Christina Antonelli (above) reads her essay on “What D.A.R.E. means to me” under the watchful eyes of coordinator Officer Steve Brown of the Ogden police force. According to Christina: “I learned what the consequences were of taking drugs. I learned how to say no in different ways to different pressures.” Christina was one of the speakers at the D.A.R.E. graduation ceremony held April 11 at the William Munn School in Ogden. D.A.R.E. (Drug and Alcohol Resistance Education) courses taught in Spencerport elementary schools, St. John the Evangelist School in Spencerport and at Churchville-Chili’s Fairbanks Road School, conclude with official graduation ceremonies including student skits and the reading of essays about the impact of the program on students.

Officer Steve Brown gives a graphic illustration of how a drug problem can grow and be a burden, first carrying his 6-year old daughter, Rachel, then 6th grader A.J. Thomas. Photographs by Walter Horylev.

Students share a few thoughts about D.A.R.E.

At the completion of each D.A.R.E. course, students write essays about what they have learned. A few of the essayists read their work at the D.A.R.E. graduation. These are two recently presented.

What D.A.R.E. means to me
by Christina Antonelli
Munn School, Spencerport

D.A.R.E. means alot to me. I have learned so much. If we didn’t have D.A.R.E. then I wouldn’t know as much as I do now. Learning about what drugs can do to you will make a difference when someone asks me to take drugs.

I learned what the consequences were of taking drugs. I learned how to say no in different ways to different pressures. I learned that if you do activities and keep yourself busy that will give you something to do and keep your mind off of drugs. I learned that having a high self-esteem can help. I learned you have to be assertive when telling someone “no.” I learned about stress and stressors. I learned the negatives of using drugs and the positives of not using drugs. I learned the reasons I shouldn’t take drugs and why I don’t. I learned giving a compliment can help anyone. I learned how to deal with stress. I learned stranger danger. I learned gun safety. I saw pictures to help me see and learn and understand better. I learned that I can have fun in D.A.R.E.

It is important to be drug-free because it will interfere with the rest of my life. I have too much to be thankful for. I am so blessed, with my school, my teachers, my friends, my family, my D.A.R.E. teacher. I don’t want to give it up for drugs. I only have one life and I’m going to live it the best I can.

My goal is to be the best person I can be.

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What D.A.R.E. means to me
by Amy Weise
Terry Taylor School, Spencerport

What does D.A.R.E. mean to me? It means importance, achieving goals, trust and learning about good and bad. I think D.A.R.E. is a great way of learning. We learned a lot of things about “drugs” and saying “no.” We also learned a lot about drug abuse, the consequences of doing something, pressure, peer pressure, self esteem, assertiveness, stress, stressors, violence, media, risk taking, and a lot of other important things that everyone needs to know about.

We should all know that doing drugs is not cool, or safe because we are “special” and we are “unique” in our own special way. We have the “right” to be treated with care and understanding. We have the “freedom” to say no to drugs. We have the “faith” to be ourselves. I have the right to learn. I have the right to be safe.

You need to use your “guts” to tell people to say no to drugs like tobacco, marijuana, and all different kinds of drugs. Think about it. The main thing that you have to say “no” to is smoking and drinking. It’s your choice. We do all kinds of drills about saying no. Smoking can injure you and can also kill you at a young age. We also watched alot of movies about smoking and drinking. We also looked at ads in magazines, that try to attract us to buy something.

Through D.A.R.E., I believe I have become a good decision maker and a believer that I can be a responsible person every day of my life. If I am strong, I can help others be strong in their beliefs, too.

Thank you for D.A.R.E. And also for my awesome D.A.R.E. teacher, Officer Brown.