BY PATRICIA KELLER
WEST MILFORD — The West Milford Community Services and Recreation Department (WMCSR) recently opened its Teen Center on Westbrook Road (formerly known as the Teen Coffee House) to 5th and 6th grade students residing in the township on designated Friday nights, and the response was overwhelming.
The WMCSR has now made adjustments to the Friday Activity Night schedule by reserving specific dates solely for students of three designated schools at a time on an alternating basis, in an attempt to accommodate more students.
Teen Center historyThe Teen Center, which is managed and staffed by the WMCSR and sponsored by the West Milford Community Against Substance Abuse Organization (CASA), was renovated in 2012, and was originally only opened to high school-aged students on Friday and Saturday nights. It was intended to provide the students with a safe and fun place to socialize with their peers, free of charge; however, it was under-utilized by this age group.
In 2013, the WMCSR sponsored a few special events for middle school-aged kids - 7th and 8th graders - that were a great success.
A place for the younger kids
After the town took over the West Milford Police Athletic League (PAL), that group’s monthly 5th and 6th grade activity nights were discontinued. So the Teen Center’s schedule was changed to open its doors to the 5th and 6th graders on designated Friday nights beginning in September. But with approximately 600 5th and 6th grade students in the six elementary schools across the district, the popularity and demand for the new event was overwhelming for the Teen Center, which has a capacity of 65 students. Once capacity was reached, students had to be turned away at the door.
“Since school opened in September, we've held two activity nights for 5th and 6th grade students at the Teen Center,” said Tim Roetman, director of Community Services and Recreation. “The first night we had approximately 80 students, the second night approximately 120 students came to the teen center. Understandably, students and parents were upset when we had to turn people away at the door.”
So, to accommodate more of the younger kids interested, the teen center will now host 5th and 6th graders two Friday nights per month, designating three elementary schools to attend each Friday. The high school kids have the center on the other Fridays when open. (see schedule).
The groupings“Alternating between three elementary schools at a time is something we're going to try in an effort to better serve the community,” said Roetman.
Students of Paradise Knoll, Apshawa, and Maple Road Schools will be combined together for one group, while students of Westbrook, Marshall Hill, and Upper Greenwood Lake Schools will be set as the other group.
“We'll see how it goes over the next two months,” Roetman said.
Roetman said he doesn't plan to use the PAL building, now called the West Milford Recreation Center, on a regular basis to hold activity nights.
“While we don’t plan on holding weekly events in that space on Friday nights, we may hold occasional activity nights where we’d be able to invite the 300-plus students in each class,” Roetman said. “Right now the facility is booked for the upcoming winter basketball season that will run between November and February.”
Have you been to the Teen Center yet? What do you think of it and the new schedule? Go to westmilfordmessenger.com and let us know.