Stratton students raise Drug Awareness

By Ken Johnston
Editor

The grade 7/8 class at Our Lady of the Way School in Stratton received a message about drugs from the O.P.P. and then turned around and used it to help deliver the message to the public.
Two weeks ago Ontario Provincial Police Community Services Officer Anne McCoy visited the class to talk about the effects of drugs on people and how to make healthy choices and have healthy relationships. She then challenged the students to create a poster from that information delivering an anti-drug message to the public. She took the kids’s posters to the Rainy River Valley Substance Abuse Prevention Team (SAPT) board meeting who then judged them.
“SAPT board members were really impressed with your posters,” McCoy told the class on Thursday. “They are happy that you are getting the message and helping to get their message out there.” In fact SAPT was so excited they donated a t-shirt for a prize. That coupled with a donated basket of goodies from Cloverleaf Grocery in Emo, the top two posters were honoured Thursday.
Coming in 1st was Nathan Zimmerman and 2nd was Kayle Stamler. Zimmerman showed graphics of drugs, cigarettes and alcohol on his poster and encouraged people to stay away from them. Stamler also had a strong message using the letters in DRUGS. D-don’t do it, R-they are wRong, U-you can do better, G-they are gross, and S-they are so wrong. Zimmerman won the basket and Stamler the t-shirt and an eraser.
McCoy had each of them come to the front of the room and explain their posters. She then gave every participating student OPP tattoos, rulers and pencils. The entire class then posed with the winners and their posters.
McCoy is planning to hold this same program throughout the district, noting she will be at Riverview School next Tuesday in Rainy River and then at Robert Moore School on Feb. 27th in Fort Frances. “This program is completely separate from DARE but compliments it,” explained McCoy.