NYS: 21st Century, 21st Year

By Jeff White

At its first open house of the new year last Wednesday, Newtown Youth Services (NYS) scattered several tables with brochures and pamphlets as the public went around to learn about all it had to offer. It promises to be a big year, say the women who run NYS, one that will be punctuated by a greater emphasis on after-school programs for students, according to Office Manager Anita Arnold.

The after-school programs are about reaching out to students during that critical “3-6 time,” the hours between 3 and 6 pm when students have the time to flip on television or surf the Internet, says Program and Parent Education Coordinator Roseanne Loring. In the past, programs have focused solely on high school and middle school students, offering them diverse activities that try to be interesting and career-oriented at the same time.

A behind-the-scenes tour of Big Y stretched over six weeks from 3:45 to 4:45 pm is slated to begin January 18. Students are encouraged to meet at Big Y, on Queen Street. The program is free of charge.

Boys’ circuit training will begin on January 18, from 4 to 5 pm, at Newtown Health and Fitness. Students can participate in a variety of activities to test their strength and endurance. The cost for the program is $50, with a limit of 12 students.

Students will also have the opportunity, starting January 20, to see the inner workings of some of the companies around town during the program “How Things Work in Newtown.” Some of the businesses students will be able to visit will be Curtis Packaging, Charter Communications, Image One Printers and Bee Publishing Company. There is no charge for this four-week program, which will run from 3:45 to 5 pm; pick-up is at Brooks Pharmacy.

The Big Y, circuit training and Newtown business tour programs are offered to all sixth- through eighth-grade students.     

This year thanks largely to the efforts of Kelly Clark, a Newtown High School graduate who is interning at NYS during her college winter recess, after school programs will be available to elementary students. For third- through fifth-graders, there will be a Creative Calendars program staring Wednesday, January 19, and running for six sessions, from 3 to 4 pm. The cost is $5.

“A Craft for Kids Through Stories” is also slated to start January 19 for six sessions, where students can let tell their stories through artwork. The program is opened to third- and fourth-graders, and costs $5.

On January 20, “Krafty Kids” will start up for six sessions for students in first through fourth grade. The time of the program will be from 2:45 to 3:30 pm, and the cost is $8.

NYS members want to emphasize that all after-school programs are volunteer-driven. NYS Director Debbie Richardson says that anybody who has a particular skill or interest he or she might like to teach is encouraged to contact NYS for volunteer information. “We’re always looking for people who love teaching something to kids,” Ms Richardson says.

Going Beyond ‘After School’

Other programs at NYS are looking at a busy year, not least of all Newtown Youth Creating AIDS Awareness for Peers (NYCAAP). The program, created in 1995, functions under the philosophy that students will listen to each other more readily than they will to adult figures. NYCAAP functions to foster such student dialogue about the many facets of AIDS.

Risk reduction, education and tolerance issues are addressed during regular meetings, which are open to any high school student.

One of the longest running programs at NYS is Job Bank, which seeks to match qualified 14- to 17-year-old students with appropriate odd jobs. After filling out an initial application, an interview process takes place to ascertain a particular student’s strengths and to check references. Afterwards, a student’s name is placed in the Job Bank file, where they are assigned to particular residents who call up needing help around the house, such as raking leaves, shoveling snow and babysitting.

Job Bank Coordinator Jessica Clark is currently looking for more student volunteers.

The high school and middle school Youth Advisory Board are set to meet again this year, each already having over 50 members. The high school meets the last Monday of every month at 6:30 pm, while the middle school meets twice a month various times. Middle school schedules are posted in the school’s cafeteria.

In recognizing its 21st year in existence, NYS wants to highlight the various programs it offers to parents throughout Newtown. According to Mrs Loring, the parent coordinator, NYS is currently looking for volunteers to come in and get trained on how to run Positive Parenting meetings, so they can in turn go out around town and hold classes on their own. Those training sessions will begin January 29, from 9 am to 1 pm.

 There are a total of five Positive Parenting courses given each year, the first one starting on January 25, from 7 to 8:30 pm.

In response to those parents who want classes on how to communicate with their teens, NYS offers Welcome to the Teen Zone, an informal, low-key, common sense approach to parenting, which will begin on January 26 and will run for five weeks.

All programs are at NYS.

The big event that NYS looks forward to each year is May’s Celebrate Youth Festival, with its traditional talent shows and Outstanding Youth Awards. Also, the Gail Smith award will be handed out to a student, adult and business in Newtown that has helped to serve the cause of Newtown’s youth.

Amid these organized programs are myriad other opportunities for Newtown’s youth to connect with the community, through babysitting services, counseling, guest speakers and panels.

For any information on NYS programs and services, student and parents are encouraged to call 270-4335.

NYS, located next to Edmond Town Hall on Main Street, was first established in 1979 as a non-profit organization. Today, it remains such an organization, funded by the town, the State Department of Education, the Newtown Board of Education, the United Way of Northern Fairfield County and overall community support.

“We’re growing and expanding all the time, and changing to meet the needs of the community,” says Ms Richardson. “We try to be broad-ranged enough to have something for everybody.”