19 Oct Red Ribbon Week
Ah, October . . . the time of Halloween, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and for all my fellow coffee aficionados reading this, the pumpkin spice latte.
However, there is one other important event that takes place in October on school campuses across the entire United States, including here at South Hills Academy – Red Ribbon Week.
Red Ribbon Week, first celebrated in 1985 to honor the memory of DEA Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, is the nation’s oldest and largest drug prevention awareness campaign. Because of the red ribbons, some people tend to confuse it with World Aids Day or Heart Disease Awareness Day, (both important and worthy causes), but Red Ribbon week predates both.
Red Ribbon week will be celebrated on the SHA campus the week of October 24th – 28th, and each day will have a specific theme.
Monday 24th – Wear Red Day
Tuesday 25th – Pajama Day
Wednesday 26th – Team/Sports Jersey Day
Thursday 27th – Camouflage Day
Friday 28th – Wear Neon Colors Day (Minimum Day schedule for ALL grade levels with the school Trunk or Treat taking place at South Hills Academy that evening at 5pm!!!)
Monday 31st – Character Day: Dress as your favorite storybook character! (Please keep it school appropriate and NO full-face masks or weapons!)
Red Ribbon Week is also a wonderful time for parents to talk with their children about the dangers of drug use and how it cannot just horribly affect their own lives, but the lives of their friends and loved ones as well. According to YouthFirst.org, children of parents who talk to their teens regularly about drugs are 42 percent less likely to use drugs than those who do not. However, only 25 percent of teens report having these conversations. Alcohol and other forms of drug abuse in this country have reached epidemic stages, and with the ongoing rise in rainbow fentanyl deaths amongst teenagers across the country, including seven here in Los Angeles County, it is imperative that visible, unified prevention education efforts by community members be launched to eliminate the demand for drugs.
If you need more resources on how to talk to your children about the effects of drugs and alcohol, there are a number of resources available, including the ones at www.redribbonweek.org.
We at South Hills Academy look forward to seeing our Eagles come to the nest in their pajamas, camouflage, and neon colors, this week and at Trunk or Treat on Friday evening! We are also committed to making sure we help guide them to make wise choices – including saying NO to drugs!