WINNING THE DARE

They dared themselves to resist drugs and violence.

Last Friday they won.

Ninety-six Grade 6 students at Stonewall Centennial School celebrated
graduating from the DARE (drugs, abuse, resistance, education)
program during a school assembly. The program, taught by Stonewall
RCMP Cst. Sandra Mattson (or Officer Sandra as she's known at
Centennial), teaches youngsters the dangers of drugs and tobacco. It
also focuses on ways to avoid violence, making decisions, expressing
rights and being self-confident.

"They say it takes a whole village to raise a child," principal Ken
Hoglund began at the assembly attended by many family members. "This
is an example that it does."

Mattson, decked out in a full mountie uniform, as she was during each
of the 10 sessions, taught her first class at the Stonewall school
this year. She had previously taught in Selkirk schools and noted
this year was the first time each one of her students had graduated.
In previous years there was at least one student who failed due to
drug use or violent behaviour.

This year, every Centennial student received a certificate and a DARE
t-shirt -- many of which Mattson was asked to sign after the assembly
ended. It's clear the students took home a very important message.

"For the most part I think it will stick with them," Mattson said.

Cpl. John Montgomery agreed but issued a caveat to parents.

"Children are sponges in Grade 6 or Grade 12," he said. "What you do
at home directly affects what they do."

While the 10-week program took up a fair amount of class time, the
teachers at the school were happy to make room for it.

"It's a very worthwhile program," Grade 6 teacher Debbie DaSilva
said. "Eleven years old is a very important and influential age."

The students put on several enthusiastic skits during the assembly
showcasing the `eight ways to take charge'. A select few were also
chosen to read essays they wrote during week nine of the program.

"Once you get shot by smoking's deadly arrow," K.C. Roy read, "either
you die, or you have to painfully unlock yourself from the tight grip
of addiction. It's the same with drugs or alcohol."

"I wrote this essay not to tell what I learned or even because I had
to, but to tell everyone what Officer Sandra has done for us," she
continued. "She has given us the strength and knowledge to stand up
for ourselves and what we believe in."

Samantha Samson noted in her essay that she wanted to be a police
officer when she grows up partially because of what she learned from
Mattson.

"Hopefully in 20 years I will be solving crimes," Samson told the
assembly. "I might be a constable, I might be a sergeant. All I know
is that I'll be drug-free."

Oh yeah, and if you didn't hear it from a Stonewall Centennial
student, here are the eight ways to take charge -- directly from the
mouth of a Mountie:

"Say no thanks, repeated refusal, change the subject, have a reason
or excuse, avoid the subject or situation, have strength in numbers,
give the cold shoulder and walk away," said Mattson.

Mattson left for Edmonton shortly after the assembly to take part in
a program to teach other officers the DARE course.