Students gear up for the new school year at La Salle

09/12/12 – Albany, NY – September signals the start of another school year for many youths. Returning to the classroom is a whole mindset for students and learning what they can do to develop productive, healthy and organized habits promotes their future success.

“Three years ago, LaSalle created an opportunity for students and their families to prepare for the new school year in a fun and experiential way,” said Cindy Gentile, Director of LaSalle’s After School Programs. “The goal was to support each youth’s efforts to develop positive relationships with their home schools and teach and promote skills leading to positive outcomes.”

Last month, the third Annual Back to School Family Night was held on the evening of August 23rd in the LaSalle gymnasium. The event was hosted by LaSalle’s Evening Reporting Center working with staff from the local community based services that LaSalle provides.

Invitations to attend were sent to youth and families taking part in the Evening Reporting Center and the Juveniles Released Under Supervision Pilot (both Alternative to Detention programs), the Family Empowerment Prevention program, and LaSalle’s Day Services program. Families of recent or soon-to-be discharged residential youth receiving after care / family reunification services through LaSalle’s Community Connections Aftercare of the Capital District also received invitations. LaSalle’s Alternative to Detention and Prevention programs are partially funded by the Albany County Department of Children, Youth, and Families.

“LaSalle’s Back to School Family Night is just one example of the strategies we engage in with parents to impact each one’s ability to nurture effective pro-social and positive behaviors in their school-age children,” said Associate Executive Director Anne Moscinski. “As an alternative to detention, our Evening Reporting Center strives to keep kids safe and enables them to remain at home despite their involvement with Family Court and the Juvenile Justice System.”

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