Just as high school graduates received their diplomas this week, 5th graders at Windham’s Manchester School celebrated their graduation from the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program.
Rain on Tuesday prevented DARE Officer Matthew Cyr and fellow officers from holding the annual DARE field trip down at Sebago Lake State Park in celebration of the graduation. So, instead, school administrators and Windham police officers held a mini-festival inside the Manchester school.
There was face painting in the art room, dodgeball in the gym, movies and a cookout in the school cafeteria. All 5th grades received DARE T-shirts as a graduation gift and took turns signing each other’s shirts with markers.
“Sign my shirt!” the 5th grades pleaded to Cyr during the festivities. And of course, he graciously obliged.
The graduation celebration marks the end of the first part of the DARE program at the Manchester School. Every spring, Cyr teaches Manchester 5th graders about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Unlike the follow-up program for 7th graders in the fall, the “DARE” of the spring program stands for “Define, Assess, Respond, Evaluate.” Cyr takes the children through each of these four DARE steps in order to help them better make life decisions.
“We teach them about sound decision making,” Cyr said. “And we role-play ways to say no.”
Instead of lecturing the 5th graders, Cyr said he guides the children through a discussion about life choices and tries to “dispel” the rumors that surround the use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco. In addition, Cyr teaches the children positive alternatives to risky behavior such as getting involved with extracurricular activities like drama and sports.
At tables during the cafeteria cookout, a group of 5th grade boys and girls had this to say about the program;
“It was really cool,” said the boys collectively. “A really good learning experience.”
“Drugs are the stupidest thing ever,” said the girls. “The worst mistake you can make.”
The children said again and again that DARE was “awesome” and that Cyr was “awesome” and that “he should get a raise.” Cyr will be teaching the second part of the DARE program to the same children during their first semester of 7th grade in the future. And if the children’s enthusiasm is any measure of the program’s success, then it seems the DARE program is working in an “awesome” way.
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