dare essay 5th grade

5th Grade D.A.R.E. Curriculum

Lesson one: introduction to dare’s keepin’ it real, objectives:.

• Define what it means to be responsible
• Indentify student responsibilities in their daily lives
• Name the steps in the D.A.R.E. Decision Making Model (DDMM)

Lesson Two: Drug Information for Responsible Decision Making

• Identify how alcohol and tobacco use affects students responsibilities
• Examine information on alcohol and tobacco
• Understand the health effects of alcohol and tobacco on the body
• Use the DDMM to define the problem in scenarios related to alcohol or tobacco

Lesson Three: Risk and Consequences

• Define risks and consequences and apply to real life situations
• Assess the positive and negative consequences in choices made about risky situations
• Use the DDMM to assess how to make responsible involving risky situations

Lesson Four: Peer Pressure

• Define pressure and peer pressure
• Recognize the sources or peer pressure
• Identify ways to respond to peer pressure
• Use DDMM to generate responses to peer pressure

Lesson Five: Dealing with Stressful Situations

• Identify possible signs of stress
• Recognize the physical and behavioral signs of stress
• Use DDMM in evaluating stressful situations

Lesson Six: Basics of Communications

• Define and explain the importance of communication in daily living
• Demonstrate confident communication
• Use DDMM to evaluate and generate alterative options for effective communication

Lesson Seven: Nonverbal communication and Listening

 objectives:.

• Define effective listening behaviors
• Demonstrate effective listening using verbal and nonverbal behaviors
• Use the DDMM to evaluate and generate alternative options for effective communications

Lesson Eight: Bullying:

• Define and recognize characteristics of bullying
• Identify bullying behaviors
• Differentiate between tattling and telling
• Use the DDMM to practice safe ways to report bullying

Lesson Nine: Helping Others

• Identify the importance of being a good citizen
• Recognize the importance or reporting bullying to an adult at school and at home
• Demonstrate the use of DDMM in reporting bullying behaviors
• Reinforce knowledge and positive behaviors to stop bullying

Lesson Ten: Getting Help from Others and Review

• Identify people in student’s lives they can go for if they need help
• Recall previously learned key terms

5th Grade Articles of Interest

• 5th Grade Tour Madison County Detention Home
• State's Attorney Visits Columbus 5th Grade

D.A.R.E. Essay: Multi-Draft Opinion Writing for Grade 5 (CCSS)

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How to Write a DARE Essay

Gina ragusa.

Writing a DARE essay isn't as difficult as you may think. The most important thing you'll need is what you learned in DARE class, some investigative research, and your personal experiences.

Explore this article

• Identify a main idea
• Review your DARE materials
• Do your research
• To begin an essay
• Close the door

things needed

• Computer with an Internet connection or pen and paper
• Your DARE materials along with a highlighter

1 Identify a main idea

Identify a main idea that you want to convey in your essay. DARE, which means Drug Abuse Resistance Education, is about keeping kids away from drugs and alcohol. During your DARE classes, you learned about how drugs and alcohol can impede you from achieving your dreams and reaching your goals. Think about how this message will impact you. Any kind of personal story is always an effective way to communicate what you've learned.

2 Review your DARE materials

Review your DARE materials. You need to review any handouts, booklets, or fact sheets before writing your essay. Because you've already covered the material, skim each handout or sheet and highlight the important facts that you've learned.

3 Do your research

Do your research and write a story about how drugs or alcohol has already impacted your life. You can always obtain additional information about your main idea from the Internet through a search engine. Don't forget to always refer to any source you use! When writing any essay or story, a personal reference is always a great way to grab your audience's attention and illustrate your point. If you have a family member, friend, or loved one who has struggled with drug or alcohol addiction, tell his or her story. Any real-life example that has had an impact on your life or a family member's life is extremely powerful.

4 To begin an essay

The best way to begin an essay is with an outline. Creating an outline will help to keep you on track as you write your essay and guide you through paragraph transitions. The outline can be roughly created on a sheet of paper that you'll keep next to you while you write your essay, either on the computer or by hand.

5 Close the door

Close the door, turn off the TV, and begin to write. Include your title, a paragraph explaining your main idea, and several supporting paragraphs that back up your main idea. Also include a strong conclusion. Summarize your entire essay in your conclusion while letting your audience ponder your message. Use your outline to guide you through your writing, but don't forget to let your words and personality shine through in your words. A DARE essay is very personal, so put some of yourself and your heart into it. Remember, this is your pledge to stay away from drugs and alcohol, so dig deep and think about what this essay means to you.

• Keep your DARE materials handy for reference.
• Include a personal story if you have one.
• If you are hand writing your essay, be sure you use your very best handwriting and keep your paper clean and free of smudges and rips.
• Always use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and don't forget to review and revise your draft until you know it is perfect.
• Let someone else read your esssay to help you edit it.

About the Author

Gina Ragusa has made a career out of writing for the past 15 years, with an emphasis on financial institution writing. Ragusa has written for Consumer Lending News, Deposit and Loan Growth Strategies and Community Bank President. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University.

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DARE essay winners recognized

July 2, 2022

The annual fifth-grade DARE graduation celebration took place at all three elementary schools in the Highland district prior to the end of the school year, with a total of 258 graduates combined.

Each school also announced its winners of the DARE essay contest during their program. Again this year, the contest focused on writing a letter to their older self, explaining what they learned in DARE, and some even reminded their older self to live a drug-free life and make good choices. The winning essays were read aloud and each winner was presented with a certificate. 

