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December 2016 News & Updates
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Don't Miss It...
Help Spread the Word!!!
"Tender Years Treasury"
A Unique Family Holiday Event
Saturday, December 3, 2016
10am to 1pm
Eugene Cannataro Senior Center
420 Middle Country Road in Smithtown
The Town of Smithtown Recreation Department and Senior Citizen's Department will be hosting their annual "Tender Years Treasury" event...
A special holiday shopping spree for children from grades K-5.
The event showcases beautiful, handcrafted gifts made by our local Senior Citizens. This unique event gives children the opportunity to choose that perfect gift for their loved ones.
Recreation staff members and Youth Bureau Volunteer Corps members will personally escort children (one on one) through the gift area where they can make their own purchasing decisions, and have their gift purchases wrapped free of charge.
* Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus will be visiting the children at the event!!! *
Other activities that day include; cookie decorating, balloon sculptures, temporary tattooing, upscale boutique for parents, refreshments, handmade quilt raffle and a mailbox for letters to Santa.
For more information about this fun-filled holiday shopping event, please contact Laurie Fitrakis, Smithtown Recreation Dept. at (631) 360-7644.
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Smithtown Youth Bureau Volunteer Corps
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The Smithtown Youth Bureau now has a
Volunteer Program Database for tracking volunteer information and your volunteer hours. If you would like to be included in this database, please complete the Volunteer Application.
PLEASE be sure to include details of any previous volunteer activity with the Smithtown Youth Bureau, to make sure you are credited.
Registered volunteers will receive notification of all volunteer opportunities with the Youth Bureau, other Town Departments, as well as for all of our local partners.
Once registered as a Youth Bureau Volunteer Corps member, all of your community service will be recorded and can be accessed to provide formal documentation of your volunteerism.
* Students and adults are invited to register.*
(Adults are needed to assist with program supervision)
Smithtown Youth Bureau
161 East Main Street
Smithtown, NY 11787
Call: (631) 360-7595
Fax Application to: (631) 360-7687
Or scan & email to:
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Youth Advisory Board members volunteering at our recent Food Collection event.
*Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry Still
Needs YOUR Help!*
There is a serious shortage of food at the Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry right NOW!
The Pantry provides temporary food assistance for families throughout the township. Their motto is "
no one is turned away... ever!" Currently, they are in need of nonperishable food donations.
Please contact the Emergency Food Pantry President ASAP,
Pat Westlake, if you would be able to help with a food or monetary donation to help struggling Smithtown Township residents. The Pantry phone number is 631-265-7676, and they are located at 90 Edgewater Avenue in Smithtown. The hours of operation are Monday through Friday 9a.m. - 12pm.
The Youth Bureau, Youth Advisory Board and our Youth Volunteer Corps members held a very successful food drive at the Hauppauge ShopRite on Saturday, November 19, 2016.
Over
five full car loads of food donations were collected, plus ShopRite and the community donated
nearly $500 in cash and store gift cards to help the Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry.
We thank our volunteers for their time and dedication, and the community
for their generous donations.... Thank you!
Youth Volunteer Corps members in action at
the Emergency Pantry Food Collection at ShopRite 11/19/16.
The Pantry needs ongoing assistance...
PLEASE support the Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry!
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Anger Management Program
**Starts January 11, 2017**
For Students ages 13 - 17
The Town of
Smithtown Youth Bureau will be providing a Teen Anger Management program comprised of five (5) engaging, interactive workshops.
All sessions will be provided at the Horizons/Youth Bureau Center Community Room located at 161 E. Main Street in Smithtown. This FREE series will run for five (5) consecutive Wednesdays, running January 11th through February 8th from 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Please register as soon as possible, due to limited enrollment availability.
This effective, research-based behavioral program focuses on
helping teens ages 13 - 17 recognize what "normal" anger is, learn practical anger management skills and how to deal with anger and frustration in a healthy and constructive way. Relaxed, informal setting is extremely helpful for any teen, either experiencing anger management difficulties or merely dealing with the general stress and challenge of peer and family relationships.
This highly interactive program presents easily understood concepts and provides opportunity for teens to share their experiences and practice valuable skills. Major topics include: changing negative, hostile "self-talk"; positive assertiveness skills; personal anger triggers; relaxation methods; anger level awareness & monitoring, and conflict resolution strategies.
Contact Janine Marc-Anthony, Community Relations Assistant at the Smithtown Youth Bureau, (631) 360-7595 or [email protected] to register, or for further information about the program. Please register by 1/3/17
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Town-Wide 2017 Letter Writing Contest Coming SOON!
The Town of Smithtown Youth Bureau will soon be announcing our annual Town-wide Contest!
Next year's contest theme.......
"A Personal Thank You Letter to an Emergency Responder"
(Thank your Firemen/women, Police Officers, EMT's, etc.)
Winners of the 2016 Letter Writing Contest (photo below) had the opportunity to read their letters of thanks directly to veterans, who attended the April 2016 Global Youth Service Day event, as honored guests.
Contest winners and other Global Youth Service Day event participants enjoyed a continental breakfast and had the opportunity to meet other community-minded students from throughout the township.
This event qualified to be included on the World-wide Map of Global Youth Service Day events that were held over this same weekend in over 100 countries.
Keep posted for 2017 contest details!!!
Town-wide Letter Writing Contest Winners receiving awards at
Global Youth Service Day April 2016.
