SCHOOLS CELEBRATE RED RIBBON WEEK

Teachers, Counselors Use Games, Programs, Prizes To Help Get The
Drug-Free Message Across

For the state-wide Red Ribbon Week, a program designed to prevent or
stop drug and alcohol abuse among students, schools in the
Russellville School District acknowledged the week in a variety of
ways.

Although it is not tied to the state Red Ribbon Week, the secondary
school's Alcohol Reduction Grant from the Office of Safe and Drug-Free
Schools at the United States Department of Education provides funding
to promote drug-free activities all year, according to Jenny Barber,
federal programs coordinator at the district.

Elementary schools do not receive the grant, but benefit from it by
receiving information and broad-based training.

A national emphasis has been placed on ensuring a safe and drug-free
school environment, Barber said.

"The schools have plenty of neat activities planned to place emphasis
on self-respect and respect for our community," she said. "This is the
basis for all of our activities all year which are geared towards
character development in general, with this particular week perhaps
more focused on the anti-drug message."

As far as other Safe and Drug Free Schools efforts, Barber said
federal dollars through Title IVA are targeted in the district's
Arkansas Comprehensive School Improvement Plan to support supplemental
Character Education activities and resources for buildings, as well as
possibly additional safe schools training for building staff.

No federal funds were used for Red Ribbon Activities.

This week:

High school

Principal Wesley White said the high school carries out activities all
year in assemblies, Alcohol Reduction Grant activities and club
activities. He said they have found this ongoing effort to be most
appropriate for their students.

Junior high

Junior High Counselors Donna Gwaltney and Amy Hoelzeman include
discussions in some of their bi-weekly advisory periods. Last week,
they used a video entitled "Dying High: Teens in the ER."

Many teachers reported interesting classroom discussions following the
advisory period. Special intercom announcements are planned this week
and next. Like the high school, the junior high also benefits from
services through the Alcohol Reduction Grant, which are ongoing activities.

Middle school

Counselor Cindy Chaffin said the Middle School has an ongoing program
for both sixth and seventh graders. This particular week is like every
other week, she said, except on Wednesday students wore camouflage and
Thursday they wore red.

The middle school program focuses on prevention which is an ongoing
program, not just a week-long focus. Sixth graders participate in a
program called Slick Tracey, a Home Teams program that encourages
parent participation.

Comic books are sent home for parents to use with their students in
discussing the prevention of alcohol use among teens. Peer leaders
have also been chosen to lead activities with the students in this
program.

Seventh graders continue this focus by participating in the program.
Students listen to tapes of other students who present "what-if"
situations and the choices they should make in that situation. They
also have peer leaders who lead the activities.

The Slick Tracey program continues into the eight grade, which goes
more into community aspects.

Students made posters that show the effects alcohol and alternative
ways to having fun without alcohol. The posters are displayed in the
hallway this week.

The Alcohol Reduction Grant program offers free classes to students
and to parents who want more information to better equip them in
talking to their child about the dangers of drug and alcohol use.

Fifth grade

Fifth-grade activities are all planned, sponsored and paid for through
the PTO, spearheaded by Melanie Hale.

Principal Cathy Koch said she was impressed at the interest and
involvement of parents in the fifth-grade Red Ribbon Week.

Activities included:

Monday -- Students were given bracelets with drug-free messages on
them.

Tuesday through Thursday -- 10 names were drawn for prizes each day.
If they had their bracelet on, the students came to the office for
their prize.

Prizes:

Tuesday -- "Count On Me to Be Drug Free" (calculators)

Wednesday -- "Reach for the Stars not Drugs" (Frisbees)

Thursday -- "Drug-Free, the Healthy Way to Be" (water
bottles)

Wednesday -- "Wear Red Day" (additional drawings for
prizes)

PTO Moms put up signs in the hallways for the children to sign to
pledge to stay drug free.

Center Valley

Center Valley delayed its activities until the first part of
November.

Crawford

Counselor Kristyn Goodwin said Crawford had a Red Ribbon assembly
Tuesday, as well as dress-up days and a door-decorating contest.

Dwight

Monday at Dwight was "Wild Hair Day" ("Wild About Red Ribbon Week").
On Tuesday, Dwight students wore red shirts and received arm bands.
The theme was "Band Together Against Drugs."

On Wednesday, students wore bright clothes because "My Future is Too
Bright for Drugs," and on Thursday students wore sunglasses because
"we're so cool, we don't need drugs" on "Shade Out Drugs" day.

"Although this is actually Red Ribbon Week, we have been doing
activities for the past two weeks," said counselor Ellen Hefner.
"There is so much information that I feel is important for the kids,
that I couldn't get it all in with just one week.

"The children have received different doo dads such as Red Ribbons to
wear, arm bands, drug prevention pencils and Stamp Out Smoking
stickers. ... In the classrooms, I am presenting Drug Prevention
lesson through videos, books and games such as Drug Free Jeopardy,
Drug Free Me board game and Stamp Out Smoking Tic Tac Toe."

London

Counselor Kathy Steffy said she includes the drug-free message in
weekly lessons all year. This week, special emphasis was placed on the
message, and special stickers were given out.

Oakland

Counselor Julie Kirkpatrick designed foot-themed days this
year.

The days were: "Give Drugs the Slip" (students wear slippers); "Don't
let Drugs Sneak up on you" (wear sneakers); "Sock it to Drugs Day"
(wear wild socks); and "Boot out Drugs" (wear boots).

Principal Sheri Shirley said ongoing emphasis is placed on self
respect, family and community respect. Drugs just don't belong in that
picture, she said.

The entire faculty gets involved at Oakland. An ongoing Professional
Development program for teachers this year focuses on Professional
Learning Communities and emphasizes respect for one another and the
community.

Sequoyah

Sequoyah had a theme of the day, messages on the intercom each morning
and daily prizes provided by the PTA:

Monday -- Red Ribbon Day: Each student received a "Behind This Ribbon
Is A Drug-Free Kid" ribbon to wear.

Tuesday -- "Drugs Turn You Inside Out": Students received a sticker
with the theme of the day.

Wednesday -- "Too Cool To Do Drugs": Ribbon bracelets with theme for
each student.

Thursday -- "Team Up Against Drugs" and "Drug-Free, The Healthy Way To
Be": Stickers and Bookmarks for everyone.

Prizes included water bottles, basketballs, footballs, pencils,
stickers for the class, and key chains. All students were eligible for
the prizes by random drawing.