The essay winners include:

• Colleen Rees, Sarah Mellinger (overall winner), Olivia Martello, Tristan Lind, Katelyn O’Flanagan and Lily McManus at Granger Elementary
• Sharon Winners: Miles Miller, Kaylee Reep, Camarie Carter, Aubrey Payne (overall winner), Amelia Price, Brynn Vandegrift, Aaron Davis and Jordan Gryskiewicz at Sharon Elementary
• Reese McPherson, Saphira Melnik, Ellia Whitacre, Max Marcum (overall winner), Logan Conrad, Alicia Grimes, and Eliana Profant at Hinckley Elementary. ∞

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Fifth-graders' winning D.A.R.E. essays

• May 12, 2012
• May 12, 2012 Updated May 4, 2023

Winners of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) essay contest for Reedsburg fifth-grade students have been selected. The winners are: • Kalli Best, St. Peter’s Elementary School. • Noah Hulse, Sacred Heart Elementary School. • Devante Moreno, Pineview Elementary School. • Carter Pinten, Pineview Elementary School. Here are the students' winning essays.

Kalli Best's winning D.A.R.E. essay

Through the D.A.R.E. program, I have learned to make smart decisions regarding the use of tobacco, alcohol and drugs such as marijuana. I also learned about other unhealthy choices, such as inhalants.

I was taught about the pressures that I will potentially face from friends and even family to use these substances or to misuse legal substances. I was taught many ways to say no and to avoid the situations that put people like me in harm’s way that would force me to make a decision.

The D.A.R.E. Decision Making Model influenced me the most by showing me how to access and make the right decisions in life. Due to what I learned through the D.A.R.E. Program, I now can choose to live a safe, long and healthy life.

Since going through the D.A.R.E. program, I learned that the largest pressure to use drugs, tobacco and alcohol comes from my friends. This is called peer pressure. Being a part of a friendship foundation will help keep me in the lowest risk circles of peers and to help avoid these risks and pressures.

However, even then I know I can still face these challenges and the opportunity to use drugs, tobacco and alcohol and they may always be present. Through D.A.R.E., I was taught how to use the D.A.R.E. Decision Making Model. It will help me to make the good decisions regarding any situation or challenge that I may face regarding the use of substances or in life in general.

There are four main steps in the D.A.R.E. Decision Making Model. The first step is to define the situation by describing the problem, challenge or opportunity. Then, access the choices by gathering facts and looking at potential outcomes. Third is to respond by making a choice using the facts, information and outcomes you assessed. Finally, evaluate by reviewing the decision, asking if I make the best choice and what I could do better if faced with the decision again.

Positioning myself with a friendship foundation will lower my risk and pressure regarding the use of drugs, tobacco and alcohol. These risks do not go away; in my best conclusion from the D.A.R.E. program, the D.A.R.E. Decision Making Model will have the biggest impact on my life. This model will help me make the smart and healthy decisions to not only use but to avoid situations that involve drugs, tobacco and alcohol. I realized through D.A.R.E. that the use of these things do not just impact my life but also the lives of my friends and family and everyone else that enters my life.

My Pledge: Today I, Kalli Best, pledge not only to myself but to my parents, family, friends and teachers that I have had and will have in the future that I will never use drugs, tobacco and any use of alcohol will come of legal age in moderate, legal amounts. I know the effects of what can happen were I to use any of these substances, not only to my own health and safety but that of those around me that I know and do not know. I pray that God can help me keep this pledge so I do not end up hurt or hurting others and to live the life in which I was given.

Noah Hulse's D.A.R.E. essay

Hello, my name is Noah Hulse. I am in Mrs. Terraza’s fifth grade at Sacred b Heart School. D.A.R.E. has taught me to trust myself and make my own choices, and not to let other people pressure me into making a choice that I know in my heart is wrong. It also has given me skills to use when I am in uncomfortable situations and need a way out.

What I really like about the D.A.R.E. program is that I can use what I've learned to help myself, but I can also use it to teach my friends, who do not have the privilege of being in the D.A.R.E. program, how to stay drug- and violence-free.

By using “D2 M2,” the Dare Decision Making Model, I will teach my friends to first define the problem so that they can see clearly what they are up against. Then, I will tell them to assess exactly what their choices are, so they don't respond impulsively. I will tell them to respond by using the information to make the best choice, not the most popular or the easiest choice. After they make their choice, I will tell them to evaluate their decision to see whether it was really the best choice they could have made.

It is important to learn how to say "no" to drugs, alcohol and violence, because they can harm you physically and mentally. They can ruin your life and make you miss opportunities of a lifetime. I plan to be a paleontologist and will need to be physically strong to travel around the world and spend months or years excavating archeological sites. Marijuana is addictive and makes it hard to concentrate. I want to be good at my job. Marijuana has chemicals in it that increase my chance of getting cancer, and it is also illegal not just in the United States but a lot of other countries, too.

Peer pressure is when someone pressures you to do something you don't want to do, or something you know is wrong to do. Peer pressure is something that every student experiences at some time. I have felt it in class and at recesses. I can remember feeling pressured to choose between picking a good friend to be on my team or picking other people who were better players. Everyone kept shouting at me to pick the "best" players. I wanted to be a good friend, but I felt everyone was pressuring me to do what they wanted me to do. I knew that my friend wasn't the best player, but it would have been embarrassing and disappointing for him if I didn't pick him first. Not letting him down was more important to me than winning a game, so I chose my friend. It wasn't a matter of life or death, it didn't involve drugs or alcohol, but it helped me understand that peer pressure is something that can influence me if I don't remember what is important.

I'm glad the D.A.R.E. program gave me more skills for getting out of uncomfortable situations without making a big scene. Peer pressure makes me feel uncomfortable and I would never want to do that to anyone else.

The skills that I have learned by being in the D.A.R.E. program will help me for the rest of my life. One important skill is to stay in charge and to just keep saying "no" to anything that has to do with drugs, alcohol or violence. I also learned that there is strength in numbers. If someone is trying to persuade me to do something that I know is wrong, it helps to have other people backing me up and reminding me to stay true to what I believe. I also think that the idea of changing the subject is something I hadn't thought of doing to get out of a bad situation. I will have to practice that so that in the future, if I really need to use that skill, I will be good at it. I already use humor sometimes to get my parents to laugh and forget about giving me a lecture. I understand how it could help if I'm ever feeling pressured to try drugs or drink alcohol.

