Thrift store opening in Hanover Twp. on San Souci

Sentence imposed in deadly crash

First Posted: 8/19/2014 Would it be a good idea to &#8230;
&#8230; supply school students in Luzerne County with a list of resources at the start of the academic year that might help them overcome trouble in their classes &#8211; and their lives?
Without a guide, will they know where they can turn for tutoring? What about emotional support?
Point them to places, in the community or online, where they can find after-school homework help. (Hint: the Osterhout Free Library in Wilkes-Barre has a section of its website devoted to homework-assistance websites.) For that matter, list the locations and websites of every Luzerne County public library.
Provide students with web addresses for anti-bullying programs (such as www.stopbullying.gov).
Have they heard about Help Line, the region&#8217;s 24-hour telephone referral service? Its case workers can steer callers to area agencies offering all sorts of services, from emergency shelter to crisis counseling to aid with eating disorders. (And let&#8217;s not pretend our school-age students aren&#8217;t coping with these and other &#8220;grownup&#8221; problems.) Help Line&#8217;s toll-free phone number is 1-888-829-1341; it&#8217;s website is accessible at www.helpline-nepa.info.
Do Luzerne County&#8217;s students have a phone number, or email address, at which to report credible threats of school violence? (Both are available on Help Line&#8217;s website, listed under &#8220;safe schools.&#8221;)
No student should have to hunt for the support he or she needs.
To put information about locally based resources in students&#8217; hands, and keep it accessible, might it make sense to print the material on paper textbook covers? Do today&#8217;s students even use book covers? Is there a better way to deliver this sort of content to children and teens, or would it serve no practical purpose?
Give us your feedback by sending a letter to the editor or by posting comments to this editorial at timesleader.com or facebook.com/timesleader.
Likewise, share your ideas for improving the community and making area residents&#8217; lives better. Maybe we&#8217;ll spotlight your suggestions in a future editorial and ask readers, &#8220;Would it be a good idea to &#8230;&#8221;

OUR VIEW Put resources at students’ fingertips