Mansfield YSB Advisory Board

Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

12 noon @ YSB

 

In attendance were: Ethel Mantzaris, Chairperson/Resident; Frank Perrotti; Assistant Chairperson/Resident; Michael Collins; Resident, Kevin Grunwald, Director, Department of Social Services Dept;  Jerry Marchon, Officer Mansfield Police Department; Candace Morrell, Assistant Principal, Mansfield Middle School;  Eileen Griffin, Altrusa Network; Mike Collins, Resident/Parent;  Pat Michalak, YSB Counselor;  Janit Romayko, YSB Coordinator; Jake Hovanic, Grade 8, home schooled; Addie Johnson, Grade 8, Mansfield Middle School; Maria Kern, Grade 12, EOSmith High School; Casey Carpenter, Grade 5, Mansfield Middle School

 

Regrets:  Chris Murphy,  Rachel Leclerc, Tom Miller, Shawnee Mason, Grade 8, Mansfield Middle School;  Brittany Cushman, Grade, Mansfield Middle School

 

Agenda  items included:

 

1.      Update:

 

JR highlighted the process of providing an update of the previous month for the Board.  This is done each month, reviewed and then members can ask questions about the issues. 

 

a.   September was another busy month with YSB Staff attending all three elementary school open houses and the same at Mansfield Middle school.  These events provide the YSB an opportunity to meet parents, students, staff and other community members.  Each school estimated that the average attendance at each Open House was @ 300.

b.    YSB facilitated with Probate Court an adoption by a great grandparent.  Casey explained that she would have gone to a foster home had she not been adopted by her relative.  Casey also has a brother and best friend that were also adopted by grandparents and great grandparents.  There are several support systems in place for grandparents and great grandparents in Mansfield, including the “Grandparents in Need” Group, Dr. Haney for consultation, coordination with Probate Court and information/resource sharing regarding Husky Insurance Program..

c.   The meetings of the Children’s Grief Committee continue and JR will meet with Suzanne Warner at Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam as she runs a children’s group under the auspices of the Visiting Nurses Association/Hospice.

d.   Homework Group continues on Tuesday evenings with high attendance at 15 in each group of parents, students and UConn tutors.  The parents are very supportive of the program and that interest seems to be the key ingredient for the success of the group..

 

2.      YSB Coordinator Interviews:  The interviewing process will begin in the next couple of weeks.  Ethel Mantzaris, Frank Perroti, and Candace Morrel volunteered for the panel.

 

 

 

3.      Other:

 

a.      Next months meeting: JR will contact Vicki Barbero at Right Turn in Willimantic for the November 2006 meeting.  Right Turn is the adolescent substance abuse treatment program of Perception Programs, Inc.  Vicki’s presentations have always been informative and interesting especially for the youth members.

b.      Underage Drinking Grant:  KG reported that the Town will receive a $50,000 grant for 3 years to partner with the University of Connecticut.  The partnership will provide EOSmith High School students and parents with a Part-time (.25%)Coordinator.  The $ will be used for posters, brochures, etc., and will work with survey results that the students submitted.  It will be called the Community Campus Partnership.  UConn seems to be a magnet for underage drinking as alcohol access is not difficult.  There have also been similar problems in other communities, including Farmington and Glastonbury, where parents host parties.  Their philosophical approach centers on hosting as a safer, controlled way to partying.  The parties generally get out of control very quickly and many municipalities have established ordinances banning parties.  Parents see drinking as a “rite of passage”.  Consensus seems to condone drinking and driving but drinking is still socially acceptable.  Maria questioned the rumor at EOSmith which limits acceptance at UConn by a student if they are arrested for underage drinking.  The issue seems to be more true if the prospective student is arrested for any violation not only underage drinking.  The high school applicants may be asked to withdraw and UConn can afford to be more selective now.  Many athletic teams condone drinking as acceptable and pressure from peers is not to drink.  Many perceptions are becoming more positive but parents also need to be educated about the hazards of no/little supervision.

 

 

 

 

Meeting adjourned 1: 15 pm

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Janit Romayko

Secretary

 

 

JR/klt

 

NEXT MEETING:  Tuesday, November 14, 2006 – 12N @YSB