SACRED HEART STUDENTS DARE TO SAY 'NO!'

Grade Five students at Sacred Heart Academy in Marystown are ready to
'just say no!'

Students celebrated the completion of the Royal Canadian Mounted
Police's 'Drug Abuse Resistance Education' program, or DARE, with a
graduation at the school June 19. It was the first time two classes
participated in the program - previous years had been limited to
just one.

Cst. Nicole Wilmott of the Burin Peninsula District RCMP, who has
instructed the program at Sacred Heart for the past three years,
described it as an effective method of empowering youth with the
knowledge to make informed decisions when confronted with difficult
situations.

The program features nine different lesson plans and includes games,
role-playing and interaction to teach kids about the dangers of drug
abuse.

Cst. Wilmott indicated "the kids respond to it fabulously. They love
it and it's a great program. I really enjoy teaching it."

For graduation, students prepared essays explaining what they had
learned during the program. Several students, including Kayla Mallay,
were asked to read their essays aloud to fellow schoolmates and
parents attending the ceremony.

"One of the skills that I have learned, which I believe is very
important, is to be able to stand up for yourself and to say 'no!'
loud and clear to a stranger, a friend or even a family member, who
may be tempting you to do something involving drugs.

"Now that I've learned all this new and lifesaving information about
alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, I know that in the future I will use
these tips, hints and facts to keep both my friends, my family,
community neighbours and most importantly, myself, safe, healthy and
drug free."