DARE has returned to Westhills Elementary School after nearly 20 years. Marshall County schools have partnered with the Sheriff’s Office to provided DARE to the 5th grade students in Marshall County.

D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. It teaches kids to make safe and responsible decisions. DARE is a 10-lesson curriculum that uses role play exercises and team activities to engage the students while they’re learning to make good decisions. DARE brings an awareness to students on subjects such as: drugs and alcohol, stressful situations, being a good citizen, resistance strategies, communicating confidently and working together to stop bullying. DARE students also had to write an essay to graduate, which also was a competition.

Top students were Justin Boyer, first; Paola Adame, second; and Kamaria Johnson third. There was also an Overall Outstanding DARE student, Cody Agent.

I was so impressed with the participation, the creativity and the talent of Westhills fifth grade students. It was truly a privilege to teach DARE to these students. I would like to thank our Sponsors for their financial contributions: Westhills Elementary, Air Evac Lifeteam, Salvation Army and Walmart. I would also like to thank Sheriff Billy Lamb, Director of Schools Jacob Sorrells and Principal Rachel Perryman. DARE would not have been possible without their support.