Showing posts with label teens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teens. Show all posts

Valley Stream Teen Makes Finals of Nassau Youth Singing Contest

Congratulations to Valley Stream Central High School Senior, Angelica Webster, for advancing to the finals of Nassau Youth Singing Contest sponsored by Healthfirst and Nuhealth.

There are 12 Nassau youth finalists ages 9 - 13 and 14 - 18 in each category competing for a cash prize of $600 or less depending on placement.  Please stop by to support Angelica, former Miss Valley Stream Outstanding Teen, as she sings her way to the top of the winner's circle.

Saturday, December 1st
Circulo de la Hispanidad
605 Peninsula Boulevard
Hempstead, NY 11550
1:00 – 4:00 PM



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Teen Tuesday: Reading Can Be Fun!

By Carline Dumerlin-Folkes
Co-Author, Miss University
With the Christmas break quickly approaching, it is a good time to think about ways to maximize your time off from school. One way to do that is to READ! Reading is probably not on the top of your list of things to do, especially after a long semester, but it is fundamental to building your vocabulary (a plus for the SATs) and developing your reading comprehension skills.
Make it a goal to read a least one non-school book each month. Remember the topics of the books you select can be anything you enjoy or want to learn more about!
Here are some great recommendations:
1.     The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
2.     Speak  by Laurie Halse Anderson
3.     The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens: The Ultimate Teenage Success Guide by Sean Covey


4.      The Hunger Games  (Trilogy) by  Suzanne Collins




5.     The Outsiders  by S.E. Hinton



6.     Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney



7.     Hoops By Walter Dean Myers




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Risky Behaviour: A Forum for Youth & Their Parents

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Teen Tuesday: Too Young To Play House

It's Teen Tuesday and I have something weighing heavily on my mind.  I recently learned of a recent high school graduate who has decided to move from her parent's home (yay) in with her boyfriend (boo).  I can think of so many reason why this is such a bad idea but that's not the purpose of this post.

I have a teen girls group which I love dearly. I started this group to help guide them along their journey to success in education and in their professional lives.  We've been together for a year now, and it is finally time to discuss boys.  I haven't heard of any of them having boyfriends so I don't know what's going on.  At least one of them has to have one, right?  But listen up.  Boys/Girls can throw you off of your educational game if you're not focused.

Here are 3 problems and my solutions:

Problem: If a boy/girl encourages you to forgo your college education to be with them, run the other way.  I dated a few guys in college who weren't enrolled in college.  I made the mistake by skipping a class or two to hang out with them while my grades began to suffer.

Solution: Find a like-minded boy/girl to hang out with.  Someone who has similar goals, i.e. education at the least, who understands the importance of going to class.  Make an appointment to meet in the school courtyard or Student Union and study together.

Problem: A young boy/girl wants you to move away from your support system after high school graduation just so you can be with him/her because they're lonely.

Solution: Tell them to buy a dog.  If they want to be with you so much, they will come back to you.  It does not make sense for you to leave your support system, your job, and your family to relocate into a state of insecurity.  Unless he/she is wealthy.  Just kidding.  You now will have to find a new job, and we know how hard it is to find a job these days. And...you have limited skills.  Zero. Zilch.

Problem: You have no skills, real world experience, and now you want to play wife/husband by moving in together.

Solution: Don't do it!  You are way too young to start playing house as a teenager.  This is the time to go have some fun.  Learn who you are.  Get out there and enjoy your life without any strings attached.  While you are in college, there are so many programs and courses abroad to give your international experience.  Once you marry and start having children, these opportunities are still possible but are harder to accomplish.

Here is my takeaway:

Go to college. Graduate. Enjoy life.



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Guest Post: Miss University Book & Giveaway



By Guest Blogger: Carline Dumerlin

In college, we made some of the classic mistakes most students make. We didn’t visit our academic advisor, crammed for exams, avoided professors’ office hours, — the list can go on and on. But we learned from our mistakes and this shaped us to be the successful women we are today. We decided to write this book because we know how it feels to be in college and to be clueless about certain things.

College is definitely a defining moment in a person’s life. It’s a time when you start to figure out who you are and what you want to be. We wanted young women to have the inside scoop on topics like: how to study, scholarships,internships, dealing with roommates, being homesick, time management, paying for school, dating, sororities, plus much more. The Miss University Book and the workshops/events we host, aim to empower young women to be successful, to seek out and pursue their passion and to be well rounded global citizens.

Miss University: 101 Tips on How to Keep Your Tiara on While Getting through College is the ultimate reference guide for any girl heading to college. Below are some of the ways to ensure you are ready for college:

You can work independently

Starting college with no remedial courses (or no more than one)

Taking college classes while in high school

Having some sort of work, internship or volunteer experience on your resume

Knowing how to advocate for oneself

Having good time management skills

Being a team player

Possessing good study skills

Having a firm understanding of college finances (financial aid, budgeting)

Note making skills instead of note taking skills

Reading on or above grade level

Knowing academic weaknesses and having a plan to ask for help

Having a general understanding of college terminology (credits, office hours)

Support system(mentor, family, etc)

What can Parents do:


Teach your child time management skills. For example, working on a book report little by little instead of the night before it is due.