I, Noah Michael Hulse, pledge on this day to stay drug-, alcohol- and violence-free. I will never choose to do drugs, drink alcohol or act violently and I will never pressure anyone else into doing any of them, either.

Devante Moreno's winning D.A.R.E. essay

Hi, my name is Devante Moreno I think the D.A.R.E program was great. The program showed me how much harm drugs can do to me, my family and my future. I also think knowing all this will help me a lot in my future, so I can say no to drugs.

The reason why it’s important to be drug free is so I can travel the world. Someday, I also want to be able to go outside and play with my kids or grandchildren when I’m older. I don’t want to stay in bed in the hospital and not be able to do anything.

In D.A.R.E, I learned how cigarettes hold 200 known poisons. That is not including the unknown poisons that are in tobacco. Marijuana smoke contains 50 to 70 percent more of some of the cancer-causing chemicals than tobacco. It also is illegal in the United States to consume marijuana.

It’s illegal for anyone younger than 21 to consume alcohol. Most teens are still growing, making alcohol more severely damaging to them than to older adults. Therefore, marijuana and alcohol affects them in school and in sports.

All these drugs affect lots of parts of your body, such as the brain, muscles, vision and hearing. Some of these drugs may cause short-term memory loss. Your lungs may struggle harder to breathe and your heart and liver may start to break down.

Pressures from your friends, family and media can influence you to use drugs or alcohol. Some of your friends or family may smoke, making us think it’s OK to do the same. They look like they’re having the time of their life. But they don’t know what they’re doing to their bodies. In commercials, they are all the cool kids at a party, having fun. If a not-so-popular kid watches the commercial, they might think “if I drink, I’ll be just as cool and popular as them,” so he’ll start drinking.

Well there are many ways to say no to drugs like the cold shoulder, changing the subject, making a joke out of it, continuing to refuse or saying no.

I, Devante Moreno, make a promise to stay drug and alcohol free. Staying drug and alcohol free is important to me now and in the future. I don’t want to get into fights or go to jail because of drugs. Drugs and violence would affect my goals a lot by creating a very bad background. If I try to get a very good-paying job and they look at my background, they would say no because of all of the drugs and violence. No one would trust me or be around me.

Carter Pinten's winning D.A.R.E. essay

Hi, I’m Carter Pinten and I’m 10 years old. I live on a farm where I like to ride horse and four-wheelers. I’m in 4-H. I shoot archery, air rifle, show my horse, arts, crafts and do community service. As I grow up, I want to continue to do all those things.

If I were to take drugs, I couldn’t do any of that. I would only be focused on the drugs and would not care about anything else. Drugs take over your mind and body. I would not do a very good job during any activity or job. Also, I could hurt myself or someone else.

When you are on drugs it affects not only you but also the people around you. You may even kill your family, friends or people that you don’t even know. I know a person’s dad was killed in an accident that involved drugs when she was 12 years old.

Then as she grew up, it was without her dad. I’m almost the age that she was when she lost her dad. I could not imagine my dad not being there for the rest of my life. There would be so many things that we would miss out on. I also would not have a dad to take fishing, camping, teach me about the world or to love.

Since I have experienced losses because of drugs, I will not take drugs. I don’t want to risk ruining my life. I also would not want to ruin someone else’s life. There is no good that can come out of taking drugs.

DARE Graduation

DARE essay winner Noah Hulse from Sacred Heart School reads his essay on "Taking a Stand" against drugs and alcohol at the DARE Graduation ceremony at the CAL Center on Tuesday afternoon. 85 students graduated from the Reedsburg Police Department DARE program this semester.

Reedsburg Police Officer Scott Peterson shakes the hand of St. Peter's Lutheran School fifth-grader Kayleigh Meyer while Officer Peggy Porter waits to hand Meyer her honorary essay certificate and Emma Van Etten and Lyle Weeks wait for their turn at the DARE Graduation ceremony at the CAL Center on Tuesday afternoon. 85 students graduated from the Reedsburg Police Department DARE program this semester.

Fifth-graders proudly spell out the name of the DARE program above their heads while singing the DARE song at the DARE Graduation ceremony at the CAL Center on Tuesday afternoon, directed by Pineview music teacher Alma Hagemann. 85 students graduated from the Reedsburg Police Department DARE program this semester.

Fifth-graders from Pineview Elementary, Sacred Heart School and St Peter's Lutheran School sing the DARE song at the DARE Graduation ceremony at the CAL Center on Tuesday afternoon. 85 students graduated from the Reedsburg Police Department DARE program this semester.

DARE essay winner Carter Pinten from Pineview Elementary reads his essay on "Taking a Stand" against drugs and alcohol at the DARE Graduation ceremony at the CAL Center on Tuesday afternoon. 85 students graduated from the Reedsburg Police Department DARE program this semester.

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Eliher Gonzalez-Favila reads her winning essay during the annual DARE recognition program on May 16.

• Mitch Talley

Winners from 13 Whitfield County elementary schools were recognized during the Kiwanis Club of Dalton’s annual DARE essay recognition program on May 16. From left, front row, are Miley Farmer, Emiliano Barragan, Elsa Gewecke, Zaira Mejia, Savannah Merrell, Sophie Lofty, Ariana Munguia, Eliher Gonzalez-Favila, Brooklyn Anderson and Malaki McCullough; back row, Tammy Silvers, Ron Kirby, Nathan Center and Vincent Schaub of the DARE program and Bert Poston of the Kiwanis Club. Not pictured are DARE honorees Emmaleigh Dover, Kaylee De Leon and Lyla Beckler.

Edwin Hernandez, a 2022 graduate of Southeast Whitfield High School who has joined the U.S. Army, won the DARE essay contest in 2015 as an Eastside Elementary fifth-grader. He returned this year to address the 2022 essay winners and offer them his thoughts about the value of the program.

Valley Point fifth-grader wins Whitfield DARE essay contest

• By Mitch Talley Whitfield County Director of Communications
• May 27, 2022

Eliher Gonzalez-Favila says she plans to use the knowledge she picked up in the DARE program this year to avoid doing something she’ll regret later.

