Pubdate: Fri, 23 May 2008 Source: Hays Daily News, The (KS) Copyright: 2008 Hays Daily News Contact: http://www.dailynews.net/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1756 Author: Diane Gasper-O'Brien Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) FIFTH GRADE PERFECT YEAR FOR POSITIVE FOCUS Graduation from fifth grade is a bridge-crossing time for students in Hays. Those leaving fifth grade in the public schools are promoted to middle school, and those at Holy Family Elementary are looking forward to being the oldest students in the school the following year. That's why Hays has chosen fifth grade as the targeted age group on which to focus its D.A.R.E. -- Drug Abuse Resistance Education -- program. "I think it's a good time to talk to the kids about positive choices," said Tom Meagher, principal of Wilson Elementary School, which had its D.A.R.E. graduation ceremony Thursday in conjunction with its fifth-grade promotion. "I talked to them about that" at promotion, said Meagher, a father of six children who went through the D.A.R.E. program in Hays. "About the importance of getting involved in the positive things in middle school, structured type activities that can help keep you away from other sideline stuff." D.A.R.E., founded in Los Angeles in 1983, is an international education program that teaches students in kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure to involvement in drugs, gangs and violence. This year marked the 25th anniversary for the program. The Ellis County Drug Enforcement Unit provides workbooks as well as T-shirts and certificates through drug seizure funds. The school resource officers go into each of the fifth-grade classrooms, taking the program to both public and private schools. Brian Dawson and Jeff Ridgway, officers for the Hays Police Department, also serve as school resource officers in Hays. They are certified D.A.R.E. instructors, and they split up the six elementary schools in Hays. The program consists of 10 lessons of core curriculum, each about an hour in length, and Dawson and Ridgway have added two more lessons on bullying. Dawson said he thinks it's an ideal setup. "It gives an opportunity for an officer to get into a classroom and make rapport with kids and talk about making healthy choices," Dawson said. "Whether it's from D.AR.E. or being in the schools as a school resource officer, that way (students) can see a familiar face if they see us out and about." - --- MAP posted-by: Derek