A majority of Region One students reported experiencing stress, anxiety or worry at least some of the time during the past year, with about one in five saying they felt that way “almost always” or “always”.
Most Region One students say they feel safe at school, have a trusted adult in their lives and are confident about their future. At the same time, significant numbers continue to report stress, anxiety and, in some cases, thoughts of self-harm, according to the 2025 Youth Voices Count Survey released Wednesday, Feb. 11.
The districtwide survey of students in grades 7 through 12 was conducted in May and June and gathered responses from 422 students — a 75.4% participation rate. The findings are used to guide prevention efforts and student support strategies.
Superintendent Melony Brady-Shanley said the results show both strong support systems and rising emotional strain among students.
“For the most part, our kids feel like they have a trusted adult in their life, whether it’s a school member, a family member…that they trust, that they can speak to,” Brady-Shanley said, noting that was a very positive finding.
However, “I think the one thing that stands out for me is, you know, the amount of anxiousness that our kids are feeling.”
Conducted by Weyland Smith Consulting, LLC, a Wethersfield-based firm specializing in youth behavioral health research, the survey measures student perceptions related to mental health, substance use, school climate, bullying, social media and other behavioral indicators.
Strong safety and support indicators
The survey found high levels of connection and safety among students.
More than 94.6% said they have at least one trusted adult they can turn to. Similarly, 94% reported feeling safe in their community, and 88.6% said they feel safe at school. More than 92.4% said they know how to get help if they need it. About 73.8% said their life is headed in a positive direction, and 79.7% reported confidence in their future.
“It is very positive, you know, I think anytime we can say that that percentage of kids have a positive outlook, and they, you know, have hope about where they’re going, that’s a great thing,” Brady-Shanley said.
Ian Strever, principal of Housatonic Valley Regional High School, said the survey remains an essential planning tool.
“This report and its predecessor, the Developmental Assets Survey, have always been incredibly useful tools for assessing not only our students’ risk-taking and social behaviors, but also how we support them through school programs and the larger community of Region 1 town services,” Strever said.
Stress, anxiety and emotional health indicators
Despite the positive indicators, emotional strain remains a concern.
More than half of students in grades 7 to 12 — 57.1% — reported experiencing stress or anxiety “some of the time” in the past year. Another 14.5% reported feeling stress or anxious “almost always” and 6.5% reported feeling that way “always.” Only 21.8% reported feeling stress free.
About 18.3% said they felt sad or hopeless for two consecutive weeks during the past year.
Brady-Shanley said these findings reflect what teachers have been seeing in recent years.
“You know, if we were to go back 10 to 15 years, I don’t think that we would be seeing the percent of anxiety that we see right now,” she said. “I think there are two main triggers: COVID-19 that did not help anyone, with social isolation. And I think number two, social media has had a huge influence on kids’ anxiety.”
The survey also found troubling data: 15.4% reported thoughts of self-harm in the past year, 7.8% reported engaging in self-harm behavior and 9.8% reported having considered suicide in the past 12 months.
Brady-Shanley said these figures highlight the importance of support systems, and are being taken very seriously.
Speaking of the suicide figure, she said: “Any number with the exception of a zero is concerning.”
The percentage considering suicide was highest among grades 7–8, where 10.9% considered it, compared to 9.2% for grades 9–12. Among students who considered suicide, 23.1% said they made a plan, and 13.8% reported attempting suicide.
Brady-Shanley said the district has implemented annual training programs to help staff recognize and help students with mental health issues.
“Part of what we’re doing is giving staff the tools to be able to recognize when a kid is in crisis.”
She added that the district recently secured funding to continue three additional social workers at the elementary school level.
The goal, she said, is to ensure schools are prepared to respond quickly when students show signs of crisis.
At Cornwall Consolidated School, Principal Leanne Maguire said the middle school findings are particularly concerning.
“The survey results for our 7th and 8th graders are particularly startling. When we see that 94% of middle schoolers in our region have experienced anxiety in the past year — and that [nearly] 11% have considered suicide, while 20% of those have reported self-harm, it moves beyond a ‘trend,’ and into a call for immediate action. These aren’t just statistics; they are the daily lived experiences of our students.”
