A Morning Spent

Building Families

To the Editor:

Last Saturday the Newtown Parent Connection held its second annual Parent University at Newtown Middle School. It was a phenomenal morning, made better by the outstanding contributions of the talented speakers, enthusiastic participants, and dedicated volunteers who planned for a year prior to the event. Each of the eight sessions offered a broad range of parenting issues, and appealed to anyone living or working with children of all ages and stages of development.

We would like to publicly thank those who have helped us make Parent University possible: Newtown Savings Bank for sponsoring the children’s program; Newtown General Store and Bagel Delight for breakfast; Rob “Coach” Frangione from the Newtown Youth Academy for providing the delicious lunch; Dunkin’ Donuts, Caraluzzi’s Market, and ShopRite, for donations of food and drinks; Jeff Hadgraft from Pepsi for supplying the water, and Tim Miller from Pepperidge Farm for the children’s snacks; and Just-a-Buck and Wheelchair Getaway for their generous donations.

We would especially like to thank the Newtown Middle School staff for their hospitality and the tireless work of the custodians — Don and his crew — for graciously providing us everything we needed to make the event possible. Finally, the diligent volunteer efforts of the Parent University Committee were so greatly appreciated: Roseanne and Jim Loring, Joan Ponsky, Rob Ryder, Temple Whitaker, Terry Laslo, Fran Walczak, Chris Lyddy, Joan Piscitelli, Joan Rogers, Connie Eaton, Sarah Hemingway, Lorna Szalay , Reggie Cernick, and Jen Van Epps.

Our speakers were unparalleled and their talks were edifying. We are grateful to those who shared their talents and expertise: Norm Bossio, Mary Ronan, Dr Mark Ligorski, Jeff and Mandy Tolson, Tom Janette and Scott Duva, Kevin Suckow, Dr Roseann Capanna-Hodge, and Claudette Ames.

Although the intention of Parent University is to help build resiliency in children and strengthen all families, we are appreciative of any effort made that helps Newtown Parent Connection to fulfill our mission, “To educate and empower the community in the prevention of substance abuse and to embrace families in crisis.” Thank you to those in the community who have taken the time to become aware and educated. It will make a difference for your children. We hope, as Norm Bossio challenged, to fill the auditorium next March!

You are invited to visit our website, www.newtownparentconnection.org, for future news and events.

Warmest regards,

Dorrie Carolan & Donna DeLuca

Co-Presidents, Newtown Parent Connection

115 Mt Pleasant Road, Newtown                                                                   March 31, 2009