In late February, the fifth-grade students at Elephant’s Fork Elementary School celebrated the completion of the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program with an assembly.

The celebration included special guests, Chief William Freeman and Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney, Randy Carter, as well as the parents of the fifth-graders.

Both men gave encouraging words for the students to adhere to as they travel from elementary to middle school and on to high school. The students were reminded that it is imperative to use the knowledge gained through the program to make smart decisions.

Officer Carl Wheeler was in charge of teaching the students the DARE curriculum. At the conclusion of the class, students were charged with a writing assignment. They were to write an essay stating how they felt about the DARE program, what they learned about staying drug free and avoiding violence, and why it was important to stay drug free and avoid violence.

A class winner from each of the five fifth-grade classrooms was selected. The winners are as follows: Victoria Holly, Chelsea Burch, Robin Ramey, Tamacy Cassell, and Erin Clark.

Each winner was awarded a DARE medal and read their winning essay at the assembly.

Following the assembly, the students celebrated their DARE graduation with a pizza and cake party.