Maguire said she will ask town officials to support expanding the school counselor position to full time.
Early access to smartphones and screen use
Most students receive their first smartphone between the ages of 11 and 13, with social media accounts typically beginning between 12 and 14.
“I would love to see the access to social media going to like 16 and above,” Brady-Shanley said. “I think the little brain of a 12- to 14-year-old is not ready to handle the very adult world of social media.”
Currently, more than 97% of students reported having a social media account prior to age 16, according to the study. Nearly 90% had smartphones before reaching 14 years of age.
Approximately 58% of students said social media helps them feel connected. At the same time, about one-third reported difficulty stopping scrolling, and roughly 25% said they felt left out at times because of social media.
Substance use remains below state, national levels
High school students in Region One continue to report substance use rates below Connecticut and national averages.
For the month prior to the May 2025 study, 10.7% reported drinking alcohol — roughly half the statewide rate of 21.1% and the national rate of 22.1%. Marijuana use was reported by 8.1% of students, compared with 14.7% statewide and 17% nationally. Meanwhile, 7.4% reported vaping, lower than Connecticut’s 11.5% rate and far below the 16.8% national figure. Cigarette use was low at 2.9%.
“Fantastic. I think it speaks to what parents are teaching their children at home. It speaks to what we’re, you know, encouraging from the school perspective,” Brady-Shanley said. “Kids do listen when their parents talk to them about this kind of stuff.”
Strever said the high school has seen measurable progress.
“One of the most encouraging takeaways from the 2025 report is the continued downward trend in substance use among HVRHS students. When comparing this data to the 2023 report, we observed a notable decrease in 30-day vaping rates, which dropped from 10 percent to 6.9 percent. We also saw slight declines in the reported use of alcohol and marijuana. These shifts suggest that prevention education and the healthy choices being made by our student body are trending in a positive direction.”
Bullying still present
While bullying remains present, the survey suggests it is not pervasive for most students. About 39.4% said they have never been bullied, and 43.5% reported having been bullied at some point — but not within the past 30 days.
Still, 10.3% reported occasional bullying in the week prior to the survey, and 6.8% reported frequent or near-daily bullying in the three weeks leading up to the study.
While bullying remains a concern, the vast majority of students did not report recent incidents.
“So I think 40% of our kids reporting that they’ve never been bullied is honestly … a strong number,” Brady-Shanley said.
She said adult intervention appears consistent when incidents occur.
“If adults are seeing something, they’re not just passively letting it go by,” she said. “I think you’ll see that more frequently at the younger levels. You know, high schoolers tend to be a little bit more reserved with their requests, sometimes for assistance, yeah.”
The most common forms of bullying were name-calling, rumors and social exclusion.
High school sexual behavior and communication
Among high school students, 48.4% reported having talked with a parent or guardian about birth control, sexually transmitted infections or delaying pregnancy.
Brady-Shanley said this number needs to be higher.
“Parents need to talk more to their kids and I need that number to be 100%,” she said. “We want our kids and our families having conversations about their children’s physical health and ultimately their mental health. Kids listen when their parents talk.”
Brady-Shanley said the survey ultimately reflects both progress and ongoing work.
She said the district will continue reviewing the findings with administrators and staff, using the data to guide prevention programs and student support services.
“For the most part, our kids feel like they have a trusted adult in their life,” she said. “But we still have some work to do.”
Riley Klein contributed to this article.
Lakeville Journal
SALISBURY — Alfred Lyon Ivry, a long-time resident of Salisbury, and son of Belle (Malamud) and Morris Ivry, died in Bergen County, New Jersey, on Feb. 12 at the age of 91, surrounded by family members. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he was a graduate ofAbraham Lincoln High School and Brooklyn College, where he earned a B.A. in English literature and Philosophy and served as drama critic for the school paper.
Alfred earned a PhD in Medieval Jewish Philosophy from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts in 1963 and in 1971 was awarded a D. Phil in Medieval Islamic Philosophy from Oxford University, Linacre College.
