DECEMBER 2024
Upcoming Events
We have several free Family Game Nights planned at elementary schools in the coming months! Click on your school’s event to register and learn more:
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN: Tuesday, Jan 21, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. - From Worries to Wellness - An interactive parent forum discussing the modern rise of anxiety and mental health challenges in children, and how we can bolster their resilience so they can thrive. This forum for parents and guardians is part of our Navigating the Tween Years series and is built on the World Cafe format. Learn more and register here.
Jan 23, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Spry PTSA and WHEN team up for Family Game Night! Spry families: mark your calendar and join us for an evening of fun with both trivia and candy bar BINGO. This is a great chance to get to know your kids’ friends and their families, while spending quality time together.
Webster Headlines
Wishing very happy December birthdays to WHEN members: Griffin P., Jennifer C., and Michael R.!
All of our protective factor signs have now been posted on Webster Central School District grounds, including all 11 schools! We are so grateful to the WCSD for their partnership in this endeavor. We are planning a "Selfie with a Sign" social media campaign to introduce the initiative to the wider Webster community. If you have a student in the district, please consider snapping a photo of them in front of any of the signs and email it to Jen at media@WHENdfcc.org with your permission to post it on social media (no names will be included). Each submission will enter you into a drawing for one of 5 $20 pizza gift cards (up to 3 submissions per child, each with a different sign). Thank you for your help!
Family Game Night at Schlegel Road Elementary was a blast last month! In addition to the family fun, we also earned new subscribers, members, and survey responses! We are excited for the remaining events this school year. If you have elementary level kids, check out our events page to register for the event at your school.
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How Gratitude Can Change Your Brain
“Protective factors are conditions or attributes in individuals, families, and communities that promote the health and well-being of children and families.” - ChildWelfare.gov
By WHEN member, Judi Swanson, LCSW~R
“Even in the chaos of everyday life, moments of gratitude remind us to hold onto the good things.” - Brit Morin
Oxford Languages define gratitude as “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” Thanksgiving prompted us to focus on being grateful and showing our appreciation for others. Yet, when we practice gratitude on a consistent, on-going basis, we can actually rewire our brains to be happier and healthier. An article by NeuroHealth Associates states, “In fact, this lasting effect is psychologically protective. Gratitude affects brain function on a chemical level and its practice promotes feelings of self-worth and compassion for others.”
“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” - Melody Beattie
A consistent practice of gratitude provides change in our brains in positive ways. Actions such as a daily gratitude journal, taking mental note of what you are grateful for, and showing appreciation to people in your life from thanking the checkout person at the grocery store to your family and friends create a ripple of positivity for each person. WHEN is grateful to the amazing Webster community who shows up with caring hearts to help and support each other.
Spotlight
In keeping with our focus on gratitude this holiday season, we'd like to shine a light on you, all our WHEN members, volunteers, partners, and supporters. It is only through the involvement of the Webster community that WHEN has been able to provide programs and information that foster resiliency and healthy habits in our children, families, and community. Thank you for making it happen!
Upcoming Meetings
Our next meeting is Wednesday, December 11 at noon. Register here to receive details for both in-person and online options.
We meet in person AND online via Google Meet the second Wednesday of each month at noon. Many of us join during our lunch break. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate. In fact, our goal is to have representation from all walks of life, to better meet the needs of the whole community.
Read last month's Coalition Meeting Minutes.
