JEFF GRANIT staff Lafayette Mills School, Manalapan, pupils had a chance to wear sports jerseys to school during Red Ribbon Week. The jerseys displayed the teamwork it takes to stay away from drugs and to pursue a healthy lifestyle. Assistant Principal Melanie Shelley (back right) is joined by (front row, l-r) Samir Ibrahim, Hannah Conroy, Brendan Potash and Mike De- Baere; and (back row, l-r) Joseph Castelli and Lisa Klauber. MANALAPAN – Red ribbons were all aflutter at the Lafayette Mills School as students celebrated Red Ribbon Week, Oct. 22-26.
The week started with “Wear Red Day” when the student body of 512 fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade pupils were asked to wear something red and received their red ribbons and a red pencil.
“The red pencil was for the students to sign a pledge to live a drug-free life,” said Melanie Shelley, assistant principal. “Also, there was a Red Ribbon Walk when students walked a trail around the school’s campus to symbolize that they were walking away from drugs.”
Shelly explained that the walk-a-thon measuring three-quarters of a mile was sponsored by the school’s PTA and supervised by teachers and parents as they cheered the students along the way to the finish line. Representatives from Greater Media’s WRAT-FM and its Rat mascot were present and provided music for the walk. Manalapan’s municipal access station, TV 77, captured some of the events, too.
Shelley said the entire school community, including Principal Gregory Duffy, came together for this event and all of the week’s activities to promote the importance of being drug-free and to instill selfesteem in the pupils.
“Put a Cap on Drugs” Tuesday had students wearing their favorite hat to symbolize their drug-free outlook. On Wednesday, “United We Stand for a Drug- Free Land Day” found the student body and staff decked out in red, white and blue standing together as a patriotic community to fight against drugs.
On Thursday, “Team Up Against Drugs Day” allowed students to wear a favorite sports team shirt to reinforce teamwork in staying away from drugs and to go forward to a healthy lifestyle. On Friday, “Drugs and I Don’t Mix Day” capped off the week with students wearing mismatched shoes to show their belief in staying drug-free.
In keeping with the shoes theme, fifthgrade teacher Stacey Weiss designed a project that had each student and family decorating a sneaker to reiterate the idea that we are “walking away from drugs” as a school and a family. The decorated sneakers were displayed in classrooms and in the hallways.
Also, fourth-grade pupils, Shelley said, participated in an anti-drug folder decorating contest sponsored by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey with this year’s theme, “Fun Things To Do Instead of Doing Drugs.”
Shelley said that throughout the week pupils wore numbered red ribbons with the message, “Show Good Character, Stay Drug-Free.” Each day a number was called the during morning announcements and the student who had that number received a prize from the principal. The prizes came teachers and parents.
On Friday the students took a drugfree, anti-violence pledge during the morn ing announcements that are broadcast live over Lafayette Mills Television, the school’s television station.
Students were asked to write comments about Red Ribbon Week. Brendan Potash, fourth grade, wrote “Red Ribbon Week meant that you should never take drugs. It taught you that drugs are bad for you.” Also in fourth grade, Joseph Castelli wrote, “Red Ribbon Week is important to me because I pledged to have a good life. I want a life with no drugs, but a lot of exercise.”
Hannah Conroy, fourth grade, penned “Don’t even start (taking drugs) because it is very hard to quit. It was a blast to focus on drug-free activities.” Michael Debaere, fifth grade, commented, “Red Ribbon Week was awesome. I love it because it helps us to know that drugs are bad. I told my mom that I’m never going to take drugs.” Sixth-grader Samir Ibraham wrote, “It felt great to walk (in the walk-athon) around the school because I was supporting a drug-free and non-violent world.”
“Awareness and prevention are the focus of these anti-drug activities,” said Shelley. “It’s not only during Red Ribbon Week, but throughout the year as well.”
She said the Manalapan police present anti-drug programs at the school and character education messages and safety awareness are broadcast during the daily morning announcements.
“Each month we celebrate a specific character education trait,” she said. “October’s trait was responsibility.”
Shelley said 2007 marked the sixth year that Lafayette Mills School has participated in Red Ribbon Week and she is grateful for everyone who participated and helped, including the teachers on this year’s Red Ribbon Committee who volunteered to coordinate the activities.
The members of the Red Ribbon Week committee were Laura Bradley, the school’s resource teacher, and fourth grade teachers Michele Avidon, Heather Schultz, Lisa Fiorello and Danielle Donadio.
Red Ribbon Week is a national drug prevention campaign for schools, organizations and individuals that usually takes place during the third full week of October. Wearing a red ribbon symbolizes a person’s opposition to drug abuse and honors the memory of Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, and all who died while fighting against illegal drugs