OCTOBER 2025
Upcoming Events
October 8 at noon - Attend our October coalition meeting in person or online. Find out more or register for a reminder here.
Saturday, October 18 from 10:00 - 2:00 p.m. is Webster’s Fall Drug Take Back event. (The Fall DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is a week later, but due to a conflict at the Justice Town Court, we are holding this event on the 18th). Start gathering up your unused and unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications, and bring them to our drive-through drop-off event. It couldn’t be easier! Many thanks to the Town of Webster and Webster Police Department for making this important service available to residents. Details can be found here.
Oct 23-31 is Red Ribbon Week. Use WHEN’s FREE Red Ribbon Week Tool Kit to plan easy and fun activities perfect for schools, camps, scouts, youth groups and more, broken out by age group and type of activity! Pick one activity, or select one for each day of the week. Mix it up between games, reading, physical activities, crafts, discussions and more. Plan now to make a meaningful impact on your group.
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Webster Headlines
Happy birthday to all the WHEN members celebrating in October:
Abbey, Courtney, Carolyn, Heather, Shawn, Leslie, Andrea, Kerry and… Kerry!
And... Happy 30th birthday, WHEN!
Congratulations to our volunteers, members, supporters, partners, and fans – past and present! Can you believe Webster Health & Education Network has been supporting Webster youth and their families for 30 years? Cheers to all the good work done and all the joy and fulfillment left to experience as we continue to encourage kids to live healthy, drug-free lives.
WHEN's Lunchtime Legends has officially kicked off, with events planned at middle schools in September, December, January, and March. Watch for upcoming opportunities to volunteer!
Help is needed at the Drug Take Back event. Please sign up here to lend a hand on 10/18. We always have fun, please don’t be shy about joining in! Many thanks to the Town of Webster and Webster Police Department for their support of these important community events.
We could use some help researching grants that might support WHEN’s mission, and potentially writing for them. Please contact Steve if you would consider helping out in this capacity. Your support is so appreciated and this effort is critical to our sustainability.
Homework
“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, Dana Buccieri, MEd
HOMEWORK.
The word itself brings on a feeling of dread by the majority of students, no matter the age, intellect or time available to manage what can sometimes seem like a constant stream of assignments. It is probably the area of school life that can bring on the most levels of stress for students and parents alike. So how do we help our children manage this area of their lives, without it disrupting family life and harmony?
First and foremost, your approach will need to vary based on the individual needs of each child. Here is where your parenting superpowers truly are put to the test (and no, you cannot take these tests for them)! I used to joke with my students who were avoiders of homework by “diagnosing” them with “an allergy” to it. This immediately helped me to connect with the student who was trying not to take life too seriously.
The topic was a much heavier one with students who had 95-100% overall averages and viewed their assignments as the beginning of achieving all of their life goals.
The crazy reality is that in any given family, you may have “the avoider” and the “over-achiever” under one roof! Here are some helpful tips to address each type of student:
For the “Avoiders”:
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Provide a structured time and expectation of when and where homework will be done.
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Try not to argue about their lack of motivation. Instead focus on the behavior of forming a habit. They may need prompting, cheerleading, and you to be near to help them focus.
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Sustained attention is a skill. Help them to learn this by encouraging their focus for brief periods of time with breaks in between.
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Using a timer for five to 10 minutes of focused time and timed breaks helps them to have a feeling that it is more accomplishable than they might have thought.
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If possible, reward them for their time spent on homework with time spent together doing something fun. Believe it or not, studies show that an improved relationship and pride in behaviors is more of a motivator than stuff.
Source: Article by Janet Lehman. MSW on Empoweringparents.com, "My Child Refuses to Do Homework” — How to Stop the Nightly Struggle Over Schoolwork.
Alexa, do my homework.
For the “Over-achievers”:
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Also provide a structured time and expectation of when and where homework will be done. Structure soothes anxiety and reduces stress. Perfectionists often get caught up in a reactive loop—obsessing, ruminating, and not sleeping enough. While setting limits may not be received well, you are teaching and modeling much needed balance.
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Limit discussions about the future - this personality needs to understand the importance of health in the present and how that is more important than future goals.
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Help them to take regular breaks - maintaining a brutal schedule leads to burnout. Self-care and academics are equally important.
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Model rest and having fun- chances are you or one parent is an over-achiever as well.
Source: Article by Sean Grover, LCSW on yourteenmag.com, "Homework Stress: How Can Parents Help an Overachiever?"
“Yay! Homework!” - no student ever
Spotlight
We would like to give a great big shout-out to WHEN's founder, Judy Shelton! Her persistence and dedication brought this organization to life 30 years ago. She and her team were presumably the first to gather data on attitudes toward substance use and misuse by Webster high schoolers and community members in order to inform the public and determine WHEN's goals. We are excited to continue empowering Webster youth to grow up strong and substance-free. Thank you, Judy and all of WHEN's founding supporters!
Upcoming Meetings
Our next meeting is Wednesday, October 8 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.
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Reminders
Don't forget to check out WHEN's free Red Ribbon Week Kit. All the resources we provide are totally free, and activities can be done in a variety of settings and are filtered by age group. You are sure to find an activity that suits your needs! Feel free to share it with any group you think may find it useful. This is our gift to kids everywhere and to those who support them!