Barnegat Township School District celebrates Red Ribbon Week  

Barnegat Township, NJ – Various activities were held across Barnegat Township School District (BTSD) K-12 to promote drug prevention and raise awareness about the dangers of substance misuse. As the nation’s oldest and largest drug prevention awareness campaign, Red Ribbon Week started in 1985 after the death of DEA agent Enrique Camarena. According to the district, raising awareness and launching prevention campaigns through its schools is an important part of its efforts to ensure students can learn and thrive.

“We are committed to educating our youth on the dangers of drug and alcohol misuse to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of our school community. By incorporating substance use prevention education into our curriculum, we can bring awareness to students and promote prevention,” said BTSD Superintendent Brian Latwis. “It is our goal to foster a supportive culture, while offering resources to help guide students towards success while reducing the influence of substance misuse within our school walls. Red Ribbon Week offers a time for us to reinforce these important values collaboratively as a district.”

Across the district, students and members of the school community wore red on Oct. 28 to kick-off the national campaign and show their commitment to being drug-free.

At Barnegat High School, a series of spirit-related themes were held that emphasized personal acceptance and unity. Activities for high school students focused on building resiliency and protective factors, healthy habits to prevent substance misuse, while including strategies for alternative choices and resources on how to get help.

Students at the Russell O. Brackman Middle School kicked off the national theme “Life is a Movie, Film Drug Free” by wearing red to ‘walk the red carpet’ demonstrating a commitment to be drug-free. Activities were reinforced throughout the week and centered around empowering students to make healthy choices. This included calls to action and positive affirmations regarding self-value, investing in one’s health and wellness, and celebrating individuality.

With a focus on early intervention and prevention, BTSD’s elementary schools celebrated Red Ribbon Week through pledge signings and unified spirit-wear opportunities. Activities also included a series of fun and engaging activities surrounding making healthy choices. The concept of character building was reinforced by encouraging students to dress as their favorite movie characters. Exercise was also part of the week’s activities to emphasize the importance of staying healthy.

Students in grades 5 and 6 at the Robert L. Horbelt Intermediate School celebrated Red Ribbon Week through activities focused on mindfulness and building strategies to quiet the mind and relieve stress. Lessons reinforced acceptance of mistakes and perseverance during difficult times. Students also learned how to build resilience by coping with change, finding and celebrating their strengths, and building the capacity to be adaptable and flexible.

Throughout the year, BTSD is committed to fostering a safe, healthy environment for students to learn and grow. For more information and resources for parents and students surrounding mental health, bullying and drug prevention, visit www.barnegatschools.com/families-community/parent-resources.