That’s how the fifth-grader at Valley Point Elementary summed up her Drug Abuse Resistance Education essay, which was judged best out of the hundreds written by this year’s DARE graduates from all 13 elementary schools in Whitfield County.

Gonzalez-Favila and the other 12 essay winners from each school were honored at the 17th annual DARE recognition program held May 16 at the Dalton Convention Center, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Dalton and the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office.

As first-place winner, Gonzalez-Favila received a plaque and a $100 cash prize. Savannah Merrell of Pleasant Grove Elementary earned a plaque and $50 for second place, while a plaque and $20 went to Malaki McCullough of Beaverdale Elementary for third place.

Each year, the 11-week-long DARE program teaches the fundamentals of the consequences of drug abuse, peer pressure and more life skills to hundreds of local fifth-graders, program director Lt. Tammy Silvers said.

“Basically, every week in class we’re talking about making good decisions and how important it is to make those good decisions,” Silvers said, praising the 13 essay winners for their efforts. “You are the cream of the crop — you are the best of the best. You’ve accomplished something only 13 students in Whitfield County schools have accomplished this year, and we’re very proud of you.”

The Kiwanis Club’s Bert Poston, emcee of the program who also serves as local district attorney, praised the support of the parents and school officials for making the DARE program a success every year.

“As important as it is to learn facts,” Poston said, “it’s equally important to learn how to express yourself and how to write and how to speak and how to share that knowledge with others, so one thing we really love about this program and about the DARE essay is that you’ve got 13 kids who have shown exceptional knowledge but also exceptional ability to communicate.”

Other school-level winners who were recognized during the program — with family, school officials and Kiwanians looking on — included:

• Antioch: Emmaleigh Dover

• Cedar Ridge: Zaira Mejia

• Cohutta: Miley Farmer

• Dawnville: Kaylee De Leon

• Dug Gap: Brooklyn Anderson

• Eastside: Ariana Munguia

• New Hope: Sophie Lofty

• Tunnel Hill: Lyla Beckler

• Varnell: Emiliano Barragan

• Westside: Elsa Gewecke

A special treat during the program was the return of Edwin Hernandez, who won the essay contest in 2015 as a fifth-grader at Eastside Elementary. He’s now a member of the United States Army and will be graduating this year as an honors student from Southeast Whitfield High School.

“Even though a lot of time has passed since I’ve completed the program,” Hernandez said, “I like to think that the core beliefs of DARE have stuck with me and have influenced my decisions, and I want you kids here today to try to apply them to yourselves as well.”

Besides learning to say no to drugs and alcohol, Hernandez said a third important result of the program for him was learning how to trust smartly.

“In this world not everyone who says they’re your friend will really mean it,” he said. “That even goes for people in your family. Now I’m not saying that you can’t trust no one, or that you have to be suspicious of everyone you meet or have ever met, but I am saying that you have to pay close attention to who you lend your trust to. If someone you know has ever offered you something, or tried to convince you to do something you knew wasn’t right, odds are that someone doesn’t consider your well-being as a top priority. and these aren’t some empty words, I’ve seen them play out more times than I can remember.”

Hernandez pointed to an example of a friend who missed much of his senior year because he accepted some marijuana-laced gummy bears from a “shady” acquaintance before a football game.

“Because it was marijuana, the police got involved,” Hernandez said. “Luckily, my bandmate wasn’t sentenced to jail time, but he was still forced to spend the rest of his first semester, and most of his second semester, at Crossroads. and since this went on his permanent record, some of his friends viewed him as a fool, a criminal, and cut him out of their lives.”

Hernandez said his friend told him the worst part about the incident wasn’t the stain on his record but the feeling of betrayal he had from someone he trusted.

“So take it from me, take it on account of my bandmate, be smart about who you trust, and pay close attention to those around you,” Hernandez told the students, “because not everyone around who you call friend is who they say they are.”

The winning essay by Eliher Gonzalez-Favila

Today I would like to talk about six things I learned in DARE, why I think they’re the most important, how I stay safe, and why I avoid some of them. Those topics are reporting bullying, stress, alcohol and tobacco, help network and the DARE Decision Making Model (DDMM).

First of all, let me talk about bullying. Nationwide, 20% of students ages 12-18 have experienced or are experiencing bullying. To stop this problem, DARE clearly showed me how to report bullying in a safe way. First of all, we have to learn the 5 W’s. Who: Who’s being bullied? What: What’s happening? Where: Where is this happening? Finally, why: Why is this happening? The 5 W’s will make it easier for us to report bullying. We can report bullying by telling a trusted adult, a friend, or reporting it to the DARE box. If we don’t report bullying as soon as possible, the victim could feel useless, could develop anxiety, depression, and probably commit suicide.

Next, I’d like to talk about stress. Stress can be caused by a lot of stuff: bullying, overthinking about something, any type of problems, a test, etc., etc. You might not think about the consequences of not calming down in a stressful situation, but they’re not satisfying. Two examples of bad consequences are tobacco and alcohol addiction (which I’ll talk about later). Just think about it, there’s no need to find a solution in tobacco or alcohol. Some things I do to calm down in a stressful situation are listening to music, talk with someone, laugh, write, change the subject, and going to sleep. You can also use these strategies, or you can use whatever makes you calm.

Now, I would like to talk about alcohol and tobacco. Alcohol is illegal for people under the age of 21. Before, tobacco was illegal for people under 18-19, but now, the law has been changed. People under 21 cannot consume tobacco. As you know, a lot of people under those ages still consume those products. A lot of people consume alcohol and/or tobacco because they think they’re “cool” or just to “impress” others. Others do it to “solve” their problems. The thing is, most of them don’t know what goes on with their body when they consume those products. They don’t know that they could die. The DARE book says, “There are 75,000 alcohol-related deaths each year in the U.S.” From tobacco, we can count 450,000 deaths each year: 400,000 for the people that smoke, and 50,000 for the people that are around the smokers. Smokers might not know that if they do this daily they will have dental problems, memory loss, loss of self-control, a heart disease, unhealthy bodies, a coma, and lastly … death. Please, I beg y’all, never smoke or drink alcohol. It’s not worth it.

