WESTFIELD – The Youth Commission held a meeting last night in City Hall to discuss items on their agenda, and talk about how to increase membership from other groups. The Youth Commission seeks to create an environment in which young people and adults can communicate their thoughts and ideas about the city. These young adults are interested in improving the lives of their fellow students by taking the next step in making a difference.
Chair William Scott, a junior at Westfield High School, opened the meeting with roll call and introductions. Among the members present were students from Westfield High School, St. Mary’s High School and Pope Francis, which opened this year with students from Holyoke Catholic and Cathedral. Youth Commission advisor Amber Danahey and adult representative Pam Krzyzek were also present at the meeting, as was invited guest Susan Dargie, Westfield Public Schools director of curriculum.
Dargie was invited to speak with the students about their ideas for the Opioid Task Force, and how to increase student awareness about the dangers of using drugs.
Dargie said she was very interested in meeting with the commission, and had been impressed by them when they made a presentation to the school committee last year.
She said the school leadership team has been talking about professional development for teachers, and different curriculum to use with students about opioid addiction, along with strategies to promote mental health and resiliency for students at risk.
Scott said for him the information had stopped at 9th grade, and in his experience there was more of a focus on sex education and STDs, than on opioids.
“We should focus more on the drug part,” he said.
Dargie said they have set aside stipend money for teachers to work on curriculum renewal in three areas, and one of those is health.
Danahey said the students on the commission had mentioned working with younger students in fifth grade on self-esteem issues.
Peter Chrisanthopoulos of St. Mary’s High School said that students are exposed to drugs right away in sixth grade, without prior knowledge about it. He also talked about seeing an eigth grader with a beard on his first day of middle school, something he wasn’t prepared for. He suggested holding an assembly at the end of fifth grade about what to expect in middle school.
Dargie asked about having older students talk to fifth graders. She said the administration might be leaning too much toward quelling fifth graders’ anxiety about middle school.
WHS student William Cameron talked about having fifth grade reading buddies when he was in kindergarten, who he said the students looked up to.
“Maybe having eighth graders talk to fifth graders,” Dargie said.
“You could have all three elementary schools come together,” said Chrisanthopoulos, talking about students from the schools that would be merged into the same middle school.
Dargie said that she would bring their ideas to a monthly focus meeting at the Central Office which will discuss transitions.
Scott said the Youth Commission needs a plan to increase membership. He said they would like to have representatives from the middle schools, and also Westfield Technical Academy.
Some suggestions for involving students included handing out information in home room, holding an X block (a free period) about the commission, and an assembly for interested students.
Danahey said she had just gotten a phone call from Westfield High School asking for applications to join the Youth Commission. She also said she would reach out to the guidance counselor at the Technical Academy.
In other business, Danahey said she had brought their interest in holding an event for their age group to Westfield on Weekends (WOW), and it had been well received. Several students on the commission volunteered to meet with organizer s to discuss planning a youth event.
