Local Book Store to Offer Free Children’s Books Alongside Meal Pick-up

/
Local Book Store to Offer Free Children’s Books Alongside Meal Pick-up

With the recent announcement that schools will be shuttered for the remainder of the academic year, many families are searching for ways to provide education to supplement on-line learning offered by schools. This is particularly challenging for low income families who rely on school lunches and classroom resources, and may not have access to additional materials at home. In Glastonbury, a local bookstore has developed a way to help.

Read More

Community Action Agencies Providing Services for Residents in Need Across CT

/
Community Action Agencies Providing Services for Residents in Need Across CT

The coronavirus pandemic has created challenges for people in virtually every walk of life and every demographic, but none have been impacted more than those already living in society’s margins. The depth and breadth of the need in Connecticut is reflected in the recently released annual report of the Connecticut Association For Community Action (CAFCA), which details the work of local Community Action Agencies (CAAs) across the state

Read More

Museums Seek Federal Aid to Stay in Business Beyond COVID-19 Crisis

/
Museums Seek Federal Aid to Stay in Business Beyond COVID-19 Crisis

As the economic ramifications of the ever-expanding shutdown of daily life across the state and across the country due to the spreading COVID-19 pandemic accelerate, public officials are increasingly discussing how to assist families, small businesses and major industries recover. Now, another sector of the economy, museums of all types (including history museums, art museums, zoos, aquaria, gardens, science centers, and historic sites) are reaching out for financial help.

Read More

CT Schools Start Time Among Earliest in U.S., Science Indicates Later is Better; Legislature Considers Study to be Due Next January

/
CT Schools Start Time Among Earliest in U.S., Science Indicates Later is Better; Legislature Considers Study to be Due Next January

According to the most recent national data, the average time that Connecticut high schools begin each morning is among the earliest in the nation – as increasing volumes of scientific data indicate that a later start is better for students health and performance in the classroom. The state legislature’s Education Committee will conduct a public hearing on Friday, March 6 on a proposal to study the issue of school start times.

Read More

Proposal Would Eliminate Requirement to Report School Bullying Incidents to State

/
Proposal Would Eliminate Requirement to Report School Bullying Incidents to State

The state legislature is considering a proposal that would “eliminate the requirement that each school under the jurisdiction of a local or regional board of education annually report the number of verified acts of bullying in such school to the Department of Education.” There were more than 550 bullying incidents reported in Connecticut schools in the last academic year.

Read More

Legislature Considers Free Swimming Lessons for Children Under Age 18

/
Legislature Considers Free Swimming Lessons for Children Under Age 18

Helping children learn to swim is what experts consider to be among the “very top strategies to reduce drowning emergencies and fatalities. The Connecticut legislature is currently considering legislation that would establish a program to provide free swimming lessons to individuals under the age of 18.

Read More

Student Math Assessment Scores Largely Unchanged

/
Student Math Assessment Scores Largely Unchanged

In 2019, average mathematics scores for students across the nation were one point higher at grade 4 and 1 point lower at grade 8 than in 2017.  Approximately 296,900 students across the nation participated in the 2019 mathematics assessment administered by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). In the 8th grade assessment, Connecticut’s average student score was tied for 10th highest in the nation.

Read More

Youth Suffering From Trauma Benefit From EMDR Therapy in Community Mental Health Settings, Study Shows

/
Youth Suffering From Trauma Benefit From EMDR Therapy in Community Mental Health Settings, Study Shows

A study by The Village for Families & Children and Yale University School of Medicine Consultation Center demonstrates that a recognized psychotherapy technique originally developed to help war veterans is also helping at-risk children and adolescents in Connecticut process the trauma they’ve experienced from sexual or emotional abuse, loss or separation and domestic or community violence.

Read More