D.A.R.E

An ambulance at a White Castle. You know, I'd think you would see that a lot more often than you actually do...

Today was the 100th day of school, and they also had a Graduation for their D.A.R.E program for 5th graders. Last week we had gotten a letter from the "Sheriff of Howard County" in the mail. Seeing a letter from the Sheriff's office, when you have no context, even if you haven't done anything wrong (that you know of), still makes you stop and blink for a second. But it was simply "a parental invitation to the celebration of our child's graduation from the Howard County Sheriff's Department & Eastern Elementary School's D.A.R.E. program." The Sheriff got up and gave a speech first. He had a lot of really complimentary things to say about her school. For one thing, he said that there are only 4 5th grade classes here, but that we had about 130 parents, grandparents, etc. there to support the kids and the program on graduation day, which is more parental participation that they get in any other school they do. He said that one school has 9 5th grade classes and they're doing well to get 80 parents total there. He complimented the kids on their education and how they would think outside the box, how they treated their electronics, which he thought was originally nuts (letting 5th graders all have their own netbooks, and we all thought the same thing), and just basically had nothing but nice things to say. Of course he wouldn't say un-nice things, but he seemed to think highly of the school and the kids, and that's always nice.

They did a powerpoint presentation on what the officer had done with the kids for 15 weeks, once to twice a week. Things like "Fatal Vision" goggles where they put these special prism goggles on the kids that simulates having a .19 blood alcohol content, and then have them try to throw a basketball into a hoop and walk on a white line heel to toe like the field sobriety test. They had a workbook to complete, a final essay to write, they did several role-playing scenarios (Kaylee got to be the 'bad guy' once), and 15 weeks worth of work and education on drug and alcohol use and abuse. They also did some confidence building exercises, teaching the kids nine ways to get out of a sticky situation, and how to say no "with authority." Head up, eye contact, shoulders back, and a no-nonesense, loud "No." He said anything else is a "maybe", and tried to teach them how to handle some typical peer pressure situations. He admitted that there was still going to be a drug and alcohol problem out there, but that if this program just helps a few kids, then it's worth it, and that he's met kids who are now graduated from high school who still have their DARE card and still come up and remember him and talk to him about how much they appreciated him taking the time. So, that's kind of neat. This graduation today took two hours to get through, which I did not expect, but the kids were happy, it broke up their day and they got to show off for their parents. :) Kaylee was the last name called to get her certificate of completion, then there was cake and punch, and all the kids got a DARE t-shirt that the Sheriff signed, the superintendent of the school, the principal, and as many kids as they could get to sign it until the bell rang and it was time to come home...