Drug Free Rally

Today was the drug free rally at school. Every day this week we have had some sort of paper to wear. Tuesday was headbands that proclaimed I Won't Let Drugs Go to My Head. Wednesday was monkey masks that said Don't let drugs make a monkey out of you. (So now we have a bunch of elementary school kids thinking that if they smoke crack they will grow hair all over their bodies and like bananas a whole lot more.) And Thursday was a fake report card with all A+'s (which we don't even give at our school) and the slogan, Too Smart to Start (if you get some B's are you dumb enough to do drugs?)

I guess someone decided that kids needed to be bombarded with "drug free" messages as early as possible. But things that are learned as mantras, without question or explanation, things that are drilled in -- aren't those the same things that kids question and then experiment with later? Like all the crises of faith my friends had in high school? Anyhow, I'm not arguing that it is important to talk to children about the hazards and illegality of drug use, I'm just saying, let's do that instead of bombarding them with catchy slogans that they don't have the vocabulary to comprehend beyond the simple call and response: Who's Drug Free? We're drug free!

Not that I did much of that. I think we all did a little of that, but really, if Mississippi wants a useful drug-free program starting in elementary school, they should incorporate it into the curriculum framework so that it actually gets taught. Something in Science for first grade like, "Looks at pictures/videos of diseased organs and healthy organs and discusses basic causes of organ degeneration (drugs, disease, malnourishment.)"

Anyhow, for today each class had to prepare some sort of skit, song, poem, etc. Last year mine were sort of duds. And since I still don't have any rhythm (have I mentioned that when I go to church I have to watch the choir to know when to clap during the gospel songs?), I decided to do a song. So I taught my class about how there are many different kinds of drugs that people use, most of which are against the law, which have averse physical and mental effects. I showed them a picture of a diseased lung and a healthy lung. We talked about how drugs can make you think it is okay to do crazy things and act strangely and not only does it make it harder for you to learn, it hurts your family's feelings when you don't act like yourself. And we sang (to the tune of "Do You Know the Muffin Man?"):

Did you know that we're drug free? (Shrug.)
We're drug free, we're drug free. (Point to selves.)
Did you know that we're drug free?
Star learners in 1C! (Make 1C with hands.)

I'm drug free so I can learn, (Point at head.)
I can learn, I can learn.
I'm drug free so I can learn.
Those drugs, they hurt your brain. (Wobble and hold head.)

I'm drug free so I can breathe, (Deep breath.)
So I can breathe, so I can breathe.
I'm drug free so I can breathe.
Those drugs, they hurt your lungs. (Cough, cough.)

I'm drug free because I love, (Hug self.)
Because I love, because I love.
I'm drug free because I love,
I love my family.

Clap your hands if you're drug free. (Clap on "drug" and "free".)
If you're drug free, you're drug free.
Clap your hands if you're drug free.
Star learners in 1C!

They did a good job. We won the prize for first grade and my students got water bottles (for the girls) and mini plastic footballs (for the boys) with the slogan Drug Free Begins With Me emblazoned on them.

So, hurrah for no drugs!