Now, what I think is the most important thing I learned in DARE is help network. Our help network can be composed by a trusted adult, friend, sibling, or even our pet. Our help network can help us with anything we need. I learned that if we have a loyal and trusted help network, we wouldn’t face all or most of the problems I mentioned earlier. If we’re being bullied, we can ask someone from our help network to help us. If we feel stressed, we can talk with someone from our help network. If we have problems with tobacco and/or alcohol, we can ask someone who we trust to help us get out of that situation.

Lastly, the DARE Decision Making Model (DDMM). DARE stands for Define: Describe the problem. Assess: What are our choices. Respond: Make a choice. Lastly, Evaluate: Did we make a good choice. I feel like if we know what it means, we would be able to quickly find the problem and quickly find the solution. This, like the help network, will help us prevent most or all of the problems I mentioned above.

To summarize, what I think are the most important things I learned while being in DARE were reporting bullying, stress, alcohol and tobacco, help network and the DARE Decision Making Model (DDMM). I always try to avoid everything except help network and DDMM to stay safe, and to make sure I’m not doing anything I’ll regret later.

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DARE Essay Winner 2017

And the Winners are….. Each year the best DARE Essays from around Wisconsin are submitted. Here are the winner for 2018

DARE Officer Sandy Brown  Area 1 Essay Winner Mary Grace Schlifske, Elm Grove Chief Jim Gage

D.A.R.E Report

By, Lindsey Eis

D.A.R.E… Drug, Abuse, Resistance, Education is a program that is directed to focus on the prevention of the future use of tobacco, drugs, and alcohol for young adults. D.A.R.E was formed to educate young adults about the risks of tobacco, drugs, and alcohol to prevent future use of it. D.A.R.E also focuses on communication skills, resistance strategies, bullying and many other life situations. The D.A.R.E abbreviation meaning Define, Assess, Respond, and Evaluate is a way to making safe and good decisions in a difficult or bad situation. Which if made the right decision can also prevent the future use of tobacco, drugs, and alcohol.

DDMM The abbreviation DDMM stands for D.A.R.E Decision Making Model. The D.A.R.E Decision Making Model is Define, Assess, Respond, and Evaluate and is a way to making safe and good decisions in a difficult or bad situation. The Define part of the model means to describe the problem, challenge, or opportunity. Next the Assess part of the model means for you to think what are your choices. ln the Respond part of the model you need to make a choice by using the facts and information you have gathered. Finally the Evaluate part of the problem means to review your decision and for you to think did you make a good decision. Finally l now know after this very helpful lesson in D.A.R.E that every time I am in a bad or difficult situation l know and should use… DDMM.

Resistance Strategies Resistance Strategies are strategies to stay away from a difficult or bad situation. Some resistance strategies are to walk away, say no, avoid, change the subject, give an excuse, and there is always strength in numbers. Resistance strategies can be used in bullying situations or in situation that you don’t want to do something that could hurt or affect you in the future or now. in your resistance strategies, you always want to be away from the situation in good, alcohol free, drug free, and tobacco free surrounding. Many of these situations happen in real life and anyone should always use these strategies if you want to live a happy, healthy life for l know that l do.

Risks of Tobacco, Drugs, and Overuse of Alcohol A risk can be positive or negative but the risks of doing these drinks, plants, and powders under the age of 18, none of them are positive. There are many different health effects and scary facts about these things that will make me or anyone think twice about using them. Some of the health effects of tobacco are… ‘  1. You can get arrested for the use of it under the age of 18  2. There are 200 known chemicals in cigarette smoke  3. There are 400,000 deaths each year due to the use of tobacco

Some of the health effects about alcohol are…  1. You can get arrested for the use of it under the age of 21 2. lt causes memory loss, loss of coordination, and slow reflexes

Some of the health effects of drugs are…1. if you overdose you will have a risk of death or other conditions2. You can get arrested for the use of it at all

This information is important because it can prevent the start of tobacco, drugs, and alcohol. It can also help people stop these things and help them live a happy healthy life. This has affected me a lot because l want to live a full life for we only have 1.

‘The 5’s and How to Report Bullying What is bullying… bullying, according the D.A.R.E writers, is an aggressive or unwanted behavior used again and again to isolate, harm, or control another person.~ This is a ham1ful and mean act that’s why you should always know how to report it. There are many different kinds of bullying some of them are…1.      Cyber2.      Mental3.      Verbal4.      Physical5.       Social

The 5’s of reporting bullying are who, what, where, when, and why. These are to help anyone tell a trusted adult about WHO did it, WHAT did they do, WHERE did it happen, WHEN did it happen, and WHY did they do it. Resistance strategies can also be used in these situations, not just situations involving tobacco, drugs, and alcohol. Now l know whenever l am being bullied l know to use the 5 w’s of reporting bullying, resistance strategies and other strategies to help me deal with and report bullying.

How to Deal With Peer Pressure

Peer pressure is a hard thing to deal with, but you should always try to push through. Peer pressure according to the D.A.R.E authors is when people your age try to get you to do something. lf you are having troubles resisting you can always use DDMM and resistance strategies to help you push through. Peer pressure can also be positive not just negative, pushing you to do drugs, tobacco, and underage drinking. The positive peer pressure can be pushing you to do better on a test or pushing you to do something new like a new sport. This has affected me so much because now‘ l always remember to do what l believe not what others believe l should do.

Confident Communication

You should always use confident communication. lt can help you with your social skills, when you ask people questions, and to help you get your point across. in using this strategy, you should always talk or discuss in a calm and cooperative way. You can also use DDMM in this strategy as well to help you figure out what to say and to help you say it clear. This lesson in D.A.R.E has helped me a lot to speak more confident and more efficiently.

