Pubdate: Fri, 19 Mar 2004
Source: Cranbury Press (NJ)
Copyright: Packet Online 2004
Contact:  http://www.cranburypress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2181
Author: Matthew Kirdahy
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)

LIFELONG LESSONS FROM DARE

Fifth-And Sixth-Graders Graduate From Ten Week DARE Program.

Under the guidance of one of Cranbury's finest, students dared to learn how 
to protect themselves against drugs.

During their normal health class for the past 10 weeks, the Cranbury School 
fifth-and sixth-graders participated in DARE, Drug Abuse Resistance Education.

The students graduated March 12.

Cranbury Patrol Officer Michael Owens taught the group. At the graduation 
in the Cranbury School cafeteria, he honored their efforts with 
certificates and medals in a graduation ceremony. He also highlighted 
outstanding student performances for class work.

About 140 students graduated from this year's DARE program. The kids 
attended the class Monday through Friday for 10 weeks. The lessons are part 
of the school's health curriculum. Former Cranbury Police Chief Harry 
Kleinkauf introduced the program to the Cranbury School.

According to the DARE Web site, 36 million school children around the world 
will benefit from this program, which gives kids the skills they need to 
avoid involvement in drugs, gangs, and violence.

DARE was founded in 1983 in Los Angeles and is now being implemented in 
nearly 80 percent of American school districts and in more than 54 
countries around the world.

Officer Owens said students are graded on class participation, homework 
completion and a DARE report, which is their final assignment.

"It's a summary of all the things they learned throughout the program," 
Officer Owens said.

Sixth-grader Angie Abbis received the award for best DARE report in the 
graduating class.

"We learned a lot about statistics on drugs and it was mostly stuff we 
didn't know," Angie said. "We learned that over 400,000 people die each 
year from tobacco use and the danger of mixing medicines with alcohol."

Arienna Joyce said her favorite part of the class was the DARE question 
box. Anonymously, students wrote questions on paper and put them in the 
box. Officer Owens answered the questions aloud.

"It was easier than just going up to a police officer and asking him those 
types of questions," sixth-grader Elizabeth Kelly said.

Officer Owens said students asked questions like, "has he ever had to use 
his gun to shoot someone?" and about the effects of particular drugs.

"All of their questions were answered," Officer Owens said.

To close the brief graduation ceremony, Police Chief Jay Hansen and Captain 
Ed Kahler handed out certificates and DARE T-shirts to all of the students. 
Staff and faculty sliced and served cake while Chief School Administrator 
Carol Malouf commended the new DARE graduates.

"These are lifelong lessons," Ms. Malouf said. "You should be able to stand 
out and say 'no' when people are making poor decisions because peer 
pressure is everywhere and drugs are everywhere. Cranbury is no different 
from the rest of the world."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom