Community Corner

Family University Draws 150 To Stonington High School

Workshops, Internet Safety, Dinner And Free Child Care Make For A "Great Night"

It’s always a good sign when a school-sponsored event—we’re not talking about a ball game or a graduation ceremony—draws such a large crowd that it’s tough to find parking.

“I’m thrilled,” said Superintendent Leanne Masterjoseph, about Family University, held Wednesday night at .

and Stonington schools partnered to bring parents and teens together to talk about issues Masterjoseph described as ‘slippery;’ topics ranging from teen dating and driving to cyber bullying and Internet safety. Created for families of 8th through 12th graders, more than 150 people attended the event.

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“When you give families an opportunity to do things together it makes all the difference,” Masterjoseph said.

And what they did together Wednesday night was participate in workshops geared toward teens, share a healthy, tasty and free meal and listen to an at once enlightening and frightening presentation on Internet safety.

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 But first up were round one of the workshops.

One of the best attended workshops was Before You Give Your Kids The Keys, hosted by Stonington Police Youth Officer Tim Marley. He explained teen driving laws, some of which clearly had participants surprised. Like the news that student drivers can expect to be stopped as they enter and leave school grounds by Stonington officers, that cell phone use while driving can result in a 30-day license suspension and car towing, courtesy of the , and that just one beer can mean a driver will test with a .02 blood alcohol content (BAC).

“I heard that poppy seeds or breath mints can set it off,” one student said. Marley confirmed that.

Down the hall, a workshop presented by social worker Lise Mayers tackled the touchy issue of teen self-esteem and the importance of finding the balance between that and inflated egos. This workshop had 15 parents and kids engaged and asking questions.

“Your child needs to feel unique and special, empowered and secure,” she explained. “It is important kids feel they have value.”

A number of other workshops were being held in classrooms throughout the building, including High School and Healthy Relationships and topics on nutrition and teens and the law.

After the first set of workshops, Masterjoseph announced it was time for dinner and Driscoll’s presentation after which, at around 8 p.m., the second and final round of workshops were held.

Scott Driscoll, former youth police officer and member of the FBI Innocent Images Task Force,   addressed safety on email, social networking, chatting and peer-to-peer contacts as well as texting and ‘sexting.’ Driscoll has conducted undercover crimes against children Internet investigations—child pornography, cyber bullying and harassment.

One parent described his presentation as “powerful and really, really scary.”

“I’m going to go home and check my daughter’s computer,” the young mom of a 8th grader said.   

“I’m not anti-technology. Parents don’t go home and smash those computers,” he said. “But we have to talk safety.”

"Think before you post," was the one 'rule' he wanted to leave with kids.

Human services volunteers watched over a handful of young children, “trying to remove the barriers” so people could attend, Human Services Director Beth Ann Stewart explained.

Masterjoseph thanked families for attending, volunteers for helping with workshops and telling the audience Family U has been a “longstanding dream” come true.


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