Battle against teen drinking continues

According to a survey completed in the fall at Newburyport High School, 67 percent of teens said alcohol was very or fairly easy to get.

Heading into prom season, the Beacon Coalition and Youth Services are reminding students about the dangers of drunken driving. The final night of the Beacon Coalition three-part series raising awareness about the dangers of underage drinking is tonight at 7 at City Hall.

"Turning Off The Tap: Underage Drinking & Prevention Strategies" illustrates alcohol's effects on the adolescent brain, social host liability, and strategies proven to reduce substance abuse. The presenter of the workshop series is Marilyn Grifoni Belmonte, substance abuse prevention coordinator and drug recognition specialist.

Youth Services led groups of fifth- and sixth-graders through a series of activities aimed to increase alcohol awareness last month. The activities included a contest that challenged the students to come up with the best design and slogan against underage drinking.

Fifth-grader Shianne Sneider, whose sticker read "JUST SAY NO. Stop underage drinking," was the top participant in her grade. Fifth-grade runners-up were Jenna Gallagher, "Do your brain a favor, Don't Drink" and Eliza Filipancic, "Don't be afraid to say 'No.' It's not COOL to drink underage."

Sixth-grader Emma Hill won with "You'll Stop Thinking If You Start Drinking." Runners-up were Dayna Nagle for "Think ... Don't Drink," and Victoria Allman for "Say NO!!! to underage drinking."

The Molin School's walking school bus resumes tomorrow. Students can meet at the Kmart parking lot near Low Street (Neil Reardon and Katie Habib supervising), Kent Street parking lot (Mr. A and Andrea Jones supervising) or the Bartlet Mall by CVS. (Do not use CVS parking lot. (Bob Doyle and Kelley McNamee supervising). Arrive no later than 7:35 a.m. "Buses" will leave by 7:40.

Last week's walk to school was a success, with 60 kids walking from Kmart, 30 from the mall, and a dozen from Kent Street. In addition, many students walked with parents or on their own, and the bike racks were overflowing. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer for one of the Wednesdays, call Katie Habib at 978-463-9129 or e-mail Katie@inhomecooking.net or Dave Archambault atdarchambault@newburyport.k12.ma.us

The Molin School will be holding a Spring Social on Friday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the gym. Bring friends and family and go to the final Molin School social event of the year. Dancing, games and contests will be there. One contest will be for the best celebrity lookalike/costume. Pizza, snack foods and drinks will be sold in the cafe.

All students must be accompanied by a parent chaperone; no drop-off. (Car pooling of students is encouraged.) Admission is free, but bring a nonperishable canned good for Pettengill House and be entered in a raffle for fun prizes.

The next elementary PTO meeting will be tomorrow at 7 p.m. in the Bresnahan cafeteria.

Actors, singers, artists and dancers are welcome to be a part of Newburyport Summer Stock, a three-week theater camp for students ages 11 to 15. The camp runs from July 7 to 25, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Nock Middle School auditorium and ends with two performances of the new hit musical "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory."

Tuition for the camp is $300. Anyone interested may contact Mr. Pirollo at mpirollo@newburyport.k12.ma.us Applications can also be picked up in the Nock Middle School main office. The deadline for applications is Friday, May 23.

The planning of the Eighth-Grade Celebration is in full swing. Organizers are busy designing invitations, making decorations, and planning entertainment. The success of the event is dependent on the parents' involvement.

The celebration faces a financial shortfall and needs donations of any amount to help defray the cost. Checks can be made payable to the RAN Middle School PTO and write Eighth Grade Celebration in the memo line. Donations must be sent to the main office by Friday.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Jolene O'Brien at 978-465-9554 or at rjobie4@comcast.net

The Newburyport High School Gallery 118 proposal is up on DonorsChoose.org. Donors can look up the page and donate by typing in or searching under the title: "Art Students as Curators."

Any donations are welcome as the up-and-coming gallery starts putting on professional shows in September.

The Newburyport Education Foundation will be putting on a benefit to support the Newburyport schools. Das Pintos will perform at the Grog on Friday at 9 p.m. There will be a $7 cover charge with proceeds benefiting the Newburyport Education Foundation. Additional donations will be accepted. The benefit is for people over 21 years of age.

The Bresnahan School playground needs mulch. By purchasing mulch for your own yard, you can help. MSI Landscaping has offered to donate money from each purchase to the Bresnahan playground. The donation will be $1 per yard of mulch delivered or $4 from mulch spread.

MSI will donate a dollar-for-dollar match after 1,000 yards of mulch are delivered. Last fall, Nathan Dennis of MSI donated more than $10,000 worth of materials, equipment and labor to build the playground. To order, call 978-363-1500.

Students in Nock team Six Gold will be hosting Awesome Authors Nights next week. For the three consecutive nights, students will read their original works to parents, friends and relatives. Awesome Authors Nights will be held next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Room 126 of the Nock Middle School. Yesterday author Brian Kiteley visited the students and conducted a writing workshop.

The following students won awards in the Molin School Creative Entrepeneurs Contest: Madeleine Armour – The Staring Umbrella; Kiki Emmith – Glasses Tracker; Shane Thirkell – Stealth Heat Boot; Josh Riposa – Bridge Indestructible; Maghan Healey – Crutches Compartment; Jake Berger – CAS (Concussion Avoidance System); Claudia Curry – Straightness: Hair Straightening Conditioner; Milissa Robie – Wonder Winder for Kites; Jake Shactman – Clicker Finder; Lizzie Wright – Boo Boo Bear Knitting Needle Holder.

Honorable Mention went to: Nick Carleo – Sweet Gum; Ari Carlat – Couch Potato Chair; Gabby McLaughlin – Voice Calculator; Meredith McCloy – Project Yellow: Dollars for Service Dogs; Anieca Munoz – Cup Time Clock; Matt Shore – I-Lete Software; Max Brown – My Cod; Matthew Cote – Getting Groceries; Gabriel Ficht – Auto Shovel; Ellie Card – Rocket Sneaks N More; Kelsey McCarthy – Robo School Tech; Marie Cahalane – 4 Seasons Cup; Olivia Ortiz – Mudry Masagi; Davi Dunn Pilz – Eye Phone; Bailey McCarthy – Auto Aromas; Ben Quintal – Smart Cover; Joe Sceery – Green Machine.

Photos

Fifth-graders from the Molin School, along with sixth-graders at the Nock Middle School participated in a contest to design bumper stickers for the Beacon Coalition. The bumper stickers feature anti-drinking slogans. From left, Jenna Gallager, Eliza Filipancic, Shianne Sneider, Emma Hill, Dayna Nagle and Victoria Allman. The students are flanked by Molin Principal Dan Archambault on the left and Nock Principal Barry Hopping on the right. Staff photo