12-21-10

=Notes from the meeting December 21, 2010.=

Members were divided into small groups, and asked to brainstorm needs for the district in several different areas. Ideas are compiled below.

Preschool Children:
 * Social skills, needs
 * Structure
 * Opportunities for success
 * Consistency at home
 * Literacy skills
 * How to get feedback from parents
 * Special services, such as immunization, dental care
 * Preschool importance
 * Internet safety - introduce
 * Making people aware...

Elementary Children:
 * Find their level, continue to challenge them
 * Instill sense of community, belonging, giving back
 * Global connectivity

Middle School Children:
 * Self-expression
 * Satisfying relationships
 * Need for understanding, someone who cares
 * Sense of ownership within school and community
 * Global connectivity
 * Bullying prevention
 * Communication
 * Parental involvement
 * After-school programs for kids not involved in sports
 * Strengthening families through family time, communication, closeness
 * Mentors

High School Children:
 * Community service
 * Sense of ownership within school and community
 * Prepared for the future
 * Global connectivity
 * Career preparation
 * Job opportunities
 * Better communication and cooperation with business community
 * Real-world experiences
 * Career paths
 * Professional development
 * Respect
 * Job shadowing
 * Life skills
 * Preparation
 * Work experience
 * Mentors

Community:
 * School-community communication
 * Community knowing what's going on
 * "Fitting in"
 * Feeling a part of the community
 * Afforrdable housing/rentals for families
 * Wider group of people involved
 * Housing
 * Attracting families to the district
 * Attracting small businesses to town
 * Coordinating communication between Newell and Fonda
 * Interactions between school and both communities - special, events, nursing homes
 * Youth Center that's not boring
 * Family day
 * Kids' dance
 * Standards
 * Better communication
 * Who are the messengers?

Parents of School-Aged Children:
 * Develop independence, responsibility early
 * Less reliance on electronic babysitters
 * Tips 'n -Tools Night
 * Parent-School partnership
 * Transportation
 * Child care before and after school
 * Parent-Teacher organization - Parent response
 * Better communication
 * Digital citizenship
 * Internet Safety

Senior Citizens:
 * Keeping connected to the school
 * Sense of belonging
 * Communication
 * More involvement between school and this age group
 * Volunteerism
 * Community functions
 * Transportation issues
 * Continuity - more involvement than just seasonal festivities
 * Volunteering
 * Grandparents' Day
 * Good Sam - volunteering
 * Breakfast buddies
 * Fonda Nursing and Rehab - volunteering
 * Involvement with students and technology

Other:
 * TNT Night - more variety, rotation of topics, more frequently, cultural diversity, communication issues
 * Coordination of services to meet the needs of the community members
 * Appointments take half a workday
 * TNT Night - DMACC speaker
 * Community-wide effort to involve everyone