NYFS Talent Show Auditions

A second round of auditions for the 22nd Annual Newtown Youth & Family Services Talent Show will be held Friday, May 1, from 3 to 4:30 pm, at NYFS, 17 Church Hill Road.

Auditions are open to all students from kindergarten through eighth grade.

All talents are welcome, including singing, dancing, gymnastics, bands and stand-up comedy. Come see us this week if you were unable to make it to last week’s auditions.

The talent show will be on Friday, May 22. Call Amanda or Jessi at NYFS.

Family Programs & Events

*Parent Education Program (PEP): “Putting Children First”is a State of Connecticut program required as a prerequisite to granting a divorce. Sessions are designed to help families cope with the effects of divorce on children.

The next available classes are Saturday, April 25, from 9 am to 3 pm; Mondays, May 4 and 11, 6 to 9 pm; and Saturday, May 30, 9 am to 3 pm.

Youth Programs & Activities

 *Job Bank is accepting applications from qualified 13- to 17-year-olds who want employment babysitting, pet sitting, or performing other household chores. Call between 2:30 and 4:30 pm weekdays for an application.

*Middle School Homework Club is running after school Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

*Reed School Homework Club meets after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

*Rock ‘N Roll Middle School meets on Wednesdays from 2:30 until 5 pm.

Support Groups

*Alateen meetings are Tuesdays from 7 to 9 pm. This program is for youth affected by somebody else’s alcoholism.

At meetings members share their personal experiences, and learn to find personal happiness, whether or not the alcoholic in their lives is still drinking.

*The NYFS Autism Group, for parents of children with special needs, meets at 7 pm the first Thursday of each month.

The next meeting, therefore, will be May 7. Call Wendy Suckow for details; 364-1163.

*CHAOS, or Choosing Healthy Alternative Over Substances, an adolescent substance abuse group, focuses on prevention and healthy alternatives to drugs. Sessions, which are Wednesdays at 6 pm, deal with issues such as coping techniques, emotions, addictions, peer pressure, choices, and consequences.

Contact Dorothy at 426-8103 for additional information.

*The Me After We, an ongoing divorce support group for adults, meets Tuesdays from 7 to 8:30 pm.

This coed group focuses on support, healing, and moving forward after a divorce.

Contact Laura at NYFS for more information.

*Mommy & Me, a support group for first-time mothers with children less than a year old, meets on Tuesdays from 10:30 am until noon. Call Elaine for more information.

*Women Empowering Women, an ongoing support group for women to empower and encourage each other to reach their fullest potential, meets Thursdays from 6:45 to 7:45 pm.

Contact Thea at NYFS for additional details or to register.

Programs take place at NYFS, 17 Church Hill Road, unless otherwise noted. For more information or to register call 270-4335.