News

Learning To Make Good Choices

“Would you like to learn about a program that teaches young students how to make safe and responsible choices? Then listen up” says Fiona as she reads her essay to her classmates and parents during the fifth grade D.A.R.E. graduation.

Over the past several months, Detective Beck, from the Bethlehem Police Department met with the fifth grade students at St. Thomas the Apostle School to present the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program. The officer led program teaches children to how to avoid peer pressure and how to live productive, drug and violence free lives. The goal of the D.A.R.E. program is to help students develop decision making skills which will lead to healthy and safe lives.

“Listen up!”   In today’s world, that’s good advice.  From peer pressure to the myriad of choices students are faced with from what to wear to what to eat, from the books they read to the television programs that they watch.  The list is never ending.  The key to making the right choices lies in the ability to think critically about the options and possible outcomes of each option.   According to D.A.R.E. program participant, Fiona, the D.A.R.E. Decision Making Model has provided her with an easy-to-use problem solving technique.  The D.A.R.E. Decision Making Model has four simple steps to help you make a responsible choice.  Define, assess, respond, and evaluate.  The last step is often overlooked,” says Mrs. Ridzi, the classroom teacher, “but in order for a student to know if their response to the situation was appropriate, it is essential to assess the results of the outcome.  Was the problem solved? Could you make a different choice that would result in a more desirable outcome?”

St. Thomas students are among millions of students throughout the world who will benefit from the skills acquired from their time with Detective Beck.   Fiona’s classmate, Ryan, sums up the benefits of the program, “As I look to the future, everything I learned in D.A.R.E. will help me through my struggles to make the right choice.  The pressures will get greater as I grow older, so it’s important that I learn and practice the steps now.  I can do this every day by thinking about and understanding the consequences of my choices and actions.”