New After-School Program Puts ‘Kids In Charge’

By Larissa Lytwyn

Newtown Middle School students are a unique age group — pre-teenagers with a rapidly maturing worldview.

  Many take on a lot of responsibility, said Newtown Middle School nurse Barbara Reilly. “A lot of them baby-sit,” she said.

A long-standing program offered through the middle school, in fact, is a baby-sitting course. But Ms Reilly wanted something more, an economically and time efficient program that could widen its scope to include core safety tips and life skill development.

Last month, Ms Reilly and district resource officer Gladys Pisani launched Kids In Charge (KIC), a free-of-charge after-school program designed to accommodate the middle school’s increasingly independent-minded students.

The curriculum includes units in injury management and prevention, including lessons in first aid and rescue breathing, personal safety, fire safety, reacting to a threatening situation (such as a power outage due to prowlers), and more.

“It gives kids the ability to recognize and respond safely to potentially harmful situations,” said Ms Reilly.

Students will have the opportunity to work in groups on various skill-building activities.

The program will also feature guest speakers from local community members, including police and fire officers.

The program takes place directly after-school, from 2 to 3:15 pm, on Wednesdays.

“We also made sure the program happened on a day when our late bus is available for students in need of transportation after the session ends,” said Ms Reilly.

The program will continue toward the end of the school year.

“So far, we’ve had a wonderful response,” said Ms Reilly. “Right now we have about 25 students, and growing.”

Interested students can register in the Health Office. For more information, contact Ms Reilly at 426-7636.