Police and Children Together
The Police and Children Together program is a multi- week drug and alcohol education program being taught to students in the 5th grade at James Mastricola Upper Elementary School / JMUES.
During previous years, students participated in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program ( D.A.R.E.) which was sponsored by the Merrimack Police Department. The P.A.C.T. program will mirror the D.A.R.E. program and will continue to provide students with the most pertinent drug and alcohol resistance information.
The P.A.C.T. program consists of five of the most important topics students will need to develop and maintain good physical, mental, social and emotional health through the use of good decision making strategies.
Week #1 is an introduction and explanation of class expectations along with understanding the Decision Making Model.
Week # 2, Tobacco, is when students are provided information and facts about tobacco and smokeless tobacco in the form of fact sheets and work sheets. We cover the facts of tobacco and then apply them to a work sheet. We cover the warning labels for tobacco products and talk about the effects of advertising. We use the Decision Making Model to problem solve.
Week #3, Alcohol, is where they are asked what do they think about when youths start to use alcohol. They are advised of the age of alcohol usage based upon a national average . Students are also provided facts about alcohol and then are given a true/false work sheet. A decision making model worksheet is used to show them how to make the best decision in different situations. Fatal Goggles are used to show the students the true effects of Alcohol.
Week #4, Marijuana/ Peer Pressure, is when a fact sheet with a worksheet is covered with students. Prescription drugs are also covered during this portion. The medical risks and legal risks of the use of drugs is taught. "Friendship Foundations" is also taught to students along with what is meant by Good/Bad Friends, Location of friends. Next, Peer Pressure, is brought into the curriculum...
The five peer pressures are taught;
- Positive
- Friendly
- Indirect/Tempting
- Teasing
- Heavy Peer Pressure/Bullying
Week #5, Bullying, is when students are taught what is bullying, how to report bullying and to whom they should report it to. They are taught direct / indirect bullying or what it means in being a bystander. Students will role play situations to make them understand the effects of bullying to their peers.
The goal of this program is to provide each student with the opportunity to develop and maintain good physical, mental, social and emotional health through the use of good decision- making strategies.
The objective of this program is that students will understand the physical, emotional, social and legal risks and effects of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and drug use, and decision-making on their developing bodies.
Students will understand that:
- Good health comes with good decisions.
- Good decisions come from good information.
- Good information comes from trusted people.
- Trusted people care about you.