RCMS marks Red Ribbon Week
Trying to one-up The Ontario Center School principal Steve Markley, who last week dressed up as a banana, Rancho Cucamonga Middle School principal Bruce LaVallee and his staff members today got nearly 900 students to form the words "no drugs" on the school field. Shortly after, a Department of Homeland Security helicopter landed with two agents who talked to students about drug prevention. Tuesday's article about Red Ribbon Week follows.
By Wendy Leung
RANCHO CUCAMONGA -- Department of Homeland Security representatives made quite the entrance Monday morning when they paid a visit to Rancho Cucamonga Middle School.
To culminate Red Ribbon Week at the school, Homeland Security agents Tom Anderson and Carl Robinson arrived in a helicopter with their drug-prevention message.
The school's grassy field served as a parking lot and waving students were the pilots' guides.
About 880 students formed the words "no drugs" on the field where the helicopter landed.
That message was repeated by Anderson and Robinson throughout the day.
"You can be anything you want -- the president of the United States, an astronaut. But if you want a good job someday, you simply can't do drugs," Anderson said. "People who do drugs just aren't very smart. They turn your brain to mush."
Anderson told students about helicopter missions that he went on while searching for outdoor marijuana operations in the mountains; all of them a part of an intricate crime cartel that was armed with weapons.
Red Ribbon Week is an awareness campaign about alcohol, tobacco and other drug and violence prevention that is typically observed at the end of October in cities throughout the nation.
During the week, students and school officials wear red ribbons, take pledges and participate in activities that show that they are committed to leading a drug-free lifestyle.
It wasn't the first time that Corina Duran, 11, learned about the different drugs that are out there and what it does to people.
She said she already knows a lot of people who do drugs, but didn't realize how massive some of the marijuana operations that Anderson talked about were.
"I didn't know they grew drugs in the forest like that," Corina said. "I didn't know that helicopters went out looking for them."
Monday's special guests wrapped up a week full of Red Ribbon Week activities at the middle school where students were encouraged to wear wacky socks to "sock it to drugs" and wear clothing backwards to "turn your back on drugs."
RANCHO CUCAMONGA -- Department of Homeland Security representatives made quite the entrance Monday morning when they paid a visit to Rancho Cucamonga Middle School.
To culminate Red Ribbon Week at the school, Homeland Security agents Tom Anderson and Carl Robinson arrived in a helicopter with their drug-prevention message.
The school's grassy field served as a parking lot and waving students were the pilots' guides.
About 880 students formed the words "no drugs" on the field where the helicopter landed.
That message was repeated by Anderson and Robinson throughout the day.
"You can be anything you want -- the president of the United States, an astronaut. But if you want a good job someday, you simply can't do drugs," Anderson said. "People who do drugs just aren't very smart. They turn your brain to mush."
Anderson told students about helicopter missions that he went on while searching for outdoor marijuana operations in the mountains; all of them a part of an intricate crime cartel that was armed with weapons.
Red Ribbon Week is an awareness campaign about alcohol, tobacco and other drug and violence prevention that is typically observed at the end of October in cities throughout the nation.
During the week, students and school officials wear red ribbons, take pledges and participate in activities that show that they are committed to leading a drug-free lifestyle.
It wasn't the first time that Corina Duran, 11, learned about the different drugs that are out there and what it does to people.
She said she already knows a lot of people who do drugs, but didn't realize how massive some of the marijuana operations that Anderson talked about were.
"I didn't know they grew drugs in the forest like that," Corina said. "I didn't know that helicopters went out looking for them."
Monday's special guests wrapped up a week full of Red Ribbon Week activities at the middle school where students were encouraged to wear wacky socks to "sock it to drugs" and wear clothing backwards to "turn your back on drugs."
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