He enjoyed a long career as a professor of Jewish and Islamic philosophy, with appointments at Cornell, Ohio State, Brandeis, and New York University. Alfred wrote more than one hundred scholarly articles and book reviews, and was the author or editor of nine books, including Maimonides’ Guide of the Perplexed: A Philosophical Guide, published in 2016.
Alfred and Joann, his wife of 67 years, moved to the Berkshire area in the early 1990s, splitting their time between the Twin Lakes and New York City until their respective retirements. After that, they lived in Salisbury full time, availing themselves of the region’s many cultural offerings. They relocated in late 2020 to Noble Horizons for two years before moving to New Jersey to be closer to their children.
In their many years together, Alfred and Joann traveled regularly, frequenting museums, national parks, and other destinations. Alfred was an avid reader of the newspaper, fiction, and poetry, and possessed both a sharp wit and an estimable sense of humor. Throughout his life, he enjoyed outdoor activities including swimming, camping, hiking, ice skating on Twin Lakes, and tennis. Like many Brooklyn boys of his era, he followed the Dodgers, but happily took his children to Red Sox games at Fenway Park and later his grandchildren to see the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
In Salisbury, Alfred became a successful gentleman farmer, and embarked on canoe trips and fishing expeditions on Twin Lakes and beyond.He took up birding, among other hobbies, and with Joann developed and enjoyed the friendships he made in Salisbury and environs, and especially amongst members of the Great Barrington-based Berkshire Minyan, of which they were founding members.
Above all, Alfred was committed to the Jewish tradition and people, and to his family. He is survived by his wife, Joann (nee Saltzman);children, Rebecca and husband Clifford Stein, Jonathan, Sara, and Jessica, grandchildren; Molly and husband Josh Mark, Noah and wife Noa Shapiro, Ben Stein, Talia, Max, Isaiah, and Esther Ivry; great-grandchild, Aaron Mark; and colleagues and friends made throughout his life. He was predeceased by his sister, Grace.
Donations in Alfred’s memory may be made to the Berkshire Minyan and to the Yaakov Goboff Fund at the Yaakov Herzog Institute for Jewish Studies.
Lakeville Journal
LAKEVILLE — Alice Gustafson (née Luchs), 106, of Lakeville, Connecticut, passed away on March 2, 2026. Born in Chicago on Dec. 15, 1919, Alice was raised between New York City, Florida and Lime Rock, where she graduated from Salisbury High School in 1937.
Alice’s career spanned roles at Conover-Mast Publications in New York City, The Lakeville Journal, the Interlaken Inn, and as a secretary to the past president of Smith College. In 1948, she married Herbert “Captain Gus” Gustafson at Trinity Church in Lime Rock.
A devoted community servant, Alice volunteered for twenty years at White Plains Hospital and for over thirty years at Sharon Hospital. She was a passionate supporter of the arts, notably through her involvement with Music Mountain and Crescendo Music Program. She was also an active member of the Salisbury Congregational Church, the Nichi Bei Fujinkai society, and served as a docent at Philipsburg Manor.
Alice is survived by her son, Gordon Gustafson, and his wife Christine, her daughter Elizabeth (DeeDee) Dohan, and her husband Andrew, her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Herbert.
Her celebration of life will take place on Saturday, June 6, at 11:00 a.m. at the Congregational Church of Salisbury.
While flowers are a lovely tribute, those who wish to further honor Alice’s memory may consider a contribution to Music Mountain, Crescendo, or the Congregational Church of Salisbury.
Lakeville Journal
LAKEVILLE — Larry Power passed away peacefully at home on March 9, 2026.
Larry was born at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City in 1939.
He had a successful public relations firm for over 35 years in NYC.
After retiring, he chaired the Sharon Land Trust board for many years. He always said one of the most important things he ever did was saving the Twin Oaks Field from development.
He is survived by his husband Lea Davies of 44 years.
