Town Hall Meeting: Underage Substance Abuse & Its Effects

Youth Connect will host an important town hall meeting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 27, in the Quaker Valley Middle School auditorium.  Entitled, “It’s No Big Deal… Right?”, the focus of the meeting will be the scope, nature, and problems associated with adolescent use of alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs, and what parents can do about it issue.

Participating in the morning event are a number of local residents, as well as a leading expert in teen substance abuse disorder.  Jeff Bennett, of Bell Acres, will share the story of his daughter’s struggle with substance abuse; Bennett and his wife, Patti, were featured in Listen II, a documentary about chemical addiction in young people that was produced by The Alliance Against Drugs.  Debbie Kehoe, executive director of The Alliance, will also be on hand and will screen Listen II as part of the morning’s event.

Dr. Duncan Clark, director of the Pittsburgh Adolescent Alcohol Research Center, will discuss his 20+ years of clinical research on the impact of alcohol and other drugs on brain development, especially among children and adolescents.  Dr. Clark is an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, and also holds a Ph.D. in psychology from UCLA, along with an M.D. from Harvard; his work has been recognized by the American Psychiatric Association, the American College of Psychiatrists, and the American Psychological Association, among others.

A panel of local students will wrap up the presentation with a frank discussion of what parents can do to help their children avoid the lure of drugs and alcohol.  The event is free and open to the public; parents of children in grades 4 though 9 are especially encouraged to attend.  For more information on the town hall meeting, email youthconnect@hotmail.com.

Youth Connect is a group of concerned adults and students from schools and organizations in the Sewickley area working to provide the information, resources, and support our young people need to avoid risky behavior and enjoy their teen years.

For more information please contact youthconnect@hotmail.com or visit youthconnectnews@blogspot.com.  

Healthy Cooking for Kids at the YMCA!

The Sewickley Valley YMCA is hosting a Healthy Lifestyle Event to promote healthy eating habits for kids. The event will be held on Tuesday, April 16 from 6 - 7:30pm in the Walter J. Brannon Community Activity Center. 

With the obesity epidemic rising and children contracting “adult” type diseases at younger and younger ages, children’s health has become a national concern. This seminar will discuss healthy food choices for children and offer them the opportunity to participate in cooking pasta primavera!

The event will feature a presentation from Rosemary Triall, whose biography is below:

Rosemary’s interest in cooking began as a young girl when she heard author Michio Kushi, speak about macrobiotics and how one’s diet could prevent or reverse disease. It wasn’t until her own health began to deteriorate that she made serious changes to her diet. She attended the Kushi Institute in MA and the Vega Study Center in CA. She continued her studies at the Strengthening Health Institute in Philadelphia and healed herself of migraines, eczema and chronic fatigue syndrome. She was certified by SHI in 2001 as a natural food counselor and cooking instructor. She also holds a BS in Early Childhood Education from Boston College and was certified in the Food Is Elementary curriculum in 2003. This program is based on the USDA Food Plate and is in more that 300 0 schools nationwide. Rosemary offers private cooking classes for individuals and groups, consultation, coaching and corporate wellness programs and lectures. Rosemary can be reached at 412-741-5167 or via her website at www.cookinggreenwithrosemary.com.

Interested participants are asked to register by Friday, April 12 by calling 412.741.9622 or registering online at www.sewickleyymca.org. For more information, contact Karen at 412-741-9622 x 109. 

Transformation 2013

Last Friday, Quaker Valley Middle School hosted an event called Transformation 2013 that centered on the idea of respect and personal responsibility. Students had the chance to listen to various guest speakers, watch a video created by Jamal Woodson (below), and reflect on the lessons that they received.

Mrs. Kiya Tomlin - fashion designer, entrepreneur, speaker, and wife of Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, shared with the girls the importance of self respect through the way that we dress and treat our bodies. 

Mr. Jamal Woodson - business leader, owner of a Pittsburgh recording studio, and basketball coach, spoke to the boys about motivation, goal-setting, and how to acheive high dreams.

Mr. Floyd Faulkner - Quaker Valley Community Youth Worker, trusted friend and role model, shared about the importance of good decision-making as well as the consequences that come from those decisions. 

Mr. Burke Moser, Mr. Dante Piccolo, & Mr. Kendall Luton - Three young men from Quaker Valley High School who shared personal advice and experiences with the middle school students. Each of these young men was chosen due to their reputations in leadership, academic excellence, and sportsmanship at Quaker Valley. 

The event was a success, bringing Quaker Valley's core value of respect to the forefront of the middle school students' minds. You can get a taste of the theme of the event by watching the video clip that was shown, below:



Video created by Jamal Woodson for QVMS's Transformation 2013 event.

Author to Speak on Teen Sexuality

On Tuesday, 9 April 2013 from 10:30am till Noon, Youth Connect will once again present "Before They Know It All: Talking to Tweens and Teens about Sexuality," a thought-provoking discussion on teen culture and the vital role that parents play in helping their tweens and teens make healthy decisions. The event, led by author Alan Carson, is free of charge and appropriate for parents of students in grades 4 - 9. 

Due to continued parental interest in the topic after his 2011 presentation, Youth Connect has invited Alan to return to the community and offer his insights to interested parents.  Alan’s presentation will be held at the Sewickley YMCA's Community Activity Center. Copies of his book will be available for purchase at the event.  For directions or more information, email Youth Connect at youthconnect@hotmail.com.

Fire Safety Open House

Firefighter and QV tenth grade student Nick Volk is conducting a free Fire Safety Open House. There will be fire safety tips for kids, free ice cream from the Sewickley Confectionery, hot dogs, fire truck rides & tours, and an opportunity for kids to spray a fire hose!

The Open House will be held on Sunday, March 17, from Noon - 3pm at the Sewickley Fire Department located on 601 Thorn Street, Sewickley. Email Nick at nicholasvlk@gmail.com with questions.

Bravo - FQVS Education Foundation!

Youth Connect would like to thank Friends of Quaker Valley Schools Education Foundation for the wonderful work and support that they are providing to the district and community! One of their recent contributions has included $50,000 used to purchase the equipment for QV Middle School's Health and Wellness Center. This is changing the face of health and fitness initiatives in the district's students, complimenting physical education classes with state of the art gear.  

http://www.qvsd.org/page.cfm?p=3899&newsid=603

The FQVS Education Foundation has provided a myriad of financial support for the Quaker Valley School District, including the Studio Life program, an after-school art club for middle schoolers; the work of community youth worker, Mr. Floyd Faulkner; and other various programs and projects in the district.  

More information about Friends of Quaker Valley Schools Education Foundation can be found at www.qvsd.org, or you can contact the Foundation's President, Dorothy Pollon, at 412.389.2655 or qvsdfriends@aol.com.  You can make a tax-deductible donation by visiting their website today!

Final Parent Workshop with Dr. Sheffield

The final installment of Dr. Sheffield's "Promoting Excellence at Home" series will take place this Thursday, March 7th from 6 - 7:30pm at Osborne Elementary.  There is no cost, and no previous attendance to the other workshops is required.  Dinner and childcare are included.  

The session will be co-facilitated by Dr. Don Sheffield and Ms. Terry Bradford, offering parents with steps and strategies to better implement successful academic behaviors and personal development in the home.  Dr. Sheffield is an expert on this subject, bringing career experience in the education, family, and athletic training fields.  

To obtain more information on the workshop, contact Ms. Bradford at 412.414.1335 or tbradford321@yahoo.com.  Attendees can RSVP by contacting Stefanie McKissic at 412.749.3616 or mckissics@qvsd.org with the number of adults and children planning to attend.