Red Ribbon Week emphasizes support from teachers, parents

MADISON – Like other Madison campuses, Liberty Middle School is observing Red Ribbon Week with a more powerful message than “Just Say No.”

Red bows surround Liberty Middle School for Red Ribbon Week. (RECORD PHOTO/GREGG PARKER)

“We’ll spend the week (Oct. 28 – Nov. 1) trying to make a memorable impression on students to make healthy choices,” Liberty Principal Nelson Brown said. “We want what is learned from the activities to stick with the students.”

“Liberty works really hard to have a relationship with our students,” counselor Karen Clayton said. “We all work together to make Liberty an inviting and fun place. Everyone participates, including custodians, office staff and paraprofessionals.”

Students need to feel supported and valued, Clayton said. “We want them to make healthy, safe choices.”

For theme days at Liberty, Oct. 28 was “Put a Cap on Drugs Day” for everyone to wear hats. Other themes were “Stay in the Game” with sports team shirts, “Sock it to Drugs” with outlandish footwear, “School Pride” with Liberty Lion shirts and “Too Smart to Start” for college apparel.

Liberty will host a brown bag lunch for parents with Detective Stephen Reaves from Madison Police Department. On Oct. 31 at 11:30 a.m. in the library, Reaves will discuss prescription drug abuse and Madison’s drug culture.

Devonee Woods, Liberty PTA vice president, is coordinating Red Ribbon Week.

Starting in elementary school, drug education must be ongoing for students to understand drugs’ dangers and reasons for abstinence, Clayton said.

“Middle-school years mark the apex of peer interaction. Students turn to their peers at this age and away from adults,” Clayton said. “Truly, their friends are the center of their world.”

However, parents remain the child’s most influential force, Clayton said. “Parents must make it clear what they expect, their rules and role play to handle situations.

For example, parents can use a code word for the family to have a planned reaction. “Children need to practice how to extricate themselves from sticky situations,” Clayton said. “You never want it easier to say, ‘Yes’ and participate … than to say, ‘No.'”