Busy Red Ribbon Week in Rockwood

Amber Cromwell

Thirteen-year-old Amber Cromwell joined the TREND chapter at Rockwood Valley Middle School to get more involved in school activities. She and other chapter members were especially busy during October.

That's because they were preparing for a the host of activities marking Red Ribbon Week at the west St. Louis County school. Schools across the country stage Red Ribbon Week activities as part of a national program to keep kids drug and tobacco free.

The school's Red Ribbon Week featured a daily theme during the Oct. 24-27 period.

Kathleen Lavallee

Twelve-year-old Kathleen Lavallee said each of the four days featured a special costume theme. She said the clothes included "anything you wouldn't ordinarily wear to school."

For instance, Monday, Oct. 24, was Crazy Sock Day, with the slogan "Sock It to Drugs." Kathleen said she wore her knee-high blue soccer socks.

Her friend and co-chapter member Katie Golden said her crazy sock choice was "toe-socks." That's the type of sock with knitting surrounding individual toes. The 12-year-old Katie said her socks are also knee-high with varied-color rings all the way up the socks.

Katie Golden

Other costume themes include Team Jersey Day on Tuesday, Oct. 25; All-District Red Day on Wednesday, and Twin Day on Thursday.

Seventh-grader Kathleen said Twin Day involved "two friends getting together and dressing the same, as if they were twins."

Although the costume themes involve the kids having fun, there's a serious side to Red Ribbon Week at Rockwood Valley. For instance, the TREND members were in the halls selling wristbands with the slogan, "Live drug free."

The wristbands sold for $1. That will give the TREND chapter the money to buy matching shirts for the school's part in St. Louis' traditional Thanksgiving Day parade. The Rockwood Valley contingent will be stressing their "drug free" theme.

Kendal Durham

Thirteen-year-old Kendal Durham is another of the chapter members. He said he also got involved in TREND as a way to get more involved in school. But, he also said he was concerned that "drugs could mess up a person's life."

Both Amber Cromwell and Kendal live in the city of St. Louis. They are bussed to west St. Louis County as part of the area's voluntary desegregation program.

Kendal has been coming to suburban schools since he was in kindergarten. For the first four years, he went to a school in the Pattonville School District. However, he said, "I came to the Rockwood district after my elementary school in Pattonville was torn down to make way for the (Lambert) airport expansion."

Although Amber and Kendal were attracted to the TREND chapter as a way to get more involve in school activities, they understand the serious side of the chapter work.

Amber said, "People get to be homeless because of drugs." She said she comes from a religious family and is steering clear of any involvement in drugs.

Just before Red Ribbon Week started, TREND members in Rockwood schools took part in a "lock-in" party at The Pointe. That's a recreational facility in the city of Ballwin.

The Rockwood School District rented the facility so all its TREND chapters could get together just prior to Red Ribbon Week at the individual district schools.

Kathleen Lavallee said she liked the idea of telling others about the dangers of drugs. "Instead of just learning, I am teaching others about it," she said.

Katie Golden said kids get a lot of information in school about dangers from drugs and tobacco. She said, "Last year, we watched a whole bunch of movies. They were scary."

Another feature of the Rockwood Valley school's Red Ribbon Week was a giant artificial tree. Each kid in the school was given a paper leaf with the slogan, "Leaf drugs behind-we have better things to do!"

Each kid was to sign his or her leaf and pin it to the branches of the tree.

In addition, each kid got an individually-numbered red ribbon that they were to wear each day. Each morning, the school principal announced a series of ribbon numbers.

If the student with that numbered ribbon was wearing it, he or she went to the school office for a special treat. Also, during the day, principals were walking the halls and giving out treats to kids wearing their ribbons.

The school's TREND chapter is a year-round extra-curricular activity. The first semester was filled mostly with planning for Red Ribbon Week.

The chapter advisor is Michelle Peifer, who is the Family and Consuming Science (FACS) teacher. She said she is planning a variety of community activities for the kids in the spring semester.