DARE PUPILS GRADUATE

It may not be the end of the school year yet, but two classes at
Rolling Hills Public School graduated Thursday.

It was a celebration of completing the eight-week City of Kawartha
Lakes OPP DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program for Grade 6s
at the Bethany-area school.

Standing in front of dozens of their peers, teachers and parents,
four of the graduates were chosen to read essays on what they learned
from the program, which they did with booming voices full of confidence.

"I didn't know there are over 200 known poisons in one cigarette,"
Katie Lacroix read from one part of her essay.

"DARE has a big impact on me because it showed me what alcohol and
drugs can do to you," Ashley Reeson read from hers.

"Peer pressure is the worse kind of pressure. It's when someone in
school asks you to do something you may not want to do," stated Sarah
Lighthizer.

"Now I know the next time someone asks me if I want a cigarette, I
know the correct answer is no," said Casey Coleman.

Ian Joliey and Jane Whitmore's classes were the first graduates of
the program at Rolling Hills.

A third class at the school is set to finish the program in May,
detachment community services officer Const. Mark Boileau, who
delivers DARE, told those gathered in the school's gymnasium.

Since starting with five classes in 2006, DARE has expanded to about
three-quarters of schools in the Kawartha Lakes this year, he said;
the goal ultimately is to teach it in every school.

DARE instructs kids on how to make wise choices when it comes to
drugs and alcohol while seeing the consequences of not doing so. The
kids are "pumped" to take part in DARE which, Boileau said, is working

"A lot of the kids don't understand the consequences of alcohol and drugs."

Staff Sgt. Mike Reynolds was also present Thursday to give out
certificates and handshakes to the graduates. They also received a
DARE T-shirt through sponsorship from the school and its council.

He said DARE is a time-consuming but very important detachment effort.

"We're hoping in time it will show in the community that we have made
an impact with young people," he said as Boileau, who taught the
program previously in northern Ontario, was whisked off for a photo
with one of the graduating classes.

"DARE is only as good as the officer who teaches it," Reynolds added.
"And (its quality) shows in the enthusiasm the kids show when he shows up."