Signs of Stress Stress according to the D.A.R.E authors is any strain, pressure, or excitement about a situation or event. There are many different signs or stress some of them are…1.     Depression2.     Loss of hair3.     Anger4.      High blood pressure

Some of the actions due to stress are…1.     Yell2.      Stay still3.      Over eat4.     Throw things or items

You can always use different strategies to help you deal with stress like to use a stress ball or to hang out with friends. This has helped me a lot because now l know if l am stressed to talk to someone or if l should use those strategies to push through it.

Help Network

A help network according to the D.A.R.E authors is a person or a group of people that you can call for advice or guidance. A help network can be a friend or any trusted adult. You ‘should always go to you help network when you need them it can help you make safe and good decisions. You can go to your help network anytime you feel uncomfortable or threatened in a situation or just for any life problems. This information is important because this can help any person know that they should always go to their help network for advice or help. Now I know that if l have any problem that l should always go to my help network for help.

Tattling vs. Telling

Tattling and telling are two totally different things. Tattling according to the D.A.R.E authors is when you want to get someone in trouble for a harmless behavior. While telling is to provide information to a trusted adult to help someone or to keep someone safe. DDMM can also be used in these situations to help anyone decide if it is tattling or telling. I used to tell a trusted adult if it was tattling or telling but after the lesson in D.A.R.E I realized that I don’t always have to tell only when it is to keep someone safe or to just help them. I have learned so many skills in D.A.R.E that have helped me so much with many of my life situations and will help me with so many more in the future as well. All of the lessons will and have helped me make healthy decisions about tobacco, drugs, and the overuse of alcohol. The lessons have given me facts and many different health effects that have made sure I was never going to do any of those things. There are also many different skills I have learned in D.A.R. E. Like how l have Ieamed of how to stay away from situations that could affect me in the future to how to report bullying and other situations. I have also learned how to access situations using DDMM, different signs of stress and how to deal with it, and so many other skills and strategies. I am so glad to have finished D.A.R.E with so much new knowledge in my brain.

Pledge Statement

I Lindsey Eis, pledge not to do drugs, tobacco,  or alcohol in my lifetime and ruin my chance at a full happy life. ‘

My D.A.R.E.

Report By: Jaylee Weyhrauch

Did you know that there are over 200 harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke? In fact, there are even over 4,000 chemicals. ln the US 16.8% of Adults smoke, but we can lower this number even further. Smoking is very bad for your body. Does having cancer sound fun to you? Because there are 43 known cancer-causing chemicals in cigarette smoke. The smoke alone can kill you! There are also toxins, in fact, there are over 400 other toxins. In cigarettes, there are ingredients that you would never think that people would enjoy like nicotine which can make you addicted in a bad way. Nicotine is also the main ingredient in bug spray. In fact, once you start getting addicted, if you try to stop, you will feel very bad. Imagine the worst stomach flu, now think of that ten times worse. That is how hard it is to stop once you are hooked. There is also carbon monoxide in these death sticks. lt is a colorless, scentless, tasteless gas. Symptoms of mild carbon monoxide poisoning include lightheadedness, confusion, headache, and flu-like symptoms. It can also make it seem like the world is spinning. Ln severe cases carbon monoxide can even infect your central nervous system, introduce toxins to your heart, and even kill you. lf you are exposed to low levels of carbon monoxide for a long time, it can result in permanent damage like depression, memory loss, and confusion. Cigarettes have more than just that, they also have ammonia. Ammonia is a colorless, irritating gas that has a sharp odor that can cause irritation and burns. It dissolves easily in water to create ammonium hydroxide solution. Normally people who smoke don’t mind this noxious odor. That’s still not all. The cigarettes contain formaldehyde which is also in glue, plywood, fiberboard, and insulation materials. Formaldehyde is also a chemical that is in all the animals that the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade classed dissected this year. I would never eat glue, would you? Now imagine you saw a truck laying down pavement for your driveway. Would you go up to the driveway and take a bite of the squishy stuff? I bet not. But that is exactly what you would be doing if you took a cigarette and smoked it. Cigarettes have tar. Tar is a very bad thing to put into your body. It will start off fine, being stopped by your tiny nose hairs, or cilia, that stop bad things from going into your lungs like dirt or dust, but the tar will burn them away and infiltrate your lungs. From there it will coat your lungs over and over with small thin coats. Since there is nicotine, which I told you about earlier, you will want more and more. Soon, there will be many layers of tar, your lung surface Will be so small that your lungs will go from as big as a shoe box to as small as a tennis ball. That would be very hard to breathe with.

In D.A.R.E. I also learned that alcohol is also very bad for you. In fact, there are an estimated 75,000 alcohol related deaths each year. Alcohol is illegal for anyone under 21 years old. Alcohol slows down your brain and results in loss of coordination, poor judgement, memory loss, loss of self-control, and slow reflexes. Alcohol can also be addictive. In fact about 18 million people abuse alcohol. This is awful but we can make a stand!!  We need to fight against this terrible substance. But before you go home and tell your parents they can never have alcohol again, I want to tell you that a little bit every now and then is okay, but if they drink all the time, it’s about time to stop the damage. Alcohol, as l told you earlier creates poor judgement, therefore, many people die of alcohol related deaths each year including about 1,580 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, about 1,296 deaths from homicides, 245 from alcohol poisoning, falls, burns, and drowning, and 492 from suicide or killing themselves. Added up this is about 10,613 alcohol related deaths each year from young people abusing it. The reason young people can’t have alcohol is because they are still growing and it can harm them. They also aren’t as mature. Most people think that alcohol will make you look cool, but waddling around, puking on yourself, and passing out is not cool. Alcohol also causes bad breath and weight gain. If you’re under twenty-one, drinking is illegal. If you are caught, you will have to do community service, pay a fine, or take alcohol awareness classes. You may also get bad grades. Some reasons why teens think it’s okay to drink are advertising, social status, peer pressure, peer example, and family example. These have been going down in the past few years, but WE can end it all together!!!!!l!l!!!!!Thanks for listening to my presentation, and remember, We are the generation to stop drug abuse!!!!l!!!!!!

