January 28, 2023
By: Bill Conger
Keeping kids away from drugs and alcohol is one key part of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program. Fifth grade students have been learning from the law enforcement curriculum during the first part of the school year at DeKalb West School. Under the guidance of School Resource Officer Billy Tiner, students were also taught assertiveness training techniques, anger management and conflict resolution skills, interpersonal and communication skills, how to enhance self-esteem, positive alternatives to substance use, and developing risk assessment and decision-making skills.
DWS D.A.R.E. students graduated from the program Thursday (January 26) in a special ceremony that was coordinated by Officer Tiner and attended by county officials, law enforcement personnel, school administrators, families and students. Students were handed certificates accomplishment for their successful completion of the program. Essay winners for the best paper on what they learned in D.A.R.E were announced. Hailey Brown was the winner from Ms. Jeanna Caplinger’s homeroom. Sophia Caraway had the best paper in Ms. Rachel Desimone’s homeroom. Levi Reynolds was the top essay winner overall. General Sessions/ Juvenile Court Judge Brandon Cox presented Reynolds with a $50 gift card along with other gifts from Officer Tiner.
Members of the 2022-2023 D.A.R.E. Graduating Class are the following: (from Ms. Jeanna Caplinger’s homeroom) Noah Bratcher, Hailey Brown, Christian Cripps, Lillian Dillard, Aiden Garza, Joseph Gebhart, Rebekah Gohs, Kayden Harbaugh, Bryce Harvey, Christopher Hebert, Landon Holmes, Brylee Key, Abram Maynard, Danny Prater, Charley Prichard, Emily Roberts, Braxton Taylor, Grady Thomason, James Upchurch, Preston Williams, Averie Winchester, and Bentley Wright; (from Ms. Rachel Desimone’s classroom) Ashetan Ahlgard, Maks Austin, Sophia Caraway, Billy Clark, Hunter Clemons, Jackson Dunaway, Zane Griffith, Mason “Bo” Hale, Hannah Harbaugh, Brayden Heflin, Abegayle Howard, Masen Mabe, Emma Marshall, William Marshall, Bentley Martin, Niccoli Moore, Lucas Nokes, Kayleigh Ramirez, and Levi Reynolds.