Books, not Drugs"

MARY B. AUSTIN

RED RIBBON WEEK

10/26/09 - 10/30/09

"Get Hooked on

MONDAY - "Drug Free, the Write Way to Be" - Teachers will get red pencils with a drug free message in their boxes/hand delivered for each student.  Please use these to: 

K-2 - Discuss Red Ribbon Week/today's theme - play on words/intended meaning

3-5 - Write something with a Drug Free theme - i.e. with today's theme as your starter/topic or, using the weekly theme, students could write about a book or a few books of the same type.

TUESDAY - Decoration Day - The counselor will solicit all the help she can get in hanging red ribbons all over campus.  For your Red Ribbon activity today, please feel free to decorate your door with a Red Ribbon theme.  The lower grades could make a banner showing each child's signature or thumbprint as their pledge to be Drug Free.  The upper grades can make a display outside of their Red Ribbon writings from Monday.  Those classes on each level with the best displays on Friday will get an extra Red Ribbon treat!  

WEDNESDAY - Wear Red Day - Each teacher will find a class set of Red Ribbons in their boxes.  Please encourage students to wear their ribbons, their red uniform shirt, or even red socks!  The K-2 students will be having a Drug Free presentation by McGruff and 3-5 will have another more age appropriate one on this morning between 8:30 - 11 a.m.  ( Specific schedule forthcoming!)

THURSDAY - "Grow to Be Drug Free" - Today we will take home the bookmarks from the Drug Ed. Council that came with seeds on them (from your boxes).  All week during counseling please bring your students to their designated area (K-2 - in the courtyard closest to the cafeteria and 3-5 - under Old Ann) to participate in the planting of Forget-Me-Not seeds provided by the Drug Education Council.  We will take pictures of the students sowing their seeds and sprinkling topsoil over them.  We will have to wait until spring for blooming, but I wanted to be sure they were sown this week.  This will be symbolic of how we have to stay Drug Free today to be sure we realize our dreams of the future - delayed gratification!  Our bookmarks will help us remember and keep our place while we grow.

FRIDAY - "Better Things to do Than Drugs" - Our Drug Free theme on this day will highlight our Fabulous Fall Festival as just one of the things we can do to have more fun than we could ever have on drugs!  Take time this week to talk about how people use drugs to escape and how books can help people escape and learn everything they ever need/wanted to know.  I have the Red Ribbon story in my office.  It's somewhat lengthy (best for 3-5), but a cute addition to the week's theme if you would like to borrow it. There will be small/class prizes for the winning Drug Free displays and books/bookmarks to be won at the festival to add to the fun drug free activities du jour.