Who do YOU think should be this year’s Meriden Children Champion?
Each fall, Meriden Children First recognizes two or three people who go ‘above and beyond’ for Meriden’s children. The Champion need not be a local celebrity or someone in the newspaper every day. S/he can be a neighbor, a police officer, a teacher – anyone who cares deeply about kids and shows that concern by volunteering, raising awareness on children’s issues, motivating others to act on behalf of children or taking on an innovative activity or unique project that impacts and/or improves children’s lives. CFI selects people to recognize from nominations that come from people like you.
Nominate someone today (deadline is September 17).
The Champ will be recognized at the Children First annual meeting on Wednesday, October 20, 6:00 p.m.
Twenty-five kids from the Meriden Family Zone target area are participating in a three-week enrichment program based at Roger Sherman Elementary School. Here, the children enjoy a nature walk led by Meriden's outdoor expert Bob Pagini.
2010 Graduates of the Meriden Parent Leadership Training Institute
Back Row L-R: Nikole Mayo, Elizabeth Davis, Christina Ross, Yvonne Jimenez, Dorothy Johnson, Rashah Hussien, Colette Gardner, John Brooks, Deborah Lawrence. Front Row L-R: Mary Myers, City Councilor Hilda Satiago (former PLTI graduate), Salina Sayeed, Daniel Roman, Jessica Muniz, Debbie Sears-Dontfrad, Antonina Cheshkova, Marinerva Diaz
2010 Meriden School Budget Battle
This spring, three sessions of the "How Schools Work" Road Show were held. More than 100 parents and others concerned about Meriden schools heard first-hand from local and state elected officials and key administrators on how to be more effective advocates for their children. As you can imagine, there were many questions about the school budget and possible cuts to teaching positions and other programs.
The bottom line: each of Meriden's elementary schools will lose 1-2 teachers for the 2010-2011 school year.
With the likely loss of significant Federal stimulus funding, next year's education budget (in Meriden and in towns across America) could be especially difficult. Informal talks between city and school leaders have already started to determine ways to minimize negative impacts on our schools.