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Educational Outreach - "Parent University" & "The Ugly Truth"
Smithtown Youth Bureau staff members assisted with both "Parent University" and "The Ugly Truth" events at Kings Park and Smithtown High Schools in October. Presentations were given by the Suffolk County Police's Community Relations Unit, School District staff and Youth Bureau & Horizons Counseling & Education Center staff.
The programs focused on:
- Smithtown Parent University: Impact of screen time on students, including internet use and video games, expert advice from pediatricians, psychologists and other experts as to what parents can do to help improve their direct communication and relationships with their children.
- The Ugly Truth: Heroin and prescription drug education and awareness, prevention strategies, free Narcan training and additional community resources to educate the community about substance abuse prevent.
- Kings Park Parent University:
T
h
e college application/selection process and how to apply for financial aid, cyber bullying and internet safety, parent portal and parent resources and guides.
Youth Bureau/Horizons Counseling & Education Center information table at
Kings Park High School "Parent University" event.
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Safe Routes to School
Holiday Season Drunk Driving Prevention
December 14, 2016 - January 1, 2017
The holiday season is right around the corner. As we prepare for festivities with family and friends, the Safe Routes to School Program and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration want to remind all drivers about the dangers of drinking & driving.
Don't delay!!! Please download their free mobile app, SaferRide, for both iPhone and Android devices. SaferRide allows users to call a Taxi or a Friend by identifying the users location, keeping drivers and pedestrians safe on our roads.
Have a joyful & SAFE holiday season!
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Youth & Community Alliance of Smithtown
Committees Forming NOW!
The November 3rd
Y & C Alliance General Membership Meeting
was held at the Smithtown Library Main Branch to discuss forming the following Town-wide committees:
- Healthy Family Relationships
- Substance Abuse
- Bullying/Cyber bullying
Committees are now forming
to further address these issues
which
impact our local youth and families. For further information and/or to become involved with one or more of these ccommunity committees
please contact the Smithtown Youth Bureau at (631) 360-7595, or email Stacey Sanders, Executive Director at
[email protected]
Click link below for further information about the 11/3/16 Youth & Community Alliance of Smithtown meeting and summary of town-wide committees:
Y & C Alliance of Smithtown Committee Summaries
Our next General Membership Alliance meeting will be sometime in February 2017. The above-mentioned, three committees will all meet before that time.
Y & C Alliance of Smithtown members met to discuss possible goals and community strategies for the following committees; Healthy Family Relationship, Substance Abuse and Bullying/Cyberbullying -11/3/16.
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Programs of the Month
Babysitting Skills/Basic Child Care Program
We are excited to start up our babysitting skills program for the 2016-2017 school year! So far, programs have begun at Hauppauge Middle School and William T. Rogers Middle School. Students explore; the importance of safety, creative ways to engage children and lastly basic infant care such as safe handling, and changing diapers. The students REALLY enjoy practicing with our "Real Care Babies".
Hauppauge Middle School students participated in the four week after school
Babysitting Skills program provided by the Smithtown Youth Bureau.
Parenting Program - Parent Study Group
We also just completed our seven week, Parent Study Program ("Systematic Training For Effective Parenting"). This program discusses the role children have in the family, exploring a child's motivation to misbehave, and strategies to encourage a discouraged child. The supportive nature of this group helps parents feel that they are not alone as they raise their children in a challenging world.
Our next parenting class will start on January 12, 2017.
To register for the program, please contact Karen Aldrich at (631) 360-7595 or email at
[email protected]
Please register by 1/3/17
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Youth Bureau Staff Corner:
Happy Holidays!
Wishing everyone a warm, cheerful and
safe holiday season
with family...
...Creating wonderful memories!
Amy Lau
Community Relations Assisant
Season's Greetings from the Smithtown Youth Bureau Staff...
Stacey Sanders, Janine Marc-Anthony, Cynthia Grimley, Karen Aldrich,
Amy Lau, Gina Shalhoub and Crystal Belli
AND
Town of Smithtown Horizons Counseling & Education Center
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Town of Smithtown Horizons/Youth Bureau Department
Horizons Counseling and Education Center
is the Town of Smithtown's program for the prevention and treatment of drug and alcohol related problems. Services include counseling, specialized adolescent and adult treatment groups, and referrals for additional services. Smithown Horizons and Smithtown Youth Bureau work in collaboration to provide prevention education to school districts and community organizations.
Partners:
NYS Office of Children & Family Services, NYS Department of Transportation, Suffolk County Police Department - 4th Precinct, Suffolk County Youth Bureau,
NYS Association of Youth Bureaus, Suffolk County Youth Board Coordinating Council, Smithtown Animal Shelter, Smithtown Recreation Department, Smithtown Parks Department, Verizon in Smithtown, Target in Commack, Huntington Learning Center in Smithtown, Smithtown Industry Advisory Board,
Commack Coalition of Caring,
Smithtown Library System,
Hauppauge Youth & Community Coalition, Kings Park in the k
NO
w, Smithtown Children's Foundation, Kings Park Council of Schools, Communities of Solution, League of Women, Voters, Smithtown Food Pantry, Partners in Prevention, Project9line, Lessings at Smithtown Landing Country Club, and many others.
Useful Links:
Hauppauge-Smithtown Macaroni Kid
is a free, weekly e-newsletter and website for parents.
Each week they share articles, events, discounts, and giveaways for families with children of all ages.
They even have giveaways just for moms and dads!
Sign up
for your free subscription!
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