Pubdate: Wed, 08 Feb 2006
Source: Hood County News (TX)
Copyright: 2006, Hood County News and HCN Online Services.
Contact:  http://www.hcnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3034
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

D.A.R.E. RETURNS TO LIPAN, TOLAR

Drug Abuse Resistance Education is back at county  elementary 
schools, and teachers and students showed  their joy at the Tolar 
Elementary School D.A.R.E.  graduation party Friday. Red and black 
balloons festooned the gym while a speaker blared a D.A.R.E.  theme 
song, and students filed onto the makeshift  stage. A fancy table 
with cake, cookies and Kool-Aid  awaited them. Forty adults observed 
from the audience.

"It's been three years since we had D.A.R.E.,"  fifth-grade teacher 
Jo Ann Vaughan said. "Thanks to  sheriff (J.E.) Mayo, who returned 
the program to the  county schools when he came to Hood County. And 
thanks to officer Anna Edwards, the kids just love it."

Forty-three fifth graders celebrated completing the  10-week health- 
and law-conscious program Friday at  Tolar. Lipan fifth graders 
graduated Jan. 26. The kids  get workbooks and T-shirts and were 
granted diplomas.

Third-grade students enjoying the D.A.R.E. graduation  festivities 
are Kelsey Stone, Whitney Dunson and  Rebecca Floyd

When the new sheriff came to town a year ago he was  surprised the 
D.A.R.E. program had been cut from the  county budget.

"It is a good program, and it's good for students to  have positive 
interaction with law enforcement," Mayo  said. "This is the only 
place I'd seen where schools  didn't have D.A.R.E."

Mambrino School held its D.A.R.E. graduation Monday.  Oak Woods 
Intermediate plans its celebration for  Wednesday; Brawner 
Intermediate for Thursday; and  Crossland Intermediate this Friday. 
Because they are  funded by the city, these programs continued uninterrupted.

The program teaches students about illegal drugs,  cigarettes and 
alcohol and ways to resist peer pressure  while building and 
maintaining self-esteem. The kids  had field trips to City Hall and 
the county courthouse,  and wrote essays about what they learned from 
the  program; the Tolar winners being Madison Eichholtz,  Morgan 
Jackson, Gideon Sanders and Hayley Butler.

Officer Anna Edwards, three years with the Granbury  Police 
Department, had never taught kids -- or anyone  -- before this year. 
She said she really enjoys it.

"I get hugs from everybody," Edwards beamed, while  students lined up 
to do just that in a farewell gesture  to their teacher.

Officer Christine Willsey also works in the program.  Both work 
regular patrol shifts when not teaching  D.A.R.E.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman