WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL ALLIANCE
Programs
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$2,143 |
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$1,310 |
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$245 |
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$409 |
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$981 |
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$1,965 |
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$409 |
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$1,635 |
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$1,390 |
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$1,390 |
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$1,226 |
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- Community Awareness
- This program provides for mailings and printed materials in an effort to
create awareness about upcoming Washington Township Municipal Alliance programs.
- Alliance Coordinator
- The coordinator attends Morris County training sessions and submits County
required documentation including quarterly and annual reports/invoices for
town reimbursements. The Coordinator is also responsible for processing all
invoices for all of the various Alliance programs and responsible for providing
the Municipal Alliance with accurate summarized monthly reports.
- D.A.R.E. Plus
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D.A.R.E Plus addresses the growing number of alcohol tobacco and other
drug (ATOD) related dangers facing high school students in our community.
The high-school based program is three weeks long and several lessons are
covered daily. This program is customized to meet the specific needs and
address issues particular to our high school population. Topics include sexual
harassment, bullying, bias and diversity, club drugs, underage alcohol consumption
within a residence, and personal safety issues.
- Social Skills Groups
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These elementary school-based groups allow children to address issues such
as making positive choices and interacting appropriately with their peers.
Sessions are offered in an elementary setting and give students a chance
to role-play real life situations and challenges they may be faced with.
Giving children these tools empowers them to make better choices and avoid
alcohol tobacco and other drug (ATOD). Early intervention with children helps
to raise awareness and create a model of positive social decision-making
skills that will serve them as they move into adolescence.
- Teen Arts Network
- The Teen Arts Network provides special mentoring, education, and role models
to teens and adolescents through a variety of mediums and shared activities.
The material, guests, and events run a common theme of alcohol, tobacco or
other drugs (ATOD) prevention. ATOD literature regarding prevention and
referrals for rehabilitation services is readily available and distributed
to both teens and their parents. Guest artists, musicians, and writers will
conduct workshops and be advisors to teens for projects.
There is an art gallery
at the Teen Center, as well as photography, journaling, poetry events, and
field trips to studios. These sessions and programs are run year-round and
are always supervised by an adult volunteer
- Teen Chat (West Morris Central High School)
- This group held at West Morris Central High School addresses topics such as drug prevention and abuse in regards to body image issues, sports, dating, schoolwork, and stress. It is student-driven and geared towards the female student population. Closure activities for Teen Chat Group take place in June.
- Intergenerational - Alcohol Tobacco or Other
Drugs (ATOD) Awareness
- The local American Veterans Association of Washington Township has put together
an evolving series of programs to visit Long Valley Middle School and West
Morris central High School students to speak about their life/military service
experiences. They also cover topics such as how to be a responsible citizen
and also discuss positive decision-making skills in relation to ATOD awareness.
This intergeneration series of programs reaches students, teachers, parents,
Boys Scouts, Girl Scouts, and our local TAC (Teenagers Against Crime). These
groups work together to build trust, create awareness, and support the development
of positive decision-making skills. Intergenerational programming demonstrates
to the community that ATOD awareness and prevention is not age-specific or
age restricted. This program is booked throughout the school year and the
programs continue into the following school year.
- Fall Family Focus
- The purpose of the Fall Family Focus is to have one evening when the
entire community joins together to recognize the importance of family by
taking the night off from outside commitments. Since the first proclamation
from the Washington Township Committee in 2002, the schools, township recreation
teams, churches, scouts, and various community organizations have agreed
to a night without homework, meetings, or scheduled activities.
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In recognition of the importance of family, the district schools participate
in this annual event by canceling all after-school activities, eliminating
homework for the evening and not scheduling tests or quizzes for the next
day. The Washington Township Board of Education usually passes a formal
proclamation encouraging parents, teachers and students to participate
in this important activity.
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To celebrate the Fall Family Focus, each family decides what to do with
their time that evening. Some families have taken the opportunity to
cook dinner together, have a family game night, dine out together, view
a movie, look at home videos of family events, worship together, read,
talk, do crafts, or even just play with the family dog.
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The focus is family – it could be a night to spend with an elderly
relative, a cousin, or with those friends who have become your family.
We encourage all community members to celebrate the Fall Family Focus,
celebrated the Thursday of the third week in October, the NJ School Violence
Awareness Week.
- National Night Out
- The National Night Out campaign is an event whose parent organization,
the National Association of Town Watch, sponsors every year. National Night
Out involves almost 33 million people from almost ten-thousand communities
worldwide. The additional purposes of National Night Out are to heighten
crime and drug abuse awareness in the community, to generate support for
crime prevention programs in the community, and strengthen neighborhood
and community spirit.
- The Washington Township Police Department holds National Night Out at
Rock Spring Park on the first Tuesday in August. The department, in collaboration
with the Fire Department, Rescue Squad, vendors and many volunteers is
are able to provide free food and drinks, prizes, other fun activities
and entertainment for the entire family. Photos of the event from the last
several years are available at the Washington Township Police Department
website ( and .
- Project Graduation
- The purpose of Project Graduation is to provide an alternative to private
parties with access to alcohol, tobacco or other drugs on graduation night.
Graduating high school seniors have a chance to attend an all night function
after their graduation ceremony. Activities include swimming, a DJ, musicians,
gifts, boxing, and other activities. The event lasts all night for 10
hours, and is supported in collaboration with other community groups,
such as the Junior Women's Club, WT Police Department, American Legion,
and the PTA.
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 One
of the major initiatives at the Long Valley Middle School has been the
V-Free program. V-Free is an initiative that coordinates activities that
are designed to eliminate youth violence, prevent vandalism, and to reduce
the victimization and bullying of youth. This program involves actions
and attitudes that support the establishment of a climate in which students
are free of violence, vandalism, and victimization. The intent is to
challenge every student in the Long Valley Middle School to become V-Free.
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A variety of activities are included under the V-Free mantra that provides
student and staff training as well as student recognition. These include
but are not limited to the Prudential Service Awards, Violence Prevention
Week, Fairview Lakes self-esteem training, Visions in Motion
assemblies, Second Step character education curriculum, and a V-Free
Peer Leadership program.
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Student recognition is accomplished through the distribution of V-Free
slips, selection of V-Free students of the month, acknowledging students
on a V-Free Banner, letters of recognition to parents, and the semi-annual
V-Free Recognition Luncheon.
- Creating Safer Schools (West Morris Central High School)
- Guest speakers will address the topic of bullying, both in school and
on the Internet (via email, My Space, etc). Social behaviors and the dangers
of alcohol, tobacco or other drugs (ATOD) use is discussed via live and various
media outlets to best reach students and teachers.
Some topics included are
driving under the influence, prescription drug abuse, peer pressure, and
addiction issues.
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