Donations in his memory can be sent to East Mountain House in Lakeville in honor of Keavy Bedell or the Sharon Hospital Primary Care Project in honor of Doctor Jonathan Joseph.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
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Lakeville Journal
KENT — Carol L. Hoffman Matzke passed away peacefully with family by her side on Feb. 22, 2026.
She was a beloved mother and stepmother, daughter, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, community member, and friend.Her presence will be deeply missed. She had a beautiful way of loving, accepting, and supporting all the many members of her vast family, and of welcoming others into her family circle. She was intelligent and well-informed about history and current events, and she took a genuine interest in knowing and understanding everyone she met, from friends and family right down to the stranger who stood next to her in line at the grocery store. Kind and generous, her family and friends knew that she would do anything in her power to help and support them.
Carol was the oldest of five children, born on June 21, 1939 in Springfield, Vermont to Janet (Beal) Lawrence and John Lawrence. She graduated from Mt. Lebanon High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1957. She attended Colby College, graduating with a history degree in 1961. She was married and widowed twice, first to John Hardie Hoffman (1935-1984) and second to William A Matzke, Jr. (1924-2001).
In 1976 she and her husband, John, moved to Kent, to realize their dream of opening a small retail bookstore which they named The House of Books. Carol and John blended seamlessly into the community, and The House of Books quickly became part of the fabric of Kent where it has continued to welcome and serve the readers and writers of the area.
Carol was an active member of St. Andrews Episcopal church, where she served in various roles throughout the years. She was also an avid tennis player throughout her life and could often be found in the midst of a competitive match on the Kent School courts.
In 1993, Carol shifted her full-time residence to Seattle, Washington where her eldest daughter, Cathy resided with her family.It was in Seattle that she met and married her second husband, William A Matzke, Jr. Carol and Bill had a vibrant life in the Seattle area where she supported her children and step-children in raising their families, volunteered for The Fisk Genealogical Library, the USO at Sea-Tac Airport, and was an active member of two church communities: Evergreen Covenant Church in Mercer Island, Washington and St Mark’s Cathedral in Seattle, where she served as senior warden.
In 2017, after many years splitting her time between Seattle and Kent, Carol settled full-time in Kent. Carol was frequently spotted walking her dog along Kent’s roadways, sometimes in the pre-dawn darkness. She was a regular at the soccer games, plays, concerts, and other activities of her many New England grandchildren.
In 2024, Carol found a loving home with her daughter Barb’s family in Upton, Massachusetts, eventually transitioning to memory care at Keystone Place in Torrington, where she passed peacefully with loving family and caregivers by her side.
Carol is survived by her daughters, Cathy Miller, Barbara (and David) Lundbom and Tracy (and Rich) Horosky; stepson Scott Hoffman; stepdaughters Lori (and Dick) Ehrig, Andrea Matzke, Cynthia Matzke, and Lisa Matzke as well as 15 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. She is also survived by her siblings, Johanne LaGrange, Rod (and Fayne) Lawrence and Ann Wessel. She was pre-deceased by husband John Hardie Hoffman (1984), husband William A. Matzke, Jr. (2001), stepson John Morris “Jay” Hoffman (2023) and sister Gale Lawrence (2024).
Memorial services are planned in both Kent and Seattle later in the spring.Remembrances honoring Carol’s life can be made to the Kent Library Association (P.O. Box 127, Kent, CT 06757) or the Northwest USO (17801 International Blvd, PMB #313, Seattle, WA 98158).
Lakeville Journal
Riley Klein
From left, is First Selectman Gordon Ridgway, Dick Sears and CVFD Chief Will Russ signed the contract for two new fire trucks March 3.
CORNWALL — Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department and the Board of Selectmen signed the contract for two new fire trucks Tuesday, March 3.
The custom rescue pumper and mini pumper will be manufactured by Greenwood Emergency Vehicles, located in North Attleboro, Massachusetts.
The cost is $1.2 million and the estimated delivery time is mid-2027. CVFD raised $600,000 in donations, which will be paired with money from the town’s truck fund.
Greenwood had the lowest price and fastest delivery time of the three manufacturers that submitted bids.
The new vehicles will replace outdated trucks that are both more than 25 years old.
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