MINUTES

Blueprint for Mansfield’s Children

Leadership Work Group Meeting #3

 

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Mansfield Town Hall, Council Chambers

5:30-7:30 PM

 

PRESENT: , M. Baker , M. Barton,  F. Baruzzi, S. Baxter, G. Bent, T. Berthelot, M. Feathers, K. Grunwald,

C. Guerreri, J. McLaughlin, J. Osleeb, K. Russo, M. Sieve, J. Stoughton, L. Young,

 

REGRETS:  R. Fields, R. Miller, R. Mocanu, M. Perkins S. Renfro, B. Tanner, S. Zacharie, N.Fisher-Doiron,

M.Hynes

 

 

Item

 

Discussion

 

Outcome

 

Dinner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Announcements

Minutes 

 

Welcome by T. Berthelot

 

K. Grunwald shared a power point presentation about the IParent Network he is working with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minutes of November meeting were reviewed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

IParent will equip parents with the tools to communicate, offer resources on a variety of parenting issues, and create a virtual town square.

Soft launch 3/09

Full launch 8/09

 

F. Baruzzi suggested information about this network be included in the packet presented to new parents.

 

Minutes approved.

(M. Barton, M. Feathers)

Overview of work to date

M. Sieve and J. Osleeb presented a computer-generated map, which locates the community  assets which were identified in small group work at the November meeting.
Map Observations:

  • Most resources are located along route 195. This indicates a need for feeder routes of transportation to route 195.
  • There is very little concentrated housing in the NE section of town
  • Need to include apartment complexes where there are likely to be concentrations of young families. Also Holinko Estates, graduate family housing, trailer parks and Foster apartments.

 

M. Sieve led the group in reviewing the small group work to date:

 

Community connections

     T. Berthoelt noted the small group’s focus was wider than the UCONN Grad. Student community.

      J. Stoughton suggested we change the library focus from increasing participation in programs to improving the number of library users in our target population. (for example, “ all children will have a library card when they enter school.”)

      C. Guerrie suggested an outcome might be promoting the library as a resource for young families. The development of a family Resource Center might be a goal.

 

Education

      F. Baruzzi noted that the school district is redefining its special education pre-school program in a way that will increase the number of children accommodated, including those who do not have special needs.

 

Health

      J. Osleeb raised the issue of a likely increase in the number of families using food stamps given the current economic situation and asked what the impact might be on the action to influence healthy behaviors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeff will add these to the map.

 

 

 

 

St. Thomas Aquinas Church will offer a Mom’s/Care Giver’s and Kids Morning out once a week, possibly beginning in January.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This will be a low cost solution to the need to increase pre-school spots.

 

 

M. Feathers identified the UCONN extension Service as one of our partners.

 

The whole group is asked to continue to submit ideas to Sandy and Malia.

 

 

Communications Committee

 

S. Baxter shared a power point presentation developed by the communications committee for use in presenting our work to community groups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feedback on the presentation:

  • Need to provide dates for each part of the process – for milestones
  • Use community access programming as a venue – present an action item each program – use panelists for round table discussion – invite phone-in questions and feedback
  • Slide one “family supports” … use “community connectedness for consistency
  • Create a slide listing partners – the is comfort in seeing familiar names as part of the presentation
  • Supporting the Process Slide;  
    • Under “funded by” .. should read “Governor’s Early Childhood Education Cabinet”
    • add State department of Education
    • should read Graustein Memorial Fund            
  • On Planning Process Slide, add, “Based on Results Based Accountability which has been adopted by the State Legislature for future funding.”
  • Under Strategies to Consider Health, clarify/reword “increase access to health information/care…” now sound like we will be offering health care at town hall, churches, etc

 

  • Survey wording needs work
  • Time line for presentations – present to Town Council and Board of Education first.  Early January may be too ambitious.
  • Have people fill out the questionnaire before the presentation begins. Will help give some context and reinforce that we are serious about wanting their input.
  • Suggestion we find another way to get names of those who wish to be entered in a drawing   Tear off at bottom of form or some other way that does not suggest we will know who filled out the form – may inhibit honesty.

 

 

Two people (1 from the communications committee) will take the power point to various community groups to inform them of our work and seek their feedback.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Suggestions will be incorporated and an update emailed to the group.

 

LWG members are asked to sign up for presentations

 

Let Sandy know of groups to be considered for presentations

 

 

Survey Presentation

M. Sieve shared the survey developed for our community presentations. It is modeled after the Colchester LWG Survey. Focus areas will be fine-tuned.

Survey return date 2/15

 Next Meeting

 Adjourned at 7:40

Next meeting January 22, 2009

RSVP to S. Baxter

 

 


Respectfully Submitted,

 

Gloria Bent