Greendale winners of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) essay contest stand with Officer Brandon Owens and Sheriff Fred Newman.
What is right is not always popular and what is popular is not always right."
- Albert Einstein
As Sheriff Fred Newman congratulated Greendale Elementary fifth-graders on their successful completion of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program sponsored by the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, he asked them if they were familiar with this quote. He then emphasized that the lessons they had learned from Officer Brandon Owens about combating peer pressure and making the right choices would be important for the rest of their lives. Students graduated from this program on Friday, December 16, receiving words of encouragement and advice from Sheriff Newman, Principal Sherry King, Superintendent Mr. Jim Sullivan, and D.A.R.E. instructor Brandon Owens. Also attending were Detective Blake Andis and Dr. Janet Lester, supervisor of elementary instruction. The D.A.R.E. program began in 1983 with the premise that education is vital in the prevention of drug abuse. At the end of the six-week program, each participant writes an essay in which he/she discusses the things he/she has learned and how these lessons will help in his/her future decision-making. The winners of this year’s essay contest were Kassidy J., first-place, and Nick F., second-place. After Kassidy and Nick read their essays, every student received a certificate of completion. Greendale Elementary School would like to thank Officer Owens, Sheriff Newman, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for providing this beneficial program each year.