White Out Night News Clip

White out number of drunk drivers: wtnh.com

Asset Message of the Week - NYE Edition

We are days away from New Years Eve and 2011, an annual celebration of the year that has passed and a look forward to the one ahead.  It is a night to gather with friends and family and often times make a resolution to improve a certain aspect of our life.  Some of the more popular resolutions every year include eating healthier; excercising; learning to better manage stress; quitting smoking; and getting out of debt.   This year, I would like to encourage you to considering going to www.assetpromise.org and including a resolution that will improve the lives of a child or children around you.  You would be amazed at what kind of difference you can make throughout the year by committing to one simple promise!

middletowneye: 5th Annual White Out Night on Main Street

middletowneye: 5th Annual White Out Night on Main Street: "Tonight the Middletown Substance Abuse Prevention Council (MSAPC) hosted its 5th annual White Out Night to raise awareness and prevent peop..."

It Started as a Skateboard...

...or maybe a board game and ended up as somewhat of a Christmas miracle. As I've mentioned before I mentor a 2nd grader at Macdonough School ever Friday during lunch. As the holiday approached I thought it would be nice to buy him a small present but before I did figured it would be respectful to ask his grandmother if that was ok. While we discussed the potential present, the conversation moved to how difficult a time she was having buying for all three of her grandchildren. We decided from there that maybe I could get a gift that all three brothers could use and I told her I would let her know that weekend what I got.


A trunk full of presents from some great people.

Later that day I figured it wouldn't hurt to send an email out to the Greater Middletown Mental Health Collaborative to see if others wouldn't mind helping out too. Earlier in the month, we actually discussed helping out a family or two so I figured the response would be ok. Turns out the response was amazing. Before it was even 8pm, less than three hours after the email went out, I had four promises to give. The next morning I had an 8am meeting and by 9am had over $100 in donations. An hour later I had an email from someone at DCF who would donate an extra skateboard that they had collected. Someone at Juvenile Court said they had talked and would gather presents and food for a meal. Another email promised $50, another $100. When it was all said and done, this group had collected over $400 in donations plus an entire meals worth of food and fixings.  It was incredible, I had to recruit Dragons In Action to help wrap all the items (which they were more than happy to do).

When I was telling someone the story of what happened, she put it into perspective for me, "We always assume there's nothing out there, that no ones will care, and its not worth trying. What we should do is always expect a surplus. People will help, you just have to ask."

I know there are many who may go without this holiday, but it was nice to know that it will be one less family because of the generosity of this group who just needed an email as a call to action. I should also thank programs like the Salvation Army, the City's Parks and Rec Dept, Woodrow Wilson Middle School's "Wish List" and so many others that turn a potential stressful time for families into something special.

DIA helping out with the wrapping of presents...

Asset Message of the Week - Holiday Edition

I wanted to take this time to thank you all for everything you do to support youth in our community and assuring that all kids are growing up healthy and successful! From a smile to becoming a mentor for a young person, everything you do makes a difference! So, continue to do what you do and I wish you all a wonderful holiday season filled with much health and happiness! - Melissa Robinson


THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS A GREAT TIME TO BUILD ASSETS IN CHILDREN

Which holidays do you look forward to most? Which ones do the children in your life? Holidays and special occasions—when they work well—bring people/families closer together. Even holidays that aren’t perfect can be transformed into ones that mean a lot to family members.

Did You Know?

Families that celebrate holidays and special occasions are more likely to raise kids who have a strong sense of identity, are healthy, have close ties to family members, and succeed in school.

The more meaningful older teenagers felt their family rituals were, the more likely they were to have a strong sense of themselves and be able to handle the stresses of going to college freshman year.



DIA Toy Drive for I Have a Friend Youth Center - 2008



Families that share the preparations for a family holiday are more likely to continue traditions.

Teach Kids About Giving During the Holidays

Leave even a small gift-giving budget to go shopping for a child in need. You can purchase gifts in your kids' names. They'll feel good about making a difference in someone else's life.

Get Your Older Kid Involved During the Holidays

Turn your teen's iTunes obsession into a holiday help. Have him/her make an mp3 playlist for the holiday meal. It's a good way to keep your kid actively involved in the family gathering. Plus, sacrificing one aspect of the meal shows your kid not only that you care, but also that you trust with him/her with responsibility.

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. Wishing you happiness.

-- Helen Keller

For more information about Developmental Assets, please visit www.search-institute.org and don't forget to go to www.assetpromise.org to make your promise to support Middletown youth.



White Out Night - 2010

For the fourth year, the Middletown Substance Abuse Prevention Council is hosting "White Out Night" along with local youth from Middletown High School's Dragons in Action, Woodrow Wilson Middle School's Rams in Action, and Keigwin Middle School's Cougars in Action. The students have been working hard to prepare for the event which is aimed at promoting safe driving on the New Years holiday by making posters and decorating t-shirts with safe driving messages on them. The event will be held on Wednesday, December 29th at 5:30 on Main Street in Middletown. The students will march up and down Main Street with information on the importance of being safe! Come out and support your local youth!

