This week our fifth graders graduated from Scotts Valley Police Department’s D.A.R.E. program. In this 10-week program Officer Mike Birley taught our fifth graders accurate information about alcohol and drugs, taught them decision-making skills, showed them how to resist peer pressure, and gave our students ideas for alternatives to drug use and violence.
The Scotts Valley Police Department D.A.R.E. program’s primary mission is to provide children with the information and skills they need to live drug and violence-free lives. Through D.A.R.E. they establish positive relationships between students and law enforcement, teachers, parents, and other community leaders. D.A.R.E.’s innovative and highly effective curriculum was developed by Los Angeles Unified School District health education specialists. D.A.R.E. officers receive 80 hours of special training to be equipped with all the tools they need to teach a course in drug resistance and violence avoidance techniques.
At the end of their 10-week program each fifth grader is asked to write an essay about what they learned in the D.A.R.E. program. Two essay winners are chosen to read their essays in the graduation ceremony. Special guests at this year’s graduation included Officer Mike Birley, Chief Steve Walpole, Sergeant Wayne Bellville, Officer Paul Lopez, Lieutenant John Wilson, Officer Meredith Roberts, retired SVPD and former mayor Donna Lind, and school principal Steve Patterson. Thank you all for investing in our students!
