STUDENTS JUMP ON DRUG-FREE BANDWAGON

Dellwood Middle School students were given anti-drug information
during a recent school campaign.

Educators felt it was a good ideas since the school is in an at-risk
area, which is just west of Court Street.

"Court Street is the most prevalent drug activity location in
Bermuda," said teacher Patricia Nesbitt.

"Most of our children walk through that neighbourhood daily on their
way to and from school and it serves as their backyard. "We want to
arm our students with enough information and resistance skills so that
their risk of being affected by drugs will be lowered."

The 88 M1 students who took part were immersed in research to answer
the questions, "How have drugs affected our community over the past 11
years (during their lifetimes) so far?" and "What can we do to promote
a drug-free Bermuda?"

Many community leaders and organizations involved in drug prevention
and treatment have conducted workshops to help answer their questions.

"We ended our research with a drug-free conference entitled 'Clean
Body, Clean Soul, Drug Free', which took place on June 10," said Ms
Nesbitt.

"The conference was organized by our Club PRIDE students, who also
conducted workshops and the event was sponsored by the National Drug
Commission.

Ms Nesbitt said earlier in the year the Ministry of Education asked
middle schools to produce a curriculum integration unit, which sought
to eliminate subject barriers and to answer questions that the
students were looking for answers to.

"A huge graffiti board was placed in our hallway where students could
write any questions of interest," said the language arts teacher.

"The teachers then took those questions and formulated one big
question that students had to answer.

"Speakers came from various prevention and treatment facilities along
with the Police."

The students had a body of information and activities that were
common.

Sharelle Gibbons, 12, designed a T-shirt and the PRIDE students came
up with the name for the conference.

"Students were assessed by presenting their binders of notes that
covered all of their core subjects, performances and activities that
they participated in," said Ms Nesbitt.