Sharing Holiday Cheer

Woodrow Wilson Middle School has started a new program this year called PRIDE period. During this time at the beginning of the day students have the opportunity to work together on various projects, activities, and discuss various issues that affect teens with the support of two staff members. I have been lucky enough this year to work with a great 8th grade teacher, Ms. Sherman, and her language arts class on a daily basis. The kids decided they wanted to focus their time on some community service projects throughout the year. The first project they are working on is for the holidays! They have made holiday cards, snowflakes for decorations, and collected cans to send a basket of Mrs. Fields brownies and cookies to the nurses, patients, and families of a neonatal hospital unit. These are pictures of the students cashing in the cans this morning at Stop and Shop! I am extremely proud of them and hope they are of themselves as well! Happy Holidays!

Internet Plays the Good Guy in this Bullying Story

photo from cnn.com

A while ago I found this really cute story about bullying that seemed to have a happy ending. People who know me and are aware of the work we do, know how hard we've worked around issues of cyber bullying and our attempts to get a lot of this stuff off the internet. Our biggest issues have been around facebook pages made specifically to compare and make fun of students. We've been very critical of slow response time (or even trying to get a response at all - and we're not alone) and so in some respect the internet has not been our friend around this issue.

However, in the story below, we have an example of how a community of people rallied around a young girl who was being teased at school for being different. The amount of support she's received is impressive and possibly a difference maker for this student. So as I will probably continue to demonize certain aspects of "the internet" as we continue to combat issues of teens and technology, here's at least one example of it being our friend...

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/12/09/katie.starwars.geek/index.html?hpt=C1

Sex Ed and Snooki

I usually try to stay away from sex and sex education on here as it may sometimes be a sticky topic but I thought this was a well written article about feminism and the age of "Snooki" (seen above). With reality television dominating the airwaves and the rise of their stars as role models for our young people, it puts added emphasis on asset builders to make sure that a more pro-social perspective is being put out there. Things like fighting (verbal and physical) and promiscuity make for good "reality" tv but in real life make for very difficult lives and the more its out there, the more the line between the two gets blurred. Hope you enjoy and it catch the very practical tips for modeling and conversation (especially about decoding the media) towards the end.

http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/12/16/sex-ed-in-the-age-of-snooki/?hpt=C2

Asset Message of the Week - Responsibility

62% OF MIDDLETOWN YOUTH REPORT FEELING THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO ACCEPT AND TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS.

In Raising a Responsible Child, authors Don Dinkmeyer, Ph.D., and Gary D.McKay, Ph.D., point out four keys to instilling the value of responsibility in your child.

Key #1—Let them do it. Too many adults do tasks for children, instead of letting them do them. Why? Some adults think kids are incapable of accomplishing the task (which is true if they’re never given the chance to learn). Also, our busy lifestyles can keep us from taking the time to let children master skills.

Key #2—Expect it to take time. The best time to teach children responsibility is when you’re not in a hurry. Children will become discouraged, self conscious, and uncooperative when they sense they are being rushed, or are not living up to an adults expectations.

Key #3—Ask, don’t demand. Begin by asking your child to help you with something, such as doing laundry. Do it together. Gradually teach your child so that they can do it by themselves.

Key #4—Use consequences. When your child does not follow through with something that he or she is solely responsible for. Let natural and logical consequences occur.

Three ways to help your child become more responsible:

1.  When you make a commitment, follow through. If you are unable to for some reason, take responsibility.

2.  Create a chart of family chores, listing everyone’s responsibilities.

3.  Don’t rescue children if they do something wrong. Let them accept responsibility and face consequences.

"It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities."

     ~ Josiah Stamp

"If you want your children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders."

     ~Abigail Van Buren

For more information on Developmental Assets, please visit www.search-institute.org and don't forget to go to www.assetpromise.org to make your promise to support Middletown youth.

Missed a Milestone; Happy 200th Post

Apparently we missed a milestone on the blog but our teen driving safety post was our 200th post. Just wanted to thank everyone that is visiting, over the last two months (Oct & Nov) we've have over 2,600 visits to the page!

"Beware of the Urkel": The Battle Against Boys and Sagging Pants

Not that I endorse this idea or am a fan of humiliation as a form of behavior change, I thought it was a very interesting (and apparently effective) attempt to get young men in schools to stop "sagging" their pants. Although the origins of where sagging, or wearing your pants well below your waist, have been debated over time, there is obviously a strong connection with pop culture over the last decade or so.

