Yorktown Middle School Now Red Ribbon Certified

Yorktown Heights, NY, June 22, 2017-- The Mildred E. Strang Middle School announces it has a new and very important distinction. It is now a Red Ribbon Certified School making it the first school in New York State and only one of 72 nationwide to achieve this status since 2005.

In describing the significance of the award, the Institute wrote: “It means that you are striving to keep children safe, healthy and drug-free by engaging parents, focusing on education and holding year-round substance abuse prevention events, such as the Annual Red Ribbon campaign.”

The Red Ribbon Campaign is one of the largest national campaigns intended to encourage schools and community families to create a culture of school-based substance abuse prevention through programs and activities, which is so important in our current times.

This program has had an important role at Mildred E. Strang Middle School and in the Yorktown Central School District. The District has participated in annual Red Ribbon events for years through a wide network of teachers, parents, students and outside agencies, such as Alliance for Safe Kids in Yorktown.

Spearheaded by middle school Assistant Principal Danielle Schiano, the application committee members were teachers Sue Sabella and Melissa Hurbanek; Kristin Quintano, a Bully Prevention Counselor formerly with the District, and Yorktown parent Lori Consaga and her son, eighth grader Thomas Consaga.

“I want to thank the RRCS committee for dedicating so much time and heart into this application. You all contributed so much and I could not thank you enough! ” said Ms Schiano. “You were passionate about this certification process and truly want to positively impact outcomes for youth.”

“It is important for parents to know our emphasis is on the whole child and that we are not only supporting their academic and social needs but continuously developing their emotional wellness. We want our students to grow into confident young adults who make good choices and become change agents in society,” Schiano added.

The Red Ribbon Certified school committee worked on applying for this designation feeling it would enhance the efforts of substance abuse programming for the District and at Mildred E. Strang Middle School. Mrs. Horowitz, the principal of Mildred E. Strang MS stated, “I am proud of the work of the committee. This distinction is further evidence of our school’s commitment to the development of the whole child. She continued, “In addition to our participation in Red Ribbon Week and other character building events, we are introducing the DARE program into our eighth grade classes for the 2017-2018 school year.”

This award, from the Institute for Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Central Florida, assesses a school’s performance in four areas: school environment, best practices in education, parent engagement and substance abuse prevention activities.

The Middle School had achieved success in all four areas according to the Florida-based organization.

Planning has already begun for activities at Mildred E. Strang Middle School and the school District for Red Ribbon Week during the 2017-2018 school year.

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Photo captions:

Left to right: Tom Consaga, Lori Consaga, Melissa Hurbanek, Sue Sabella and Danielle Schiano (Kristin Quintano was not present).

Logo for Red Ribbon Certified School