Macks Creek School recently held a Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Graduation Ceremony for this year’s sixth grade class. DARE is a Police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teaches children how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives. The Macks Creek School District is grateful to the Camden County Sheriff’s Department for making this highly engaging twelve-week experience available to our students every year!
We are also grateful to Deputy Jamee Rugen for her willingness to serve as our DARE Officer and work with a new class of students each year. Deputy Rugen shared:
DARE focuses on ways to help kids make good, smart decisions. It also gives them options on how to say ‘no’ to things and who they can go to if they need help or think someone else needs help. DARE also provides law enforcement officers an outstanding platform to work with and get to know kids in our communities. It also helps build positive relationships between deputies, the community, staff and students.
At this year’s ceremony, Lt. Chad Bailey welcomed the students. Lt. Arlene Page, Community Resource Officer Kris Keeth, School Resource Officer Trey Scott as well as the department’s K-9 (Otis) were also in attendance to encourage the students. In turn, this group presented diplomas and official DARE T-shirts to each graduate. Guest Speaker, Mr. Jasen Jones, the hotel and marketing director for Old Kinderhook, shared personal examples from his life and challenged the students to continue to resist peer pressure and stay drug and alcohol free.
Each year after going through the program, students are asked to author an essay summarizing the DARE experience and discuss the negative impacts of drugs and alcohol. Deputy Rugen selects two outstanding essays to be shared with the graduates at the ceremony. This year Eva Willis and Marlie Sowder were selected to share their essays. Both girls also received a stuffed DARE Mascot, nicknamed “Daren” in appreciation of their effort. Madison Moos was also recognized for the most outstanding DARE Workbook.
Macks Creek School would like to congratulate the DARE Graduating Class of 2021! We expect they will make the most of their DARE Training by making positive life choices.
Deputy Rugen addressing this year's DARE graduates and guests.
Lt. Bailey gives opening remarks.
Eva Willis shares her DARE essay as Marlie Sowder waits to share her essay.
Eva and Marlie both received 'Daren" Mascots.
Madison Moos received a "mini-Daren" for the most outstanding DARE workbook.
The entire DARE Graduating Class of 2021