Blaine School District will celebrate Red Ribbon Week October 24th - 28th, with the theme Celebrate Life; Choose Hope.
In 1988, National Family Partnership (NFP) sponsored the first National Red Ribbon Celebration. Today, the Red Ribbon campaign serves as a catalyst to mobilize communities to educate youth and encourage participation in drug prevention activities. Since that time, the campaign has reached millions of U.S. children and families. The NFP and its network of individuals and organizations continue to deliver this message of hope to millions of people every year, through the National Red Ribbon Campaign™.” (www.redribbon.org)
Historically, Red Ribbon Week has been a 6th-8th grade event at Blaine, focused on drug prevention efforts. This year, we are engaging our students in all grades to create an event that focuses on our community as a whole, and how each of us plays a part in living and choosing a healthy lifestyle. Connecting with one another is one of the greatest protective factors. Engaging in positive, culture building activities, unites us as one campus and one community.
At the primary and elementary level we will focus on the protective factors that build skills and activities which promote wellness and healthy habits. We are focusing on Being Kind, looking at ways to build positive friendships, and to be upstanders when we see unsafe behaviors. We have created a fun spirit week event and activities to promote this message, as well as mentor opportunities for our older students to model positive behavior with our youngest learners.
At the middle and high school level, we will focus on finding your natural high. Focusing on Hope enables us to have conversations that are resource based instead of deficit based. What are students doing right, instead of what they are doing wrong. Reinforcing the skills, activities, pathways and connections that build resilience. Engagement in school is one of the most important protective factors, and culture building and connection to trusted adults plays a big role in creating that environment.
We encourage our students to participate in the upcoming spirit days to celebrate Red Ribbon Week and help us to Celebrate Life; Choose Hope. Posters with the spirit days for the various grade levels are available on the home page for each individual school.