The 2016 Encouragement Awards
The Parents' Council of Hafnarfjörður's incentive awards were presented recently. Arnfríður Arnardóttir and Jóhann Óskar Borgþórsson from the Hafnarfjörður Skateboard Club received the most votes for their work on behalf of the young people of Hafnarfjörður.
The Parents„ Council of Hafnarfjörður's Encouragement Awards were presented last Tuesday. The ceremony took place at the Bæjarbíó in Hafnarfjörður to a full house. The deadline for submitting nominations was Monday, 14th March, and a total of 12 nominations were received for 11 individuals who have been outstanding in their work for the benefit of children and young people in Hafnarfjörður. The selection for the award was made by the board of the Parents“ Council of Hafnarfjörður. Arnfríður Arnardóttir and Jóhann Óskar Borgþórsson received the most votes and thus won the 2016 Hvatningarverðlaun Foreldraráðs Hafnarfjarðar. The trophy they received was the artwork 'Álfar og menn' by the visual artist Soffía Sæmundsdóttir.
Others who were nominated are:
- Agnes Alda Magnúsdóttir, Supervisor of the After-School Club at the Hjalli School
- Anna Sigurðardóttir, Librarian at Hraunvallar School and administrator of the school's Facebook page.
- Elias Jónsson, coach of the boys' under-11 handball team at Haukar
- Klaus Jurgen Okh, swimming coach at SH
- Kristmundur Guðmundsson, Head Coach of the Under-6 to Under-8 teams at FH Football Club
- Ómar Friðriksson, coach of children's handball at FH
- Sara Pálmadóttir runs Mosann (the Hraunvallaskóli community club) and Hraunsel (childcare).
- Sigurður Már Guðmundsson, Headteacher of Hraunvallaskóli
- Thorsteinn Emilsson, caretaker, cook and leisure activities staff member at Hjalli Primary School
A valuable meeting place for young people from Hafnarfjörður
Arnfríður and Jóhann received the award for their involvement in the founding of the Hafnarfjörður Skateboard Club and their contribution to it. The Hafnarfjörður Skateboard Club was founded on 9 July 2012 and joined ÍBH on 4 December 2015. The club has always been active. The Surfing Club adds to the range of leisure activities for children and young people in Hafnarfjörður and is a valuable meeting place for many young people in the town.
„The number of “lost children' is decreasing
In connection with the presentation of the Hafnarfjörður Parents„ Council's Encouragement Awards, an educational meeting was held on drugs and young people in Hafnarfjörður. Police officer Guðmundur Fylkisson, who is searching for the “lost children', Police Officer Helgi Gunnarsson and Geir Bjarnason, Hafnarfjörður's Sports and Leisure Officer, discussed the situation among our young people in Hafnarfjörður and what steps parents can take to better look after their children. New data show that overall, substance use among children in Hafnarfjörður is decreasing, but at the same time, cannabis use in Year 10 has been on the rise. Further analysis of the increased cannabis use is underway, specifically to isolate the problem so that it can be addressed in collaboration with schools and parents.
About the Parents' Council of Hafnarfjörður
The Parents' Council of Hafnarfjörður is a consultative forum and an advocate for the parents of primary school children in Hafnarfjörður. The role of the Parents' Council is to work on the common affairs of the schools and to provide advice on various matters concerning school and family issues. The Parents' Council works in close cooperation with the parent-teacher associations in all of Hafnarfjörður's primary schools.