New Space Means New Programs At Newtown Youth & Family Services

By Nancy K. Crevier

With the move to 17 Church Hill Road from 10 Glen Road in late November, Newtown Youth & Family Services (NYFS) doubled not only the amount of physical space, but also the number of programs that it can now offer to the families and children of the town.

“Every family can use a little support at some time,” said grants coordinator Beth Agen, who is in charge of generating ideas for NYFS programs that will interest and support Newtown families. She and program assistant Amanda Walsh, who joined the staff in November, also relied on information provided by surveys taken last year at Newtown Middle School and Newtown High School to key in on what youth in town are seeking in after-school activities.

Many of the programs being offered this winter and spring are geared toward strengthening family ties and assisting peers in helping each other. Other programs zero in on those young people who prefer to work independently or who are simply looking to work.

“Strengthening Families” is offered Wednesday evenings from 6 to 8 pm, beginning January 16. “It is targeted for families,” said Ms Walsh. “Children learn to deal with their emotions and aggressions, and parents learn parenting skills. We will provide a light dinner that the families can enjoy together and practice using the new skills,” she said.

“This program addresses the issues as kids move from ‘tweens to teens,” explained Ms Agen. “It educates the parents as well as the children, and is sort of a revamped and reinvigorated version of a class taught at the former Newtown Family Counseling Center before we merged.”

On January 28, NYFS will initiate the “Start Something” program for youth in grades 7 and 8. A cooperative effort of NYFS, the Newtown Prevention Council, and the Tiger Woods Foundation, “Start Something” helps young people define a personal goal, develop a plan to achieve that goal, and explore career interests. It is a national program through which more than 330,000 students in the country have benefited, Ms Walsh said. “Kids can come up with a community service program, whether large or small, and apply to the Tiger Woods Foundation for funding to help make it happen,” Ms Walsh said.

 “Yoga Mania” will start January 29, from 3 to 4 pm, and run through April 29. Taught by local yoga instructor Karen Pierce, the class for young people in grades 7 through 12 will focus on improving flexibility, building strength, and improving listening skills. It is one of the programs that are possible due to the availability of space within the new location, Ms Agen said.

Another new way the space is being utilized at NYFS is with the advent of the “Board Game” program. Students in grades 7 through 12 are invited to join in a variety of classic and new board games on Thursdays between 2:15 and 4 pm, beginning January 31.

The “drop-in” center, or “blue room,” is a new addition for youth at the Church Hill location. “It’s a place where kids from the middle school can just hang out, have a snack, watch a movie, or whatever between 2 and 5 pm each day,” Ms Walsh said. The spacious room offers a big-screen television for watching DVDs, comfortable floor chairs and bean bag chairs, jazzy red tables for doing homework or working on projects, and a snack center. One adult for every ten children is always available to monitor the “blue room,” but when kids enter the doors of the 17 Church Hill location, it is rare, said Ms Agen, that they need to be reminded of the one rule: “Be nice.”

Ms Walsh is also coordinating an after-school program with Newtown High School guidance counselor Jeff Tolson at the high school this winter. “I’m pretty excited about it and think it will be a lot of fun,” she said. Freshmen and juniors from the school will be matched up by Mr Tolson and engaged in various bonding activities via a “treasure map” designed by Ms Walsh — “With a little help from the Internet,” she confessed. As activities marked on the map, such as homework, movies, or community projects, are completed by the teams of two, Mr Tolson or Ms Walsh will stamp the map. And what is the treasure? “When all of the squares on the map, about 20 to 25 of them, are stamped, the freshmen can win a digital camera and the junior on the team will get a $500 gift card to be used for upcoming college-related costs,” Ms Walsh said.

Another peer activity sponsored by NYFS is that of peer mediation at the high school. Fourteen high school students have recently undergone ten weeks of training to help other students resolve disputes, one on one, in a healthy manner, Ms Agen said. Supervised by high school staff members Jen Hogan and Suzanne Davenport, Ms Agen hopes that this program, put into place as a preventative measure, will diffuse potentially unpleasant confrontations.

The kick-off for Friday night movies will be February 1, when NYFS presents High School Musical from 5 to 7 pm. The program is open to any student in grades 7 through 12. “Again, it’s an opportunity for kids to drop in and just have a place to be,” Ms Agen said. It will emphasize the homey atmosphere of the new surroundings, as well, they hope. “This should be a place everyone calls ‘home,’ from birth to retirement,” said Ms Agen.

To introduce families and young people to NYFS, a Saturday morning “Curious Critters” program from 10 to 11:30 am on February 2, will offer a hands-on approach to a variety of slithery, furry, feathery creatures. “We have a great location now and a great building, so we want this to help families learn about our new facility and learn about NYFS,” Ms Agen said, emphasizing once again that the agency is not just for troubled youth and family, but for any family experiencing the normal stresses of life.

“There has really been such a synergy and energy with this move to Church Hill Road,” Ms Agen said. “It’s more stimulating, and now people just drop in to see us, which is motivating for the staff. Kids just stop in now, too, to hang out, which is what we want,” she said.

Initiated at the suggestion of Reed Intermediate School teacher Jill Bontatibus Beaudry, Ms Agen and Ms Walsh are pleased to announce the addition of the Blizzard Brigade to the Job Bank. “Mrs Beaudry recognized the need home and business owners have for assistance clearing paths and driveways after snow storms, as well as the need for young people to contribute something positive to the community,” said Ms Agen. The Blizzard Brigade matches student and community members in need of help clearing out after a storm. Students apply at the NYFS Job Bank, references are checked, and the students are interviewed to make sure that they understand the commitment and responsibility of accepting the job. Job Bank coordinators then match youth with someone in their neighborhood and the details of payment and requirements are worked out. Now the staff and youth are just waiting for some snow.

“I believe kids rise to the occasion. You give them an opportunity and they will do it and be successful. As an agency, we try to provide these opportunities whenever we can,” Ms Agen said.

Preregistration is required for some of the programs. For more information, call 270-4335. Newtown Youth & Family Services is open from 9 am to 6 pm, Monday to Friday; Saturdays, 10 am to 1 pm. Drop-ins are always welcome.