For Red Ribbon Week at Forest Oak Middle School in Gaithersburg students dressed with a message — No Use of Illegal Drugs, No Illegal Use of Legal Drugs.
That is the official idea behind National Red Ribbon Week, celebrated nationwide the last week of October to increase students' awareness of the dangers of drug and alcohol use.
Montgomery County Public Schools marked the week with an assembly at Forest Oak on Oct. 28.
"I certainly hope it enlightens the kids, they are very impressionable at this age," said Gaithersburg Police Officer Bobby Blackmon, the educational facilities officer at the school. "It is a wonderful event in youth awareness and crime prevention."
Each day of the week, students at the school were asked to wear a specific article of clothing such as a necktie to remind them to "tie into a healthy lifestyle," a crazy pair of socks to "sock it to drugs," and even wacky fashions because "drugs make you wacky."
"The week is going well; a lot of people are participating," said Celina Herndon, 11, of Gaithersburg, one of the students helping with Red Ribbon Week activities, before the assembly. "That is a way they will be drug free and not become [an] alcoholic."
The dress-up activities and video messages delivered over the school's Good Morning Forest Oak TV show were put together by the school's Red Ribbon Club, all sixth-graders. They spent weeks planning activities and creating video scripts to encourage their classmates to commit to a healthy and drug-free lifestyle.
"[Red Ribbon Week] is best if it is student led," said Meg Baker, from the Montgomery County Public Schools Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools. "They are the ones that come up with the ideas for getting the drug-free lifestyle message out."
Laila-Rose Galvin, 11, of Silver Spring, Binta Touray, 11, of Gaithersburg and Katherine Rodas, 11, of Gaithersburg worked together on a skit that was taped and played during the morning show.
Wearing red T-shirts emblazoned with "Paws-itively drug free" — the school's mascot is the cougar — Laila-Rose and Katherine held a leaning and unstable Binta between them during their skit.
"She is leaning into drugs but we're holding her so we are keeping her out of drugs," Laila-Rose said.
The girls said friends can help keep a person from using illegal drugs or alcohol.
"People need support, they need to know they are not going through it alone," Katherine said.
The county's Red Ribbon program focuses on middle and elementary school students.
"Studies have found the earlier you can start kids with a prevention message, the greater the chances they will carry it through when they get older," Baker said.
The Forest Oaks students' enthusiasm for their project was apparent as they watched each other's skits being taped during the last meeting of the Red Ribbon Club. The planning group disbands at the end of Red Ribbon week each year.
"I feel good because I am showing kids you shouldn't be involved in drugs because it makes a big change in your life," Renaldo Regalado, 11, of Gaithersburg said.
At the assembly, civic leaders, teachers and students from Gaithersburg High School encouraged the Forest Oak students to stay drug- and alcohol-free. Gaithersburg also sent its pep band, cheerleaders, pompon squad and flag team to the assembly.
"I think they see us as role models," said cheerleader Heather Reyes, 17, a senior. "If they come to Gaithersburg High School and get involved in athletics they will see they don't need to do drugs."
Forest Oak Principal John Burley encouraged students to get involved in activities, clubs or sports as a better choice than drugs and alcohol.
"We don't usually do assemblies like this [but] we want to make this a big deal," he said. "We want to say that staying free from drugs and alcohol is important."
