HOWE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS CELEBRATING RED RIBBON WEEK

HOWE -- Howe Middle School students were sporting red clothing for the
first of this week's activities to celebrate Red Ribbon Week.

Monday, schools all over the nation kicked off Red Ribbon Week, a national
prevention campaign to teach the risks of drugs through prevention and
education programs. While learning about the dangers of drugs, the students
also get to take part in activities such as Red Day, in which all the
students wear red, and Turn Your Back on Drugs Day, in which the students
wear their clothing backwards.

"We want to make the kids aware of what drugs can do," said Brandy Flecher,
Howe Middle School nurse. "With the activities we try to teach them these
things while letting them have fun."

Flecher worked at a doctor's office before taking her job with Howe ISD.
Therefore, she didn't know about Red Ribbon Week and had to learn all about
it before she began teaching the students. But, she didn't stop with her
students. She also included teachers in the process by giving them lesson
plans that teach drug awareness during the week.

"Students are experimenting with drugs at earlier ages now," she said.
"They need to be aware of what they can do before they try to sample the
drugs."

Megan Ing, a Howe student, said the week is important because the students
get to learn to be drug free. Kegan Duncan, a Howe student, said the
students also learn what the drugs can do to your body.

"We learn how to be drug free and keep safe," said Breanna Davis. "It will
help us if anyone tries to give us drugs.

Flecher said her hope is the students will learn from the week while they
are young and will be able to resist temptation if they are ever presented
with drugs.