With a week of activities, pledges, clothing themes and a poster contest, students at Prodell Middle School put great effort into this year’s Red Ribbon Week, a nationally observed alcohol, tobacco, drugs and violence prevention awareness campaign.

Student Council members created an informative PowerPoint presentation with information on Red Ribbon Week’s history and anti-bullying references, resiliency and choices in life, and clothing themes for the event included favorite jerseys for “Team Up Against Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Day,” neckties for “Don’t Get Tied into Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Day” and orange for Unity Day – a time to unite against bullying and for kindness, acceptance and inclusion.

“Red Ribbon Week is a time for each of us to reflect and commit to living a healthy and dignified life,” said Andrea Monz, Prodell Middle School social worker. “Its initial focus of educating students about the dangers of substance abuse and promote positive decision-making has evolved into sharing the importance of positive role models in our lives. At Prodell, students are encouraged to talk to our principal, the assistant principal, a counselor, social worker, psychologist or any teacher. We are here to help them be successful in school and in life.”