Fox Lane High School and Fox Lane Middle School recently celebrated the nation’s oldest and longest drug prevention program: Red Ribbon Week.
The Student Assistance Counselors Angela Alvarado, for the high school, and Annemarie Feddeck, for the middle school, and their Youth 2 Youth clubs led schoolwide prevention activities to raise awareness on living a healthy, drug-free life.
Students and staff had many opportunities to get involved. Each morning, both school communities learned something about Red Ribbon Week and/or a drug-related fact. Students also received red ribbons to wear after pledging to be drug-free.
“The best part of the Red Ribbon Week festivities is the student pledges,” said junior Aulona Demehasaj. “We sit at a table in our school’s common area during lunch periods and students come up and pledge to be drug-free or to hold off on an addiction to something else — like maybe caffeine — for a week. It makes me happy to see so many kids come up and put their minds to something healthy for their mind and body.”
Sophomore Emily McCarthy agreed.
“My favorite part of the week's activities was — and always is — the student pledges,” she said. “I love to see the number of students pledging to be drug-free. It’s heartbreaking to know the number of people in the world who suffer from addiction, but to see students pledging to be drug-free for even a week is truly moving.”
At the high school during physical education periods, students participated in an annual kickball tournament with the message “Kick the Negativity Out of Your Life” and an obstacle course with the message “Overcoming Obstacles in Your Life.” MVPs received prizes and giveaways. On Wednesday, students and staff wore red to honor Red Ribbon Week.
At the middle school, students participated in various activities during lunch periods. They played a memory game with drug facts, did a Red Ribbon-themed crossword puzzle, learned peer refusal strategies and participated in kahoots. Students won prizes and candy for participating.
“I can frankly say that the Red Ribbon Week festivities have definitely made an impact on me throughout my years in high school,” Aulona said. “I believe that the event itself is important as we are able to heavily promote healthy lifestyles and drug-free activities to an easily impacted group of young people. Teens and children are the most impressionable; so it's really important that we show them what Red Ribbon Week is all about and that we make an impact on them early on.”
Emily was impressed with how many people already knew what Red Ribbon Week was.
“It showed me that when we do all of these activities and speak about what Red Ribbon Week is, students are listening and taking it in,” she said. “I think that Red Ribbon Week has impacted students’ lives.”
Alvarado and Feddeck hope that the week’s activities help to drive home the point that the choices students make now can affect the rest of their lives — and that choosing to live drug-free is a positive thing.
“I think it’s important for students to understand making healthy choices at this age can help deter them from a life-long struggle with addiction,” Alvarado said. “I also think it’s important to remind students that there are many options for dealing with their stress and struggles. Making the choice to live drug-free will help them learn how to cope with those challenges in a positive, healthy way.”
If you have any questions or concerns about your child, want more information about the Student Assistance Program or Youth 2 Youth club or need referral information, please contact Annemarie Feddeck for the middle school at (914) 241-6026 or afeddeck.811@bcsdny.org or Angela Alvarado for the high school at (914) 241-6050 or aalavardo0823@bcsdny.org.
