By Helen Elkins
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
On Friday, January 16, the Montpelier 5th graders graduated from the 11-week D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Program.
Deputy Sheriff Paul McCord, the D.A.R.E. Officer, was joined onstage by Elementary Principal Lance Thorp, Sheriff Steve Towns, Mayor Steve Yagelski, and Lieutenant Darrell Higbie to show their support to the program and encourage the students.
It is obvious there is a comradery between the students and their D.A.R.E. officer. To see them interact is to see mutual trust, respect, admiration, and love. Deputy McCord’s charitable, humorous character surfaces the moment he encounters a student.
In his address, Deputy McCord said, “It doesn’t stop in the classroom.” The relationships he forms with the students will last a lifetime.
What the students learned will stay with them, as well, and they will always have choices to make. The hope is that the program gets them thinking critically at an early age and gives them courage to make the right decisions.
The children were asked to write essays about what they learned in the program. Three students were chosen for the best essays which, Deputy McCord’s said, “was a difficult task since so many were good.”
Winners were awarded a medal and read their essays aloud to the guests. Although they spoke about the drug awareness, the students also talked about school security, bullying, internet safety, good decision making, listening and helping others, and so much more.
In conclusion, the teachers passed out the completion certificates, and the graduating students received a handshake and congratulations from the attending authorities before collecting their certificates.
D.A.R.E. is a wonderful program and a way to prepare the children for the future. As the t-shirt says, “Keep calm and D.A.R.E. on!”
Helen may be reached at
publisher@thevillagereporter.com