Great Work Happening!
The Stratford Youth and Family Advisory Board
is eager to share their recent efforts.
APRIL 2015 NEWSLETTER
For more information, visit our website:
In This Issue:



The Next Youth and Family Advisory Board Meeting is on:

Monday, April 20, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at Birdseye Municipal Complex, Room 110.

For agenda, click here.


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Join the
Stratford Youth and Family Advisory Board and its efforts to eliminate youth substance abuse in Stratford

The Coalition will be at the following events and needs volunteers :
  • April 27~ Lordship Elementary Health Fair; 1:00-3:30 p.m.
  • May 2~ Kids Fest at Nichols Elementary; 12 noon-3:00 p.m.
  • June 6~ Main Street Festival; 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
  • June 20~ Wayne's Walk at Short Beach.
  • June 20~ South End Reunion Committee's Community Expo.
 
Contact us by:
phone:
203-385-4095
e-mail:

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Upcoming YAFAB meetings:

May 4~ PFS Committee ; 7-8 p.m.
May 11~Youth Committee; 7-8 p.m.
May 18~ YAFAB Meeting; 7-9 p.m.
June 8~ Youth Committee;7-8 p.m.
June 15~ Annual Town Hall
                Meeting; 7 p.m. 


 
 

 

  


MARCH COALITION MEETING

At this month's meeting:
  • Coalition members gave Stratford a "Pat On The Back"!

 

  • Using a 'Community Mapping' activity from Week 1 of the National Coalition Academy (NCA), members divided into groups to diligently and creatively map our community.

  • The maps included, schools, landmarks, communities within Stratford, and youth "hot spots".  
  • The Coalition was introduced to the root causes of youth substance use, as demonstrated at NCA. The 5 root causes are: availability, community norms, laws and enforcement, price and promotion and favorable attitudes.  
COMMITTEE & TEAM REPORTS:

Youth Committee~
2015 MEDALS Awards are on Monday, June 15, 2015.
Partnerships For Success (PFS) Committee~
 The 2015 Freshman Forum was presented on April 1, 2015 to a nearly full auditorium at Stratford High.
Data Committee~
 The team plans to gather more information for our Community Assessment.
Logistics Committee~
 A new set of By-Laws has been drafted. The draft will be presented to Town administrators for approval.
All About Assets! Committee~
 Assets! Committee is in the process of pushing out Search Institute data to their fellow educators and PTAs. Also, an 'Asset Support Card' will be distributed.
#Rx4Disaster Committee~
 The committee will work with Susan Rubinsky on a social media awareness campaign about the dangers and consequences of prescription drug misuse and abuse.

ALL ABOUT ASSETS!
#2: Positive Family Communication
Young person and her or his parent(s) communicate positively, and young person is willing to seek advice and counsel from parents.

To promote p ositive family communication, 
C.L.A.S.P and F.L.A.S.H after-school students suggest:

  • Use mealtime to talk about your child's interests and current involvement, i.e. commitments to school, friends, job, sports/clubs, etc.

     
  • Choose one night a week as Game Night or to play a sport.
     

     
  • Go on a family outing and/or vacation together.
     

     
  • Be kind to one another
     
  • Hang a whiteboard on your refrigerator or common area. Use it to write loving messages to one another.
COMMUNITY UPDATES
  • Mayor John A. Harkins announced the Youth and Family Advisory Board's recent Drug Free Communities grant award and the successful 1,200 pounds of medications collected through the medication drop box in his State of the Town Annual Address. For the full speech, click here.
     
  • The Town of Stratford Zoning Commission denied a permit for a class A liquor store at 17 Woodend Road on March 31, 2015.
     
  • Stratford High Post Prom Committee is hosting a Dine-In at Acapulco's Restaurant on Main Street on Thursday, April 16, 2015 from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.-- just mention post-prom. Post-Prom is looking for volunteers on prom night, Friday, May, 29, 2015. Need volunteers for: Set-Up (2:00-10:00 p.m.); Chaperones (11:00 p.m.-3:30 a.m.); Clean-Up (3:30 a.m. to finish). Contact Sandy at [email protected].
     
  • Youth Mental Health First Aid Training is on Friday, April 24, 2015 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 25, 2015 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Birdseye Municipal Complex, Room 110. For more information and the register, call Community Services, 203-385-4095.
     
  • Healthy Kids Day at the Stratford YMCA is on Saturday, April 25, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The event is open to the public.
     
  • Bunnell High School Post Prom will be held on Friday, June 5, 2015 at the Sports Center in Shelton.
     
  • Stratford Library is hosting Rising Stars @ SLA on Saturday, June 13, 2015 in the Lovell Room from 12 noon to 5:00 p.m.
     
  • Wayne's Walk will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2015 at Short Beach.
     
  • Stratford South End Reunion Committee is looking for all individuals who are from, have lived, and/or currently live in the South End of Stratford to attend a reunion on August 7-9, 2015. The committee is looking to connect via Facebook. The Community Expo will be on Saturday, June 20, 2015. 

A message from the Stratford YMCA:

For more information on the YMCA's Diabetes Prevention Program, go to: www.ymca.net/diabetes

Stratford Youth and Family Advisory Board's mission is to mobilize youth and community partners to create a safe, healthy and drug-free environment where youth and families thrive.

For more information about Stratford Youth and Family Advisory Board, please visit our
website at www.townofstratford.com/YAFAB