Report Lilly Ackerman

Did you know that alcohol weakens the heart muscle, and decreases the amount of blood that is pumped through the heart?  The D.A.R.E. program has helped me learn facts like this, and how to make safe and responsible choices.

The very first day Officer Weaver talked about how to use the D.A.R.E. decision making model. By defining a problem, assessing your choices and responding appropriately, then evaluating your response, you put yourself in a better position than you were before.  We practiced this model in the many scenarios that we read. Officer Weaver also taught us health related facts like, there are 75,000 alcohol related deaths each year in the U.S.

This teaches us that when we are older we need to drink responsibly. Another topic he talked about was stress. Stress is the strain, pressure, or excitement that is felt about a certain situation. Stress can also be very harmful ta your health.

I recently used the D.A.R.E. Decision Making Model when I was at a swimming pool. I used it by taking a look at my situation, which was identifying my challenge. My challenge was trying to figure out whether I should get in the water with my cousins before my parents got down to the pool. I was very tempted to get in because my cousins kept telling me to come swim. Next, it was time to assess my choices which were to get in the pool without an adult in the room and get in trouble, or stay out of the pool and wait fox’ an admit. After thinking about it I chose to stay out of the pool. 1 was glad I made that choice because instead of being in trouble with my parents, I was complemented on making the right choice.

Another time I had to evaluate a sticky situation was when my sister came to me asking for advice. She had overheard a friend talking about something that shouldn‘t have been said, I helped her think about what she should do and I also told her that I thought she should go and talk to our mom. In the end this advice worked and she was relieved that it all worked out, and she wasn’t in trouble because she found help.

I also used the Decision Making Model on the soccer field when my teammate was being unsportsmanlike I knew my three choices were to be a bystander and do nothing, talk to her, or tell my coach.  After thinking about it I chose to talk directly to her. In the end this chaise worked because I was able to talk to her about how being unsportsmanlike was not okay and hurt our whole team. She understood why she shouldn’t do what she was doing and she stopped. This was better than telling the coach because she didn’t feel like she was in trouble. The D.A.R.E. model has really helped me improve in making the right choice and has given me a way ta also help others make those same choices.

I plan to use what I have warned in my D.A.R.E. program to five a healthy and safe life. I can use my knowledge to make responsible choices and remember the facts about stress, alcohol, drug, and tobacco use. The D.A.R.E. program is a great model to follow when it comes to sticky situations and may come in handy next year in middle school.

I have also realized that D.AR.E. is really important because life is going to be full of challenges that may lead me in the wrong direction. At some point in my life alcohol and drugs will be introduced and l will have to be smart and not feel pressured to do something I don’t want to do or that is not healthy for me. Life will also be full of stressful moments that I will need to know how to stay away from Trying to do activities that won’t cause stress will be very important. In my future I plan on being some type of doctor. D,A.R.E. will help me do this because I now have the knowledge to keep my body healthy and that knowledge will allow me to share this information with my patients. I “DARE” you to live a drug, alcohol and tobacco free life.

I Choose DARE 

by: Olivia England

Did you know that my dad died from drugs? He isn’t the only one either.

Unfortunately, 75,000 alcohol related deaths occur each year in the U5! Two health effects of alcohol are memory loss and loss of self-control. Sometimes, it can even lead to coma or death.

Some of the DARE skills t learned in the past ten weeks are how to say no to alcohol. l learned to say no through the DARE Decision Making Model. (DDMM) The DDMM is Define, Assess, Respond, and Evaluate.

Define means to describe the problem, challenge, or opportunity. Assess means to ask yourself. what are my choices? Respond means to make a choice by using the facts and information you have.

Lastly, Evaluate! Evaluate means to review your decision, did l make a good choice?

One of the many types of bullying is Cyber Bullying. I’ve been cyber bullied by someone I know. It was on an app on my ipad. It wasn’t very fun, but l got over it. Two things that helped me overcome it was all of the bystanders that stood up for me! Also, my parents gave me inspiring talks! When we were talking about bullying in DARE, it brought back some hurtful memories, but it also cured my hurt! Now l feel better about it! That’s all thanks to DARE! L will use my DARE skills in the future if I ever run into another case similar to that one!

The best thing I learned in DARE was the health effects of tobacco and Alcohol use. It helped me because if someone I know were to use it, then maybe they would stop! If only everyone didn’t do drugs, then to me, the world would be complete!

I Olivia England, solemnly swear never to use drugs or to be a bully to anyone for as long as I live.

• ALL PREPARATION PDFs

DARE Essay Examples, 2023 Step by Step Guide and Sample Questions

DARE essay examples are useful resources for students who are assigned to write a DARE essay. These examples provide a framework for the structure and content of the essay. By reviewing this, students can gain a better understanding of what is expected of them and how to approach the task.

As I previously mentioned in the introduction, writing a DARE essay isn’t challenging if you can research and possess the required information.

Incorporating your personal experiences may also enhance your essay. College-writers.com offers the following guidelines to assist you in composing a DARE essay.

How to Write a DARE Essay

Learn how to write a DARE essay by reviewing examples, conducting research, and incorporating personal experiences to convey the lesson .

Determine the central message that you want to express in your essay. DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) aims to discourage kids from using drugs and alcohol.

Throughout your DARE classes, you gained knowledge about how substance abuse can hinder you from accomplishing your aspirations and objectives.

Consider how this lesson has influenced you. Using a personal anecdote is a powerful technique to convey what you’ve learned.

Before starting to write your essay, it is crucial to review all of your DARE materials, such as handouts, booklets, or fact sheets.

Since you’ve already studied the material, briefly scan each handout or sheet and highlight the essential information that you have acquired.

Conduct thorough research and compose a narrative about how drugs or alcohol have already affected your life.