So one school in Salt Lake City started to "attack pop culture with pop culture" and decided to channel the 90's TV character Steve Urkel in doing so. Whenever a young man is found to have their pants too low, a staff person equipped with plastic ties, hikes up their pants (as high as their armpits) and ties them up there. Over time, the school has seen an 80% drop in "urkels" and students who once thought it was a joke, learned to take the threats very seriously.

To get the full story you can click on the link here: http://www.click2houston.com/video/26044896/

I'm interested in what others think, so please feel free to comment...

Asset Message of the Week - Integrity

64% OF MIDDLETOWN YOUTH REPORT THAT THEY TELL THE TRUTH "EVEN WHEN IT IS NOT EASY...

Unfortunately, cheating and dishonesty are more prevalent in our children than we would like. In a survey of 3,370 high school students, about 9 out of 10 said that cheating is common at their school. The number one reason for cheating: It’s not a big deal. Yet honesty is a big deal. Of youth surveyed, 64% say they believe it is important to tell the truth even when it is not easy. And there’s a difference between girls and boys: 70% of girls say they value honesty, whereas only 58% of boys do. To instill the value of honesty,we need to talk about it, model it, and explain why honesty is an important value.

EASY WAYS TO ENCOURAGE CHILDREN TO VALUE HONESTY
1. Encourage each family member to make a personal commitment to tell the truth. Honestly acknowledge feelings. Honestly admit to successes and mistakes.
2. Don’t overreact if a child tells you something you don't agree with. Children may lie if they fear your reaction.
3. Work together to come up with rules about honesty and the consequences for dishonesty.
4. Make sure to acknowledge when a child tells the truth about something, especially if you know it was difficult for them.

MODEL HONESTY - MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT YOU SAY IS WHAT YOU DO....
1. Correct the situation immediately when clerks give you too much change.
2. Be honest with sales people. Instead of making an excuse, say, “No, thank you , we're not interested.
3. Admit when you’ve fudged the truth and apologize.

A FEW CLOSING THOUGHTS:

"A true friend will tell you the truth to your face, not behind your back." - Sasha Azevedo

"No man has a good enough memory to make a successful liar." - Abraham Lincoln

I hope you all enjoy your week. For more information on Developmental Assets, go to http://www.search-institute.org/ and don't forget to visit http://www.assetpromise.org/ to make your promise to support Middletown youth.

Teen Safe Driving Awareness Week (Dec 5-11)

(from our friends at !MPACT, who speak annually to our MHS junior class right before their junior prom)

December 5-11, 2010 is Teen Safe Driving Awareness Week in Connecticut. Attached is the Official Statement signed by Governor Rell, which recognizes the work of our organization, Mourning Parents Act, Inc., for its efforts in promoting safe teen driving.

It is a time to remind teens and parents of the need to follow Connecticut's graduated drivers licensing laws and to urge teens to exercise responsible behavior while driving or riding in a vehicle with other teens. You are in the unique position to have the best opportunity to send this important safety message to the youngest and most inexperienced drivers on the road.

Please take the opportunity to promote safe driving during the week. You can encourage students to enter the DMV video contest on safe driving. Details can be found on the CT DMV website at: www.ct.gov/teendriving. You can reach out to our organization, Mourning Parents Act, Inc. (!MPACT), to present our free safe teen driving program at your school. Details can be found on our website at: http://www.mourningparentsact.org/. Additional information can be found in our brochure, which I have attached for your easy reference. Making some notice of safe teen driving each day of the week in the morning or afternoon announcements would be a constant reminder about its importance.

Thank you for your assistance in communicating this important safety message to Connecticut's most vulnerable drivers. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to arrange a presentation by our group, or if you have any questions. !MPACT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization run by volunteers who have suffered personal loss due to teen driving crashes. We offer !MPACT's teen driving safety program to high schools throughout New England at no charge.

Sincerely,
Sherry Chapman
President
Mourning Parents Act, Inc.
860-209-7070

Leadership Through Paper Planes

One of the activities today required our group to pair up and create paper planes. The object (as seen above) is to fly your plane the furthest. Middletown had one group make it to the finals for the entire crowd of 150+ and finished third overall (although the real lesson was teamwork and making sure the entire "team" gets recognized as opposed to one leader). Here are some pics and video of the excersise.

Today's Couty-wide Developmental Assets Training

Today we have the pleasure of bringing ten students from Middletown High to a county-wide workshop on developmental assets. The event was funded by the Middlesex United Way and coordinated by Rushford and MCSAAC and brought together over 150 young people from each of the 15 communities in Mx. County. The students learned about the developmental assetframework, the principles of leadership, and how to create an action plan. Below are some videos and pictures from the day.



Looking at how assets promote healthy behavior and protect against risky ones




Taking the asset checklist





Leadership activity 1




More leadership activities





Writing letters to an adult who "was there for them." A very emotional excersise for our group.




End of the day group pic (we'll work on the boy's smiles..,)