The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Students graduate from DARE program
By Mike Dolsen, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: March 15, 2007
With recent reports of drugs, alcohol and violence in Saline schools, local residents were emboldened with hopes for the future when more than 400 fifth-graders graduated from the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program Feb. 28 at Heritage Elementary School.
Advertisement
The program, headed by Saline Police Officer David Ringe, aims to prepare students with the knowledge needed to resist drugs, alcohol and violence.
"I've seen a great improvement where there is more emphasis, not only on the drug prevention side, but also about the prevention of violence," Ringe said. "It's teaching these kids how to become excellent decision makers."
In addition to Ringe, the program included a group of "distinguished guests" made up of 14A District Court Judge J. Cedric Simpson, Superintendent Beverley Geltner, Mayor Gretchen Driskell and Police Chief Paul Bunten.
Fourteen students were recognized for outstanding DARE essays. Of those, Grant Geiger, Etienne Herrick, Kaileigh Keller, Saralyn Klepaczyk, Kanella Smyrnis, Delpanie Wu and Jacob Zeiher read their speeches aloud to a crowd of almost 800. In their essays, students detailed the importance of DARE and the affect it has had on their lives.
"Each of the kids that spoke, spoke so well about the things they've learned and I think the lessons are deeply embedded," Saline Council Trustee Terri Sibo said. "We need to make sure that those messages are deep within them so they can resist the pressure to do those things, because there is a lot of pressure."
Aside from preparing students for the peer-pressure they will face in middle and high school, DARE also encourages students to talk to their parents about problems that may arise.
"It really helps prepare (students) for the future and helps them respond to peer-pressure," Driskell said. "It creates an opportunity for the kids and the parents to talk about the risks at home. It's very supportive, and really important to our society."
The main goal of the DARE program is to educate young students about the risks involved with drugs and alcohol. An important offshoot of the program, Heritage Principal Steve Laatsch notes, is that Ringe acts as a role model for students.
"The kids take it seriously and they see (Ringe) as a role model that shows that you can have fun and that there are lots of things kids can do that don't involve drugs, alcohol or violence," Laatsch said.
The reason that DARE has had so much success in Saline is because of community involvement and the reiteration of information as students progress through middle and high school, Laatsch said.
"It carries over into middle school and high school because we have lots of activities that kids can do, such as SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) that they can get involved with," Laatsch said. "It really does work well in communities that support it as a whole program. Whereas in schools where DARE is only the focus in schools and not in the community, it's not as effective."
Some, though, feel that there needs to be a greater emphasis in high school. One resident, citing recent problems at the high school level, encourages the DARE program to continue into high school.
"I'd love to see it continue through the high school, where it's really badly needed because drugs have always been there and there are some serious problems coming through," said Asta Soltis, a Saline resident and parent of three DARE graduates. "I know some kids that are involved and something on the high school level is needed because kids forget."
Overall, the graduation was highly successful, according to organizers and supporters. Bunten said the program had one of its best years.
"The things that these kids learn, they can carry with them for a long time," he said. "Quite honestly, the program isn't going to help 100 percent of kids, but if we can help just a few, it's worth it to me. If you can impact just one life of one person at a time, it's very valuable."
Mike Dolsen is a freelance writer. He can be reached at mdolsen27@gmail.com.
Not all stories are guaranteed to appear
online. The Web edition contains a reasonable
sampling of the print edition stories.
For the most complete news coverage, we invite you to
subscribe
to the print edition of the paper.
Expanded
Web
Coverage
Staff Blog, "Inside The Newsroom"
TOP JOBS
