free-will meal (funds used to host future trauma-informed events) followed by the showing of the movie.

“Paper Tiger” is the story of how one school, Lincoln Alternative High School in Walla Walla, Washington, took on toxic stress. What is toxic stress? It’s traumatic childhood experiences that can threaten brain development, lead to erratic behaviors, social problems, and also harm health. According to the Adverse Childhood Experiences study (ACEs - which was done in the mid-1990s), early experiences in a child’s life shape the quality of adult lives leading to things like heart disease, depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, and even early death.

Those negative (toxic stress) experiences include:

Physical Abuse

Emotional Abuse

Sexual Abuse

Substance Abuse in the home

Family member with mental illness

Incarcerated family member

Separation/Divorce

Domestic Violence

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