DARE Breakfast Welcomed Fifth Grade Parents

By Eliza Hallabeck

DARE Officer Gladys Pisani and District Health Coordinator Judy Blanchard welcomed fifth grade parents to Reed Intermediate School on Tuesday, November 30, for a breakfast to introduce and explain the program to the gathered parents.

DARE, as Officer Pisani explained, “is a partnership between the school, police, and parents, because we feel the three as a whole really make a strong message.”

The DARE program is taught to roughly 26 million students each year, according to Officer Pisani. At Reed, DARE is part of the curriculum, and it has been taught in Newtown since 1989, she said. It is funded through the Newtown Police Department.

Officer Pisani said some topics covered in the DARE program include how to say “No,” how to act assertively, how to make good decisions, the influence of the media, peer pressure and ways to resist it, and ways to be a good citizen.

“We also stress not to put anything in your body that doesn’t belong in the body,” said Officer Pisani. “If we use the product the way they are supposed to be used, it will be fine.”

Ms Blanchard said a survey completed by Newtown students has shown an increase in some forms of drug and alcohol use, while other forms have shown a decrease over the years.

“It used to be that kids would start with tobacco,” said Ms Blanchard, “and the student’s first access would be the parents.”

Now tobacco use is down, and alcohol use is rising with or without parent permission, according to Ms Blanchard. Perceptions on drug and alcohol use reported by the students can also be misleading in the survey, according to Ms Blanchard. Prescription drug misuse is also increasing, according to the survey results.

Drug use can be a complicated subject to discuss with a child, as Ms Blanchard and Officer Pisani told the parents. For instance, when discussing the improper use of inhalants, Ms Blanchard said it can be difficult to not give the student ideas.

“Be careful,” said Ms Blanchard, “because we don’t want to teach any how-tos.”

With her own children, Ms Blanchard said, she found using news events as talking points helpful.

In DARE, students must complete an essay to graduate, and at the culminating graduation two students are selected to read their winning essay entries. This year’s DARE graduation will include all DARE graduating fifth grade students, and will be scheduled for June. In the past, the graduation ceremony was held for each rotation of the DARE fifth grade program.

Both Officer Pisani and Ms Blanchard said it is good for students to know they have a safety net in their parents or role models, and recommended having a plan in the event the student finds themselves in an uncomfortable situation, like a party or outing where alcohol or drugs are introduced.

Ms Blanchard also recommended parents be clear on any expectations to which the the students will be held.

“Studies have shown parents who talk to their children [in an open and honest manner],” said Ms Blanchard, “have students who use about 50 percent less.”

For more information on the DARE program, or if parents have questions, both Officer Pisani and Ms Blanchard said parents can contact them at pisanij@newtown.k12.ct.us or blanchardj@newtown.k12.ct.us.