MES sixth graders learn about perils of substance abuse
Bad choices can have harmful, even lethal consequences.
Sixth graders from Marion Elementary School saw this lesson firsthand Oct. 31, as volunteers banded together in a community-based role-play designed to demonstrate the hazards of drug and alcohol abuse.
"The emphasis behind the day is getting kids to understand the perils, and how easy it is to fall into unsafe situations," said MES principal Stan Ploutz.
Instead of sitting in a classroom listening to lectures and watching films, students ventured forth into the community, where volunteers enacted scenarios of the consequences of abusing legal and illegal drugs and alcohol.
Students started at Marion Pharmacy, where pharmacist Traci Lanning introduced them to the hazards legal drugs present.
Marion County Sheriff's deputy Duane McCarty initiated a series of role plays focused on the legal consequences of drug use. McCarty showed students samples of illegal drugs, and used graphic "before and after" pictures to illustrate the physical tolls of illegal drug use.
"I learned what drugs can do to you," said James Svoboda.
"After doing drugs for a few years, your body can change a lot," Whitney Christensen chimed in.
Several students had been designated to "steal" some drugs during McCarty's presentation. When they were "caught," the sixth graders embarked on a whirlwind trip through the legal system, starting with being booked through the county jail.
The "case" was tried before Eighth Judicial District Chief Judge Michael Powers and Marion County Attorney Susan Robson, with volunteer Chris Costello serving as defense counsel. Students learned about not only the legal consequences of committing a felony, but the financial consequences as well.
"It costs a lot stealing something," Faith Banning said. "There are a lot of fees."
Following court, Erin Engelken, Eighth Judicial District Court Services Officer, educated the students about the legalities and process of drug rehabilitation.
The students next walked to Marion City Building, where the focus of the role plays shifted to personal and social consequences.
The sixth graders observed Marion High School Key Club members portraying students suffering the effects of drinking alcohol at a party, with one of the students becoming seriously ill.
A mock emergency room gave students the chance to observe efforts to save the life of the ill student. Nurses Barb Steiner and Cathy Henderson, along with members of Marion Emergency Medical Services, modeled CPR and other life-saving measures, which proved futile in saving the student's life.
The sixth graders were quietly ushered across the street to Valley United Methodist Church, where the Rev. Phil Smith conducted a solemn funeral, asking students to think about all of the ways in which they would remember the "deceased."
"He made it sound real," said Morgan Makovec.
"I thought it was sad, because what if it was you?" said Banning.
At the conclusion of the funeral, students met with USD 408 Superintendent Lee Leiker to discuss their experiences and reactions.
"Every year, I say I'm not going to do it, " said USD 408 school nurse Janet Waner, reacting to amount of work involved in coordinating the event.
"But all the kids say it's really good, and all the people who volunteer feel the kids get something out of it," she said.
"All the people in the community are great to volunteer their time to hopefully make a difference in at least one kid," she concluded.
Ploutz echoed those observations.
"If we affected one or two minds, if they said to themselves 'I can make a choice, I can make a difference' — it's done its job," Ploutz summarized.
One sixth grader it did affect was Chelsea Voth.
"I thought it taught us a good lesson about not doing drugs," she said.
