By Nathan Straus

nstraus@jacksonvilleprogress.com

Preparations are under way for Red Ribbon Week at various Jacksonville, Bullard and Rusk schools. Jacksonville elementary campuses, along with Nichols Intermediate and Jacksonville Middle School, will take part in this week of activities, which will run Oct. 26-30.

The week is a national program designed to educate students about the dangers of drug use. Jacksonville school officials spoke in favor of Red Ribbon Week.

Diane Knowles, counselor at Nichols Intermediate, said she believes the activities helps students a lot and keeps them focused.

“We share the history of Red Ribbon Week and have some fun,” she said.

Students at the schools spend the week gaining a more in-depth knowledge of drugs’ effects, and do so with varied and fun themes. School officials said this constitutes a break from normal day-to-day activities.

Fred Douglass Elementary School Principal Amber Penn said the week is a fun time for students and teachers.

“I do think it’s effective,” she said of Red Ribbon Week.

She also said students interact closely with teachers, who also participate fully in the week, to gain an early knowledge of how drugs can be harmful.

Jacksonville ISD Red Ribbon Week activities

Monday

• Elementaries - Give drugs the boot! — students wear any kind of boots

• Nichols Intermediate - Ways to say no — students given bookmarks, will sign drug-free pledges and leard Red Ribbon Week’s history

• Middle School - Give drugs the SLIP — students wear slippers

Tuesday

• Elementaries - Drugs have no place in my future — students wear college T-shirt or dress up for a future job

• Nichols Intermediate and Middle School - Sock it to drugs — crazy sock day

Wednesday

• Elementaries - Put your thinking cap on and don’t do drugs — students wear hats

• Nichols Intermediate - Drugs give me the blues — blue clothes and blue food

• Middle School - Put a cap on drugs

Thursday

• Elementaries - Drugs give me the blues — students wear blue clothing and sunglasses

• Nichols Intermediate - Put a cap on drugs — silly hat day and Nana Puddin’ puppet show

• Middle School - JMS teams up against drugs — JISD spirit shirts

Friday

• Elementaries - We have character. We don’t do drugs — students dress up as their favorite storybok character

• Nichols Intermediate - Team up against drugs — JISD-approved T-shirts

• Middle School - Drugs have no place in my future — college T-shirts