Youth Services Advisory Board Special Meeting Minutes

Meeting date: 
Monday, February 8, 2021
 

SIMSBURY YOUTH SERVICE ADVISORY BOARD

 

MINUTES

February 8, 2021

 

On February 8, 2021 the Simsbury Youth Services Advisory Board met via ZOOM and livestreamed on SCTV.

 

Present: Jovin Girard, Tom Tyburski, Rachael Loveland, Alexander Lee, Kyla Lorden, Jack Williams, Laurel Harrington & Todd Kushman.

 

Not Present: Kim Lawlor

 

Roll call was held. Pledge of Allegiance was completed & meeting was called to order at 2:20 PM.  

 

No Public Audience Comments were submitted ahead of today’s Youth Service Advisory Board meeting.

 

Action Items:

1: Discussed theme ideas for spring activity and programming. Students discussed the ongoing importance and direction of mental health for themselves and their classmates. Student Jack Williams indicated that he also feels parents are concerned for students' mental health as something was recently written about parent concerns. Student Kyla Lorden reports that the program should be “low effort and widely available.” Alexander Lee requested having the presentation recorded so that those who can’t attend the virtual event can reference it at a later time.

Slogan ideas discussed included “We can get through this together” “A Healthy Mind” “MIND your health” and “Be Kind to Your Mind.” It was determined that “Be Kind to Your Mind” would be the slogan moving forward with ‘Kind’ & ‘Mind’ in blue and gold Simsbury colors to show the connection.

2: Program determination is “Be Kind to Your Mind.” Jovin Girard suggested easy, key words for coping and how that could be included in the presentation, examples including: listen to music, journal, etc.

3: Project roles & Swag:  Students will provide resources they know are available to them that can be included in a resource list that is emailed out to program participants & high school students, Rachael Loveland will discuss with presenters goals of program as discussed in this meeting. Swag ideas include: stress balls, fidget spinners, journals and pens/pencils with “Be Kind to Your Mind” on them that all help support the ideas of overall mental health and coping with stress. Advertising was encouraged in several different ways- Picking a group of teachers that cover all grades and have them post it in their classrooms, including it in the morning announcements, having the principal include it in his letter to parents and students and providing it to the distance learning support office.

4: Current School Issues: Overall agreement that mental health remains the key focus. Students have no other issues to report.  

 

Reports:

1: Simsbury Social Services: Rachael Loveland reports that the Social Services Department is working on several different programs. The Youth Service Bureau is formulating some different virtual programs including a “Courageous Parenting” talk for parents focused on substance use, family take-home kits that will be a monthly program to encourage families to put down their devices and connect over an activity.  

2: SPD School Resource Officers: Office Harrington and Officer Kushman offered the students praise for how well they are handling themselves during the pandemic and encouraged them to keep up their hard work.

3: Recreation Department: Tom Tyburski reports that winter sports are happening and the ice skating rink is open. Reports that there is sledding happening at Simsbury Farms and that it’s all been positive so far. Tom reports that they have opening up hiring for summer positions of lifeguards and camp counselors. They are working on spring and summer programming and are hoping to have it run as normal as possible.  

4: Student Updates: No updates from the students.

 

Next Meeting: Monday, April 12,, 2021 at 2:15 PM

Having no further business to come before the Board, Jovin Girard  made a motion for the meeting to be adjourned, Tom Tyburski seconded the motion. Meeting adjourned at 2:57 PM.

                                                                             _____________________________________

                                                                             Rachael Loveland