Towamensing students observe Red Ribbon Week
Fifth grade students at Towamensing Elementary show off their tie-dye shirts. Front row, left to right: Selena Chamberlain, Brooke Rutkowitz, Kayla Cooper, Lillian Stein, Erin Gombert, Ella Baumgardt, Emma Garambone, Emma Fugazzotto, Brandon Manginelli. Second row: Theresa Pursell, Trevor Anthony, Corey Serfass, Dillon Lombardi, Faith Rudalavage, Adrianna Fugazzotto, Macy DiDario, Hailey Delgado, Sean Jahelka. Third row: Madison Rea, Chiara Sell, Riley Bonser, Ilana Mujevic, Mason George, Zane Himmelwright, Ashlynn Anthony. JARRAD HEDES/TIMES NEWS
Educating kids on the pitfalls associated with rampant drug and alcohol use starts at an early age.
Towamensing Elementary educators are doing their part through the promotion of Red Ribbon Week, a nationwide movement to remind students that it is not a healthy choice to use and abuse drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
“I think it’s an important week and an important message to spread because there are drug and alcohol issues in our community and any community, so the earlier we can make students aware of the dangers associated with those things, the better,” said Stacey Olewine, one of Towamensing’s student council advisers along with counselor Jodi Kocher. “That education really has to start here at this level.”
To mark Red Ribbon Week recently, student council members including Cora Wentz, Trace Stahler, Nicole Kester, Cece Pyfer and Cody Walkowiak handed out stickers to their fellow students and each day had its own theme including “Give Drugs The Boot Day,” “Pink or Red Day,” “Dress Like A Teacher Day” and “Tie-Dye Day.”
“It was great to see everyone participate in the themed days,” said Wentz. “A lot of the kids were happy and excited and you could see that as they wore boots on Monday or tie-dye on Thursday. It was also really rewarding to see how everyone supported Family Promise.”
During each of its Spirit Weeks, Towamensing students raise money for a different charitable organization in the community. This week, Family Promise was the recipient of the funds.
The fundraising was the highlight of the week for Stahler, Kester and Pyfer.
“We’re still counting, but we had over $200 and it’s likely we’re going to be close or over $300 now,” said Stahler. “I really liked how everyone continued to donate throughout the week. Some people donated multiple times and that is really awesome.”
Walkowiak hopes the lasting message of Red Ribbon Week gets across to his fellow students.
“The message is that drugs are not helpful at all, in fact they can really hurt you, so that is what we want people to take away,” he said. “There are so many other fun things you can be doing other than doing drugs.”
The drug-free push goes far beyond Red Ribbon Week at Towamensing.
Olewine and Kocher said the staff will continue to reinforce the message throughout the students’ elementary careers.
“We can teach it now, but we have to do our best to make sure it carries over,” Kocher said. “By the time junior high rolls around, kids are already seeing that temptation and that’s when we want them to think back on weeks like this.”