Additional information related to your main idea can always be found on the internet through a search engine. It’s imperative to give credit to any sources you utilize in your work.

When creating an essay or story, personal anecdotes are a compelling way to engage your audience and illustrate your point.

If someone close to you, such as a family member or friend, has struggled with addiction, share their story.

Any real-life example that has impacted your life or that of a family member is an incredibly powerful way to convey your message.

To commence writing an essay, it is recommended to make an outline . An outline is a useful tool that will assist in maintaining focus while composing your essay and facilitating paragraph transitions.

You can make a rough outline on a piece of paper that you can keep next to you while writing your essay, whether you’re writing on the computer or by hand.

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Start writing by shutting the door and turning off the TV.

Your essay should have a title, an introductory paragraph that states your main idea, several supporting paragraphs that support your main idea, and a strong conclusion that summarizes your entire essay while leaving your audience with something to reflect on.

While writing, use your outline as a guide but also allow your words and personality to shine through.

Since a DARE essay is a personal statement, it’s essential to inject some of your heart and soul into it.

Keep in mind that this essay is your commitment to abstain from drugs and alcohol, so reflect deeply on what it means to you.

DARE Essay Examples Questions to Consider

DARE Essay Examples Questions to Consider include prompts that guide students to write an effective essay on drug and alcohol resistance education.

Introduction

• What does D.A.R.E. stand for?
• What is the focus of D.A.R.E.?
• Why is D.A.R.E. taught in the fifth grade?

Making Best Choices

• What is the meaning of each stage in DDMM?
• In what way does the model assist us in making optimal decisions?

Drug Facts and Effects

• What are the two tobacco facts or health effects?
• What are two alcohol facts or health effects ?
• What is the most important thing to read about over the counter or prescription drugs?

Risks and Consequences

• What is the risk?
• What is a consequence?
• How can knowing the consequences help us make better choices?

Peer Pressure

• What is peer pressure?
• What are some resistance strategies to avoid pressure?
• In what ways can I utilize positive peer influence to assist my friends?

Dealing with Stress

• What is stress?
• What are some signs and symptoms of stress?
• What are some techniques that I can utilize to manage stress?

Basics of Communication

• What is communication?
• What are the three styles of communication?
• How could use confident communication to help you in life?

Nonverbal Communication

• How do we show our thoughts and emotions non-verbally?
• How can we show empathy to others?
• What is effective listening and how can it make our lives easier?
• What is bullying ?
• What is the difference between tattling and telling?
• What is the significance of using the five W’s when documenting instances of bullying?

Helping Others

• What is a good citizen?
• What are some approaches I can adopt to become a responsible citizen?
• What are some ways to report bullying?

Getting Help from Others

• What is a Help Network?
• Who is in your Help network and why?

The questions that follow can also be inquired: What knowledge did you gain from the DARE course? What were your sentiments towards DARE? Why is DARE considered significant?

How do you plan to utilize the lessons learned in DARE to ensure that you make responsible and safe decisions in the future?

Now that you have read this, I trust you have a complete understanding of DARE Essay Examples and the sample questions. If you require any help, feel free to get in touch with us without any reluctance.

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Bruce Drysdale 5th-grade student advances to national finals in DAR's essay contest

B ruce Drysdale fifth grader Lia Martinonis has advanced to the national finals in the Daughters of the American Revolution 2024 Essay Contest, and each time her essay has advanced, her family has celebrated with a cake.

She is anxiously hoping for more cake. Martinonis is one of eight fifth-grade finalists in the nation, and so far, she's won three awards for her essay — one at the local level, one at the state level and the latest for the Southeastern Division.

"I am unbelievably proud. I have felt both shocked and pleased each time I learned that I had won," she said.

And there's prize money involved: $1,000 for first place, $500 for second place and $250 for third place. The winners will be recognized at the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Continental Congress, which is being held June 26-30 in Washington, D.C.

The topic for the contest was “Stars and Stripes Forever.” Essay writers were asked to imagine they were a newspaper reporter for The Philadelphia Times on May 14, 1897, and the newspaper's editor asked them to attend and report on the first public performance of John Philip Sousa’s new march, “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” The students were to tell about Sousa’s life and the story behind the song.

Lia was with her family on April 20 in Durham to receive the state award, her mother, Andrea, said.

"This essay contest has been an incredible experience for Lia. My daughter aspires to be a writer when she grows up," Andrea Martinonis said. "This opportunity has given her the confidence to pursue that dream. Lia researched the essay subject, learned about American history, honed her writing skills, and read her speech to a large audience at the initial award ceremony. 

"As an educator, I couldn't be more pleased that DAR sponsors this contest, encouraging students to write essays and learn about our nation's past. As a parent, I am thrilled that my daughter chooses to spend her free time reading and writing and that her interests and skills are being recognized."

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Lia said her teacher, April Summey, assigned the essay contest to her class.

"I remember being frustrated when drafting my essay, but now I am so glad my hard work paid off. I still cannot believe this is all happening," Lia Martinonis said.  

This part of her essay describes Sousa talking about composing his new march:

"...Sousa said that he composed the song in his head on his return to America as he grieved the death of his beloved band manager, David Blakely. Sousa said, “In a kind of dreamy way, I used to think over old days at Washington when I was leader of the Marine Band…when we played at all public functions, and I could see the Stars and Stripes flying from the flagstaff.” He also stated, “And that flag of ours became glorified… And to my imagination it seemed to be the biggest, grandest flag in the world, and I could not get back under it quick enough.”

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Summey called Lia a phenomenal, gifted student who "always goes above and beyond."

"She thrives on a challenge and is an avid learner. Her contagious curiosity shines brightly as she lights up upon acquiring new knowledge," Summey said. "Every year, my fifth grade students work on the DAR essay. They are given a prompt and required to read multiple primary and secondary sources about the topic in order to prepare. I am very passionate about the contest, because it helps students learn history and get excited about it." 

Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at [email protected]. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Bruce Drysdale 5th-grade student advances to national finals in DAR's essay contest