Stay in contact with your child’s teacher and guidance counselor so that you can be aware of any academic or behavioral changes

Speak to your child about his or her interests and associate that to a career or college major. For instance if your child loves to write you could have a conversation about a career in journalism, or becoming an author. Whatever you do, don’t limit your child into what you want them to do. Let them choose.

Research programs that will allow your child to earn college credit while in high school. Many of these programs are free or low-cost. Encourage your child to take advance placement courses if they are available

Discuss college finances with your child. Is this college in our budget? They might need to get a loan and need to know why.

Assist your child in applying to college; don’t leave all of the work to teachers or guidance counselors.

Take your child to lunch on a college campus; let them visualize themselves at college

Encourage your child to volunteer or to intern at an organization. This will look great on their college applications. It will also teach them how to balance school and other responsibilities.

Visit college fairs with your child and make sure your child attends any college tours their school is offering

Co Authors: Carline Dumerlin & Martha Binikos-Nieves
The Miss University Book is available on Amazon.com and Lulu.com
Website: www.MissUniversityBook.net
Twitter:MissUnivBook
Facebook:Miss University Book
Questions:Info@MissUniversityBook.net

Win 1 of 2 Miss University Books beginning today through March 24th. 


"To Do's" for Valley Stream Teens


Anime Club - Valley Stream Library
Meeting March 2nd @ 6:30 p.m.
Teens will review anime programs and discuss favorites

Teen Craft - Valley Stream Library
March 16th @ 6:30 p.m.
Teens will make a craft and participate in a scavenger hunt
Registration is required
Teen Craft Club - Elmont Library
March 2nd @ 4 p.m.
Open to teens in grades 7 - 12

Teen Advisory Group - Elmont Library
March 3rd @ 12 p.m.
Group helps selects programs, music, movies, books,
and other resources the Elmont Library offers teens.

Teen Video Game Tournament - Elmont Library
Wednesday, March 7th @ 6 p.m. Program is for teens in grades 7-12
Registration is required

Lions Club Scholarship
Applications are due for a $1,000 Lions Club Scholarship on June 1st. For an application,
please visit www.valleystreamlions.com.

Don't forget to see the complete listing of opportunities for Valley Stream Teens here.
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New! Valley Stream Teen Page



Welcome Valley Stream Teens! This page was created with YOU in mind and can now be found on the top menu bar. See something you like? Join up and meet other teens in your community who are just like you. If you want to start a teen organization, well you can do that too! If there's something not listed here that you would like listed, please email the complete contact information to me at valleystreammom@gmail.com.

Elmont Memorial Library
Teen Craft Club
Open to teens in grades 7 - 12

House of Hope - Seeking volunteers ages 13+

Kiwanis Club
A civic non-profit organization that provides funds and services for the youth of the community. Meetings are held every Tuesday at 7 p.m. To attend, please call Frank Farella at (516) 825-2454 or frankfarella@aol.com.

Sparkle Empowerment Program for Girls
Community Service * Education * Self-Esteem * Philanthropy * Etiquette * Leadership Development for Girls entering middle and high school.

Valley Stream Fire Department Junior Firefighters - Info coming soon!

Valley Stream Henry Waldinger Memorial Library
Anime Club - Meeting March 2nd @ 6:30 p.m.
Lego Club

Valley Stream Mom
Seeks Teen writers to write short articles on school events
Internship Opportunity coming this Summer

Valley Stream Youth Council
P.O. Box 446
Valley Stream, NY 11582
(516) 256-0468

Miss Valley Stream Outstanding Teen Pageant - missvalleystream@gmail.com

If you know of any community teen clubs or programs, please send an email to valleystreammom@gmail.com.

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Flow Circus Hits Valley Stream Today!



Flow Circus is coming to town this evening to show you how to master 5 skill toys from around the world. The Flow Circus program is a unique blend of magic and juggling that engaged our young readers in a way that fills their hearts with passion and their heads with dreams.

Young adults in grades 5-12 are welcome to attend. Registration is required and will be limited to 25 participants. Preference is given to Valley Stream library cardholders. Register at the Adult Reference Desk or call 516-825-6422. For further information or to register, contact Librarian Ms. Kenney or Director Ms. Eng. 

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Calling All Aspiring Teen Artists

Kudos to The Henry Waldinger Library, a.k.a. Valley Stream Public Library, for hosting a Teen Painting Program on Friday, January 27th at 6:30 p.m.  "Piecing It Together with Willem de Kooning" is sponsored by the Long Island Children's Museum.  Teens will create an abstract collage and painting, inspired by the art and life of the famous Long Island painter.  Registration is required and limited to the first 20 participants.  Call (516) 825-6422 to reserve your spot.
All too often I have heard that there isn't much to do for teens in Valley Stream.  This is why I will launch Valley Stream Teen, a tab on this website, not a new website in the next week.  I am finding that there are tons of things for teens to do.  Our teens are just too picky and often confused about what it is they want to do.  Just my two cents.

Stay tuned!

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