Participants in the School Community-Partnership met together on September 16, 2014 at the Tradewinds at BMC Durfee High School. Co-chairs Michaela Hetzler and Annemarie Holly welcomed everyone back from the summer and began by introducing Fall River School Student Assignment and Parent Information Coordinator Barbara Allard who spoke about the Empty Chair project. The project is looking for ways to reduce student absenteeism throughout the school system. Following her presentation and one by Fall River Police Detective John Lapointe on gang violence, participants from more than a dozen human service organizations were invited to talk with school adjustment and guidance staff as well as five school resource officers during an open discussion in order to get to know one another better. The group highlighted the value of working together and having a collaboration in order to identify available services, work toward addressing gaps in our community, contributing to the Fall River Youth Violence Prevention Master Plan, and creating stronger relationships to ultimately service the health, safety, education, and overall development of our youth. Click here for an 8-minute video of Barbara Allard's presentation. For more information, contact Partnership Co-chairs Michaela Hetzler or Annemarie Holly.

(Top row, left) Boys and Girls Club staff member Monica Tavares, left, jokes with School Resource Officer Faith Amaral at the beginning of the meeting held in the Durfee High School Tradewinds Restaurant. (Top row, right) Fall River Youth Services Coordinator Christian McCloskey listens as Co-chair Michaela Hetzler opens the meeting. (Middle row) Fall River Housing Authority Youth and Family Services Coordinator Joey DaSilva makes a point after Fall River School Student Assignment and Parent Information Coordinator Barbara Allard talks about the Empty Chair Project and before others share what's been happening in their organizations. (Bottom row, left) Barbara Allard talks with Partners School Wellness Coordinator Marcia Picard, United Neighbors Executive Director Wendy Garf-Lipp, and Durfee Principal Paul Marshall. (Bottom row, center) Mr. Marshall talks with SCI Leadership Coordinator Keith Coleman and Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Peter McCarthy. (Bottom row, right) School Adjustment Counselor Tom Khoury talks with Wendy Garf-Lipp after the meeting.