|
"Kick Butts Day" at PVMS Reinforces Tobacco Awareness Messages for Kids
Maura Maier, Theresa DelVecchio, and Pam Darreff are just three of the adults at Putnam Valley Middle School who want to eliminate the threat of adolescent tobacco use. Maier and DelVecchio reinforce the dangers of tobacco use in special classes that they teach as Prevention Educators from Putnam Family & Community Services. Pam Darreff, the Middle School's longtime Health teacher and athletic coach, grabs "teachable moments" throughout the school day as well as in her role as the coordinator for the Putnam Valley Health Advisory Council.
On April 2, Kick Butts Day, they are planning to continue this good work. They are asking students to sign pledges in the shape of hands. Ms. Maier explains, "We want to tie in the hand motif with the message: 'Let's have a show of hands for who wants to breathe easy.' On the back of the 'hand' that each student signs would be a pledge not to smoke. They will also offer more direct messages, such as 'Say no to smoking' and 'Too Smart to Start.'"
After the students sign their pledges during lunch periods the staff will collect the signed pledges and put them on long strips of colored paper and mount them on the wall with a color strip for each grade in their respective class color.
Kick Butts Day, a program of the Campaign For Tobacco Free Kids, is a national day of activism that empowers youth to speak up and take action against tobacco use at more than 2,000 events from coast to coast. For more information, visit http://kickbuttsday.org/.
| 
