The Shadow
CONGRATULATIONS, SON — Falling Spring Elementary School fifth grader Nicholas Mann, right, gets a hug from his dad, Trooper Allen Mann of the Virginia State Police, during the schools DARE graduation ceremony. (Gavin Dressler Photo)
CONGRATULATIONS, SON — Falling Spring Elementary School fifth grader Nicholas Mann, right, gets a hug from his dad, Trooper Allen Mann of the Virginia State Police, during the schools DARE graduation ceremony. (Gavin Dressler Photo)
PRESENTS T-SHIRT — Cpl. Chris Fisher of the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office, DARE instructor for the Alleghany County School System, presents a DARE t-shirt to Mary Hutchison, secretary at Boling Spring Elementary Schoo, making her a member of the DARE “Operation Elimination” team. Hutchison retired as BSES secretary at the end of the school year. (Gavin Dressler Photo)
PRESENTS T-SHIRT — Cpl. Chris Fisher of the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office, DARE instructor for the Alleghany County School System, presents a DARE t-shirt to Mary Hutchison, secretary at Boling Spring Elementary Schoo, making her a member of the DARE “Operation Elimination” team. Hutchison retired as BSES secretary at the end of the school year. (Gavin Dressler Photo)
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Operation Elimination is in full swing in Alleghany County.
That motto was the theme this year for the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program in the Alleghany County School System, and fifth graders who completed the program this year are ready to carry out that mission.
The program helps students learn about the dangers of substance abuse, violence and negative peer pressure. The course was taught by Cpl. Chris Fisher of the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office.
The students celebrated their completion of the program by holding graduation ceremonies in which they received certificates of achievement.
Graduation ceremonies were held at Boiling Spring, Sharon, Falling Spring, Callaghan and Mountain View elementary schools.
The ceremonies were bittersweet occasions at two of the schools. The ceremonies at Boiling Spring and Falling Spring marked the last-ever DARE graduations for the two schools. Earlier this year, the Alleghany County School Board voted to close the two schools at the end of the school year due to budgetary constraints.
Ceremonies at Boiling Spring and Falling Spring each included a power-point chronicling the year in DARE. A balloon release was also held after both ceremonies.
Ironically, Cpl. Fisher noted during the Boiling Spring ceremony that he taught his first-ever DARE class there, filling in for then-instructor Barry Rose.
“This is a special place,” he said.
In attendance at the ceremonies were family members and friends of the graduates, representatives of the Alleghany County School System and the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office. Fourth grade classes from each school also attended.
The DARE program began in Los Angeles in 1983, implemented by then-LAPD Chief Daryl Gates. It is now taught in every state in the U.S. and to over 36 million children in 44 different countries.
The program expanded to Virginia in 1986, and the Alleghany County School System began teaching DARE in the 1991-92 school year. Trooper Jim Hooper of the Virginia State Police was the first Alleghany County DARE instructor.
Master Trooper Gene Ayers of the Virginia State Police, state DARE coordinator, noted to students at Callaghan that over 2 million Virginia students have graduated from DARE since 1986.
“You guys are becoming a member of a family,” he said.
As part of the program’s curriculum, each student is required to write an essay on the dangers of substance abuse, violence and peer pressure, and what DARE has meant to them. The essays were judged and winners were selected from each school. Each essay winner received a trophy and read their essay aloud during their respective graduations.
Winners included Savannah Gwinn, Colton Hoke, Dylan Tucker and Kaylee Wright, Boiling Spring; Jessie Nicely and River Nicely, Sharon; Casandra Bartley, David Donnan, Michael Dunaway and Rebecca Redmon, Falling Spring; Meghan Cash and Bernard Kasozi, Callaghan; and Jose Arreguin, Jasmine Mullins, Tiffany Perry and Emily White, Mountain View.
Cpl. Fisher also presented certificates of recognition at each school. Certificates were presented to school principals, secretaries, custodians, fifth grade teachers and each school’s Parent-Teacher Organization.
Fisher also presented certificates to the Boiling Spring and Falling Spring communities, hoping that each would be displayed in a prominent place within each community.
Each graduation also featured a keynote speaker. Speakers included Covington Mayor Tom Sibold, Boiling Spring; Sgt. Tony Nicely of the Virginia State Police, Sharon; Trooper Allen Mann of the Virginia State Police, Falling Spring; Master Trooper Ayers, Callaghan; and Seth Bradley, Mountain View. Bradley is a 2012 graduate of Alleghany High School where he was a standout three-sport athlete. He is currently a student at Roanoke College.
Each of the five speakers emphasized the importance of making good choices and resisting negative peer pressure.
When you go to your new school, you may run into some people who may encourage you to make the wrong choices,” said Sibold. “Remember what you learned here. Say no all the time.
“Don’t pick up the first one, and you don’t have to worry about the next one. That’s the one that’s going to hurt you,” he continued.
“The decisions you make today, you will live with tomorrow,” said Trooper Nicely at Sharon. “They are very important.
“Hold yourself accountable for the decisions you make,” he continued. “Have courage when you make decisions.”
