D.A.R.E. Graduation held at Northside Elementary School for Fifth Graders

One hundred seventy six fifth graders at Northside Elementary School graduated from the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program in a ceremony Wednesday afternoon. D.A.RE Officer Joseph Carroll of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department (pictured left) was the moderator of the program. The overall D.A.R.E. essay winner was Edith Granados (pictured here beside D.A.R.E. Mascot DAREN the Lion) who received gifts and a $50 check from General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge Bratten Cook, II (pictured right)

Northside Elementary School Fifth Grade D.A.R.E. Essay winners: Pictured left to right- D.A.R.E. Mascot DAREN the Lion, Emily Johnson (3rd place), Edith Granados (Overall Winner), Ella Kirksey (2nd place), and D.A.R.E. Officer Instructor Joseph Carroll

Northside Elementary School Fifth Grade D.A.R.E. Essay Class winners: Pictured left to right- D.A.R.E. Mascot DAREN the Lion, Payne Bryant, Edith Granados, Reagan Williams, Ella Kirksey, Zuly Bentran, Eden Spurgeon, Nora Dykes, Jaela Roberson, Emily Johnson, and D.A.R.E. Officer Instructor Joseph Carroll. (Not pictured- Denali Sifuentes)

May 19, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

One hundred seventy-six fifth graders at Northside Elementary School graduated from the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program in a ceremony Wednesday afternoon.

D.A.R.E. is a DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department-led series of classroom lessons that teaches fifth graders in DeKalb County how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives.

Joseph Carroll of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department is the D.A.R.E Officer instructor for the fifth-grade classes at Northside Elementary School.

The 10-week course identifies fundamental, basic skills and developmental processes needed for healthy development including: Self-awareness and management, Responsible decision making, Understanding others, Relationship and communication skills, and Handling responsibilities and challenges.

D.A.R.E. believes that if you can teach youth to make safe and responsible decisions, it will guide them to healthy choices, not only about drugs, but across all parts of their lives. As they grow to be responsible citizens, they will lead healthier and more productive drug-free lives.

As part of the course, students prepared essays on what they have learned from D.A.R.E. and a winner was selected from each fifth-grade class. The overall essay winner at Northside Elementary School was Edith Granados. In addition to other gifts, Granados received a $50 check from General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge Bratten Cook, II. Second place went to Ella Kirksey and Emily Johnson received third place. Individual essay winners from each fifth-grade class were Payne Bryant, Zuly Beltran, Nora Dykes, Jaela Roberson, Eden Spurgeon, Denali Sifuentes, and Reagan Williams.