COLLABORATION WITH NS-CASA
North Shore Celebrates Red Ribbon Week
The North Shore Central School District collaborated with NS-CASA to celebrate Red Ribbon Week October 24th-28th. Red Ribbon Week is the largest substance abuse prevention initiative in the nation, reaching millions of young people annually. The Red Ribbon serves as a catalyst to mobilize communities to educate youth and encourage participation in drug prevention activities. The goal was to lead and support our families and community in nurturing the full potential of healthy, drug free youth, while celebrating life drug free!
“Adam Birkenstock, Director of Programming at the Long Island Council Against Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, spoke with 7th and 9th graders to educate them on the dangers of substance use, refusal skills and healthy decision making”, said Counseling Director, Mr. Dan Doherty, “Mr. Birkenstock will be presenting to the 4th and 5th graders in the coming weeks on the dangers of vaping and healthy coping skills.”
Some other activities that took place during Red Ribbon Week included:
- Middle School health students under the supervision of Mr. Richter and Mr. McKee planted red flower bulbs outside the new main entrance that will bloom in the Spring. This is a reminder of the beauty of a drug free life.
- The NS-CASA youth ambassadors manned a table in the cafeteria during lunch periods where students and staff could answer substance related trivia questions for an opportunity to spin the wheel to win a prize. The table was a revolving door of students and staff.
- Throughout the week drug facts developed by the NS-CASA youth ambassadors were shared on the monitors at the high school. Click here to see the slides. K-8 students and staff participated in theme days related to making healthy choices. Teachers and staff created slides showing how they celebrate life free and these were shown on the monitors as well.
Mr. Dan Doherty concluded by saying, “It was a wonderful week focused on healthy decision making and educating students on the harmful effects of substance use. The district is so thankful for our partnership with NS-CASA and all that they do for the North Shore community.” The North Shore School District has a contract with LICADD and will continue to offer substance prevention programming throughout the year for all grade levels.
Article and photos submitted by Mr. Dan Doherty, Director of Counseling