Communities That Care

Posted on August 30, 2010

STAR Registration Materials Available for Download

Registration materials for the upcoming STAR after-school program cycle (beginning on September 15th) were mailed to parents of  local public school students on August 27th.  For those not receiving the materials in the mail, please check with your school to ensure that they have your correct mailing address!  Additional packets are available at Appleton Village School, Hope Elementary School, Lincolnville Central School, Camden-Rockport Middle School or the Five Town CTC offices at 219 Meadow Street in Rockport.  The brochure and registration packet can also be downloaded from the Five Town CTC website (please go to the STAR page and see the links on the left side of the page).

If you are having difficulty getting a copy, or have questions about the program, please contact the STAR program coordinator, Nicole O’Brien Blake by phoning 975-6722, or emailing star@fivetownctc.org.

Posted on August 26, 2010

STAR Registration Underway!

Five Town Communities That Care is pleased to announce that the award-winning STAR after-school program is set to begin again this fall on September 15th. This will be the 20th cycle of STAR, which has served over half of all the area’s public middle school students in the past several years.  As in the past, the program will be offered at no charge to participants.  Transportation between local public middle schools and program locations is provided.

This fall’s offerings include Creative Writing, Green Thumb Gardening, Animal Antics, Improvisational Drama, Jewelry-Making, Aldermere Farm Hands, Youth Fitness, Freestyle Jiu Jitsu, Knit Wits, and Cooking.  The program features a wonderful line-up of instructors and support staff, and will take place around the community in locations such as Camden Hills Regional High School, the Erickson Preserve, Camden-Rockport Animal Rescue League, the Penobscot Bay YMCA, Mid-coast Martial Arts studio at the Midcoast Recreation Center, and Farmers Fare.

Students attend skill training on either Mondays and Wednesdays OR Tuesdays and Thursdays, and all students come together for group activities on Fun Fridays.  This fall Fun Fridays will include trips to Hope Orchards, Merry Spring Nature Center, Aldermere Farm, The Teen Center, and The Penobscot Bay YMCA.

Registration packets have been mailed to parents of all grade 5-8 students enrolled in public schools in Appleton, Camden, Hope, Lincolnville, and Rockport. Registration packets are also available for middle school students from the Five Towns who attend private schools or who are home schooled by calling the Five Town Communities That Care offices at 236-9800 or emailing star@fivetownctc.org.

The STAR program is made possible by a generous grant from Maine’s  Juvenile Justice Advisory Group and local donations.  For more information about STAR or Five Town Communities That Care, visit www.fivetownctc.org, call 207-236-9800, or email info@fivetownctc.org.

Posted on August 25, 2010

More Than Just Words: MMA Students Raise $850 for Five Town CTC

“We all have something to give. Whether contributing our time, our talents, or our treasures, the value is the same. Charity can be counted in large sums of money or absolutely none at all..” — Dr. Robyn Silverman –Mid- Coast Martial Arts Child Development Expert

At Mid-Coast Martial Arts in Rockport, August 2010 is Charity Month.  As part of the POWerful Words Character Development program, students have been studying, developing and experiencing powerful life lessons focusing on charity in a fun and exciting way that benefits everybody.  In addition to physical skills associated with martial arts, students have been discussing and practicing concepts that will help them to realize and appreciate the value and benefit of participating in charity.  Students focused on the following topics both in and out of class:

* What is charity?  How can I share my treasures with those in need?

*What are my talents?  How can they help those in need?

*How can I share my time?  How can my time be helpful to others?

*Can children really make a difference?  How can giving impact the giver?

Together, the Mid-Coast Martial Arts students used their talents to raise $850 for Five Town Communities That Care by hosting a Kick-A-Thon; students sought pledges in exchange for completing 100 kicks.

Andrew Lesmerises, Chief Instructor of Mid-Coast Martial Arts says, “We’re really excited about Charity month here at our academy.  This is another wonderful opportunity for our students to experience real life…and have the opportunity to really make a difference in the lives of some people in our community.  I was particularly impressed by one young man who started classes this week—he went out and raised $165.  Our students and their families are amazing people, and this month, as we teach and experience Charity, everybody will win.”

Dalene Dutton, Executive Director of Five Town Communities That Care accepted the donation from the students.  “We know that when young people are given the opportunity to learn skills that they then can then use in service to their community, they are less likely to engage in problem behaviors and much more likely to grow to be healthy, happy citizens.  Through the Kick-A-Thon, not only have they raised funds to ensure that Five Town CTC can continue helping youth in our community, they’ve done it in a way that really brings our mission to life.”

For more information about Five Town Communities That Care, call 236-9800 or visit http://www.fivetownctc.org.

For more information about Mid-Coast Martial Arts, call 236-7755 or visit http://www.midcoastma.com

Mid-Coast Martial Arts students who participated in the August 20th Kick-A-Thon raised $850 to benefit Five Town CTC! (Photo by Sarah Skovran)

Posted on August 23, 2010

STAR Registration “Envelope Stuffing Party”

The STAR Program could use some helping hands!

DATE: August 25th
TIME: 1PM to 3PM
LOCATION: FTCTC Offices at 219 Meadow Street in Rockport

Come help us prepare the next STAR cycle registration for mailing!  Even 30 minutes of your time would be a BIG help.  We have about 800 pieces to put together, put into envelopes, and stick address labels on….

Contact Nicole O’Brien Blake at 236-9800 or 975-6722 for more information.

Posted on August 20, 2010

Levels of Risk, Protection, and Drug Use Predict Student Test Results

Research on youth development has identified risk factors (e.g., availability of drugs, lack of parental supervision, friends who use drugs) that increase the likelihood that young people will engage in drug use, and protective factors (e.g., supportive adult relationships, social skills, community recognition for prosocial involvement) that reduce the likelihood of drug use.

A study done by researchers at the University of Washington’s Social Development Research Group found that students in schools with higher rates of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use are less likely to meet standards on mathematics, reading, and writing sections of state standardized tests.  The study also found that schools were students reported experiencing more protective factors are more likely to meet those standards.

The investigators found that the levels of drug use, risk, and protection in Washington school buildings influenced Washington Assessment of Student Learning (a standardized test that was similar to Maine’s MEAs)  success above and beyond the influence of demographic and economic variables including students’ gender and race/ethnicity, students’ special education status, the percentage of students in each building enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program, and district level total student enrollment and per pupil expenditures.

The findings suggest that:

• Reducing the prevalence of drug use in school populations will increase students’ academic success.

• Reducing the levels of risk factors and increasing the levels of protective factors in school populations will increase students’ academic success.

•Schools should implement tested, effective curricula for reducing risk and enhancing protection among their students.

• Schools should monitor levels of risk and protective factors experienced by their students, and work with community partners to reduce risk and enhance protection in all domains of students’ lives.

This study provides strong endorsement of our local schools’ partnerships with the Five Town Communities That Care Coalition to reduce risk, increase protection, to implement or support tested, effective prevention curricula such as Life Skills Training, the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, All Stars, STAR and Guiding Good Choices.

The authors may be contacted at:  Social Development Research Group, School of Social Work, University of Washington, 9725 3rd Avenue NE, Suite 401, Seattle, WA 98115, Tel: (206) 685-3858 Fax: (206) 543-4507 Email: marthur@u.washington.edu

Posted on August 5, 2010

STAR Support Staff Wanted