Health & Fitness
Weston Youth Services October Offerings
Weston Youth Services’ October Offerings!
Weston Youth Services is pleased to offer a variety of programs for children of all ages and their families. Our WOW! programs for students in Kindergarten through fifth-grade are well underway and our Sitter Safety classes, where middle-school students learn the skills necessary to become a responsible babysitter, are about to begin. If your high school student is driving you crazy about driving, he/she can participate in the All-Star Driver’s Education program held at Weston High School. Please visit our website www.westonyouthservices.org for more information and registration guidelines.
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And we’ve got plenty for parents! We are continuing our Tackling the Tough Stuff series and this year we’ll address common and complex topics including managing and minimizing stress, juggling multiple siblings and schedules, dealing with tragedy and trauma, monitoring media use, and - the most challenging of all – raising healthy and happy children while remaining happy and healthy ourselves! Each month we will focus on a particular theme and host several interactive sessions to highlight social, psychological, physical, and educational information and share practical parenting strategies. And most importantly we hope to give parents the tools and the tenacity to tackle the tough stuff, and maybe even see that it doesn’t have to be so tough after all.
October's focus: Stress & Success
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A little bit of stress can go a long way – pressure, angst, tension, worry, and anxiety impact our physical and mental health, as well as our social, educational, and occupational success. Although stress is inevitable, it doesn’t have to be insurmountable! Join us this month as we talk about how to diagnose, deal, and diminish stress in our children’s lives, as well as our own.
High School Hotbed: Signals, Symptoms, & Strategies for You and Your Child
Friday October 4th
10-11 am
Weston High School Main office conference room
High school can be a time of increased pressure and increased independence; join Michelle Albright, PhD, Director of Youth Services, for a discussion on how stress impacts children's cognitive, social, emotional, and academic achievement, and what we as parents can do to help manage their anxiety, as well as ours.
The A,B,C’s of Stress
Thursday October 10th
12-1:30 pm - A light lunch will be provided!
Town Hall Annex Conference Room
Raise Awareness of the stressors in your and your children’s life, learn how to Buffer their impact, and identify the Consequences for your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Join Michelle Albright, PhD, Director of Youth Services, for a primer on how to recognize and remedy stress.
Resilience: I’m not sure what it is, but I know I want more of it!
Wednesday October 23rd
12-1:30 pm – A light lunch will be provided!
Weston Public Library Community Room
Everyone talks about resilience, but what does it really mean and how do we foster it in our children and ourselves? Join guest speaker, Barbara Greenberg, PhD, and Michelle Albright, PhD, for a discussion on how to build character, conscience, and confidence in our children.
And this year Weston Youth Services is also introducing “Words of Wit and Wisdom” to learn how peers and professionals experience parenting, and share some literacy and laughter. We’ll discuss books, articles, and blogs, and see who we are inspired and enraged by. Don’t feel obligated to read every word, but do feel welcome to come and chat. Our first meeting will take place Thursday October 17th from 7-8:30 pm in the Weston Library Community Room. In keeping with our theme of the month we will be discussing How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough and Teach Your Children Well by Madeline Levine, as well as several other articles and blogs on stress and resilience. Visit our website for some excerpts and discussion questions!
Please email malbright@westonct.gov or call 203-222-2585 to RSVP to any of the upcoming sessions. Programs are open to all parents and caregivers and there is no fee to attend.
And we are also collaborating with the community to provide more socially- and educationally-enriching opportunities for children and families.
Wings of Hope: A celebration of the human spirit.
Saturday October 5th
11 am – 1 pm
Lachat Farm
106 Godfrey Road West
Join your neighbors for an afternoon of crafts, music, and poetry to celebrate the strength of hope and possibility of new beginnings in honor of National Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. Co-sponsored by Weston Youth Services, Weston Teen PeaceWorks, and the Weston Domestic Violence Task Force.
Trunk-and-Treat
Thursday October 31st
5 – 7 pm
Weston Intermediate School
Why trek a long driveway when you can simply step parking spot to parking spot? Celebrate Halloween with candy from cars as we continue the tradition without (hopefully!) a hurricane.
Co-sponsored by Weston Youth Services, Weston Women’s League, and the Weston Intermediate School PTO. To register visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/11BzxtnWAGVF5omDkYWUSY95l5xP1kT5ACxN534lSSxA/viewform
