Barker’s winning Red Ribbon Week display was coordinated by a student committee: (L-R) Haley B., Madlen F., Gabrielle G., Megan G., and Madison F.
Students across Michigan City Area Schools celebrated Red Ribbon Week October 22-26, with a focus on making positive, healthy choices and staying away from drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. On Wednesday, students wore purple ribbons and other accessories in support of a special anti-bullying awareness campaign. School counselors, teachers, staff, and after-school program staff coordinated a range of activities, including classroom lessons, poster and essay contests, and theme days (e.g. “put a cap on drugs” by wearing caps, “turn your back on drugs” by wearing clothes backward).
Nine buildings participated in the fourth annual district-wide Red Ribbon Week display contest, which challenged building staff to create a bulletin board or other display centering on the drug- and alcohol-free message. Celebrity “mystery judges” – Michigan City First Lady Agnes Meer, WIMS Radio Personality Brian Brophy, and MCAS Graphics Coordinator Allison Ruffing – made the rounds on October 25 and 26 to view all of the displays. Congratulations to Barker Middle School, which edged out Elston and Springfield to retain the trophy for the second year in a row.
Check out these photos of the amazing Red Ribbon Week displays ... they are ALL winners!
Barker Middle School's winning display centered on an Olympic theme, asserting "There Ain't No Mountain High Enough... to Keep Us from Reaching Our Goals." Life-size mannequins (made of clear packing tape) representing various sports can be seen in the background above.
Walls of Barker's front lobby were transformed into a mountain, valley and river of negative influences -- each Barker student submitted at least two. All students and staff also signed a letter on the "goals" wall. Other student goals were part of a multimedia display that looped on a television near the display.
Red Ribbon Week judges returned to Barker to present the trophy. (L-R) MCAS Graphics Coordinator Allison Ruffing, WIMS Radio Personality Brian Brophy, Barker Assistant Principal Mandy Sherrick, Barker Principal Mohamed Mroueh, and Michigan City First Lady Agnes Meer.
Elston's display was a close second ... and judges also gave it a special award for Best Overall Visual Impact. The "DUI Graveyard" featured tombstones with drug and alcohol facts, photos of celebrities who died as a result of drugs/alcohol, poster contest winners, and much more. Topping it all off was a fog machine that pumped an eerie dry-ice mist.
Elston's poster contest winner
Springfield's third-place display also received honors for "Most Kid-Friendly". They incorporated Sesame Street's "Count," who reminded kids to "count" on being drug free! The display included numbers signed by every student, grade K-5, plus lots of student artwork.
Springfield students also wrote and performed their own song (tune: The Addams Family) that centered on being drug free. The judges were so impressed!
Springfield Nurse Kathy Hughes (aka the Count!) gives counselor Deb Carpenter and Principal Lisa Emshwiller a scare.
Judges gave Pine the award for Best Theme: How the Arts Help Me Live Drug Free (note that the words "arts, me, and live" were created from photos of Pine students pursuing activities in music, drama, and art. Leave it to the Arts Magnet School to be so very...artsy!
Coolspring secretary Kathy Schroll shows judges detail from the school's NASCAR themed display, "Racing for a Drug-Free Finish," which won for Best Student Involvement.
Every child at Coolspring was a racecar driver... ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!
No doubt about it: the Coolspring Wildcat is a red-ribbon winner!
Students at the A.K. Smith Career Center got in on the act, too! Their exhibit about making good choices was created by Facilities Maintenance students, with assistance from the Early Childhood and Welding classes. Judges gave their entry the "Most Resourceful" award.
Marsh also took on the Olympic theme! Its display was selected as "Most Educational"...
...because every student wrote their "medal winning" positive activities, choices, messages or goals on a medal. It made for one very impressive hallway full of gold, silver and bronze Red-Ribbon ideas.
There was no doubt Knapp deserved the award for Best Seasonal Display... their engaging pumpkin patch featured student-made pumpkins and bats, plus some ghosts and goblins with a drug-free message!
And last but certainly not least... Lake Hills was honored by the judges with the "Outside the Box" Award for Creative Thinking. Their clever display tied in a school-wide study of the 2012 Presidential Election with the Red Ribbon Week focus. A voting booth setup even featured a Constitution for Red Ribbon Week. Students will now take place in a mock election -- voting for either Mitt Romney or Barack Obam -- and they will also be asked to check a box indicating they will pledge to remain drug free! (Pssst: Be sure to ask Mrs. Bachmann whose shoes Mitt is wearing....)
Many thanks to our Celebrity Mystery Judges, and to the many staff and students who made this Red Ribbon Week an event to remember!