“Peer pressure is one of the biggest things you guys are going to face,” said Trooper Mann. “There’s only one person you have to worry about impressing, and that’s you.”
Mann also talked about the glorification of alcohol use in popular culture. “These kids have so many pressures put on them – by their friends, by what’s on TV. We have to teach these kids that that (alcohol use) is not the norm.”
Trooper Ayers emphasized to Callaghan students the importance of applying the knowledge they learned in DARE class to their lives. “Put it here,” said Ayers, pointing to his heart, and “put it here,” he said, pointing to his head. “Put it to work.”
Bradley mentioned how being involved in extra-curricular activities helped him to resist peer pressure. “Try to stay involved in anything possible,” he said. “Stay away from bad people and do stuff that’s going to keep you involved.”
Following the presentation of certificates to students, Cpl. Fisher led the fifth graders in a special song sent out “to all the drug dealers in Alleghany County.” Fisher and students clapped their hands and stomped their feet as they offered up a version of Queen’s “We Will Rock You”, singing, instead, “We will STOP you!”
Students at Boiling Spring Elementary School who completed the DARE program include Hope Arthur, Julia Bell, Kameryn Bowen, Jayme Bradshaw, Whitney Brookman, Savannah Gwinn, Justin Hall, Jurie Harmon, Colton Hoke, Karissa Persinger, Jaelene Reyes, Ryland Smith, Dylan Tucker, Kaylee Wright.
Students at Sharon Elementary School completing the DARE program included Jessica Atkins, Victoria Baird, Hannah Brady, Cassie Brogan, Chevy Brown, Selena Conboy, McKinzie Craft, Travis Fridley, Thomas Hammond, Hannah Humphries, Caleb Keyser.
Also: Keely Lowman, Trevor Maydian, Jordan Nelson, Emma Nicely, Jessie Nicely, Kailyn Nicely, River Nicely, Noah Smith, Abigail Stinnett, Faith Thompson, Gabe Wooldridge.
Students at Falling Spring Elementary School who completed DARE included Casandra Bartley, Chase Bartley, Kathryn Burgess, Kerry Ann Byer, Christian Castillo, Isabella D’Arpa, Karah Dobson, David Donnan, Michael Dunaway, Ethan Fertig, Drew Hayslett, Joshua Hoffman, Kristopher Humphries, Rachel Kinsey, Allison Landis, Jackson Lewis.
Also: Nicholas Mann, Hunter McCauley, John “Mitch” Mitchell, Branden Persinger, David Austin Persinger, Dusten Persinger, Cody Ramsey, Rebekah Redmon, Sarah “Maggie” Rooklin, Stone Russell, Ethan Tingler, Kyle Tucker, Jack Watson, John Williams, Joshua Woodie.
Students at Callaghan Elementary School completing DARE included Tristan Campbell, Meghan Cash, Ethan Fawcett, Johnathon Fortescue, Tristan Hall, Kiersten Mundy, Bryce O’Conner, Remington Propps, James Ruff, Dylan Tucker, Victoria Wright.
Also: Shayla Armentrout, Emily Bartley, Jacob Clarke, Tyler Dial, Rebecca Gibson, Triston Hensley, Morgan Hoylman, Bernard Kasozi, Kyler Nagel, Alexander Perdue, Robert Reynolds, Tre’Jean Wright.
Students at Mountain View Elementary School competing DARE were Jose Arreguin, Carlee Bates, Derek Benoit, Brandon Biggs, Tatiana Bolden, Brian Broughman, Elaysia Burdette, Claudia Caruthers, Harry Christian, Austyn Christman, Isaac Craft, Zachary Crizer, Carlee Elmore, Naomi Forbes.
Also: Zachary Freels, Jack Gerber, Hannah Gibson, Tahira Godfrey, Victor Goldberg, Jasmine Graham, Nicole Gray, Adriana Grinstead, Donte Grinstead, Matthew Gusler, Logan Hall, Gabriel Halsey, Madison Hayslett, Abby Hicks, Connor Hoke, Nathaniel Holloway, Brandon Hutcheson.
Also: Isaac Kimberlin, Chase Lanahan, Griffin Lane, Samantha Lawson, Abygail Leandro, Elizabeth Lee, Darian Lefler-Coles, Tarryn Luckett, Shannon Mangarell, Adrin Marshall, Jordan Marshall, Marshall McCallister, Gage McCallister, Willow McDonald, Emily Meadows, Madison Meadows, Victoria Meeks, Macie Miller, Jasmine Mullins.
Also: Dakota Narum, Terrill Neal-Greene, Savannah Nichols, Cody Ouimette, Tiffany Perry, Daylin Pinkston, Xavier Reed, Abigail Reynolds, Adrianna Reynolds, Breeze Riley, Emme Romain, Aisha Roman, Khloe Shamblin, Tristan Smith.
Also: Jasmine Thornton, Hannah Tingler, Kenneth Tucker, Abbigail Via, Lauren Vicey, Amia Washington, Emily White, Olivia Wilhelm, Bayleigh Williamson, RaeTraevon Winston, Madison Wiseman, Ivy Witchey.
