HOUSTON – Oct. 20, 2017 – At schools across the district, Spring ISD students and teachers will take part in a range of fun, colorful activities to celebrate National Red Ribbon Week, Oct. 23-31. The themed campus events – focused on reinforcing positive, healthy messages – are designed to get students excited about being drug-free and focused on their long-term goals and dreams.

Students at Anderson Elementary will proclaim “We Are Too Bright for Drugs” by wearing sunglasses to school, while the “Hats Off to Being Drug Free” event at Lewis Elementary will find students and staff sporting their favorite hats.

Eickenroht Elementary School students will “Join the Fight Against Drugs” by wearing camouflage clothing, and at Smith Elementary, both students and teachers will don their favorite college-themed attire to remind themselves and one another that success in school requires hard work and focus. Smith administrators are calling the event “Live Like You’re Planning for Your Future,” underscoring the campaign’s deeper meaning.

“We try to make sure these events are a lot of fun for our students,” said Smith Elementary School Counselor Nicole Hill. “We want to get them excited about celebrating National Red Ribbon Week, and we want to get their attention so that they can really hear the message behind it all – that drugs will not help them get where they want to go, in school or in life. It’s a serious event, but we try to make it memorable and have a good time with it, too.”

Some campuses have planned school-wide events, such as Beneke Elementary School’s Storybook Character Parade, where students will dress up as their favorite characters and “Show Good Character by Being Drug Free.” Bammel Middle School, meanwhile, will hold a Red Ribbon Rally on Friday, Oct. 27, featuring a drumline, the school’s cheerleaders, and a photo booth for students.

Several schools are incorporating the Red Ribbon Campaign into their lessons for the week, encouraging students to write essays on the topic and planning science lessons around the dangers of drug use.

The National Red Ribbon Campaign, first launched in 1985, began as a commemoration and remembrance of the murder of Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique Camarena. The annual event is sponsored by the National Family Partnership, a non-profit group that works to support drug prevention efforts and to educate both children and the general public about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.