DARE DRAWS PARENTAL PRAISE

DARE grads are now ready to tackle tough decisions that come with growing up.

Kids in Grades 5 and 6 at St. Anthony's have been involved in the Drug
Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program since the early part of the year
and recently received certificates recognizing completion during a ceremony
at Christ The King parish.

Essays were handed in at the end of the program, describing their time in
the program and outlining things they will take with theme into the future.

Winning entries were read out to parents by the students in both grades.
The essays were judged by DARE instructor Cst. Joanne Ruppenthal.

The essays included different methods students will use to say 'no' to
drugs and alcohol and what they've actually learned during the weeks of
instruction.

Ruppenthal said she was very pleased with how well things went, adding DARE
was well received by parents.

Kids were able to role-play and act out different drug and alcohol-related
situations they might be faced in through skits.

'I had a blast,' said Ruppenthal. 'I had so much fun.'

'Kids got a lot out of it,' said parent Dan Gueguen, noting it was a chance
for kids to interact with the RCMP and see how they do things.

Daughter Amanda, who is in Grade 6, said kids were able to learn a lot from
the program and were even able to offer their parents some insight and
knowledge about some of the issues involved with drugs and alcohol.

The Coast Mountains School District recently approved a plan to put the
DARE program into schools.

However teachers are not on-side with the idea, something Ruppenthal said
is unfortunate.