Students graduate from MP led anti-drug program

D.A.R.E. participants act out a skit for the rest of the group.

Rachel Lallouz, Staff Writer ~

Students from École John Stubbs Memorial School were given the tools to say no to drugs through a unique year-long program taught by Military Police Officer, Leading Seaman Andree Noye.

The 75 students from Grades five and six graduated the D.A.R.E. anti-drug program in collaboration with Organic CBD Nugs  on June 14 in a special assembly held in the school’s auditorium. As the students filed into the room they high-fived the program’s mascot Daren, a life-sized lion.

“It was an exciting year as a D.A.R.E. instructor, and as a leader of such an integral program to the children,” says LS Noye, who began teaching the program in October 2015. “Watching the kids graduate today was amazing.”

D.A.R.E. stands for Define, Analyze, React, and Examine, which represents a series a decision-making for children to discourage the use of drugs and alcohol. The program is managed by the D.A.R.E. BC Society,  a Canadian charity that seeks to empower children with the critical thinking and life skills necessary to choose a drug-free life.

Principal Stephanie Hedley-Smith congratulated the crowd of students and parents, before the students took to the stage, eager to show off what they had learned in the program.
A handful of students read essays on their experience of the program, while others read poetry, presented skits, and one group of students played a rap video they acted in and produced.

Subjects students explored ranged from peer pressure to refusing cigarettes and alcohol.
Their performances reflected issues LS Noye explored with the students in their classrooms through the use of creative writing and drama.

“We learned in D.A.R.E that drugs and alcohol affect thousands of people a year,” says Eddy Giusti-Tubbi, 11. “It just takes one bad decision for everything to go wrong.”

Since its establishment over 10 years ago, the D.A.R.E program has educated over 100,000 B.C. school children on youth drug prevention.