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Click here for another photo of
The Pittston City Police Dept. D.A.R.E. Vehicle
Chief Policare with a D.A.R.E. class from St. Mary's in Avoca shown admiring the new D.A.R.E. vehicle.

Chief Jeff Tayoun,
and the Certified Officers
who visit local Public and Parochial Schools,
are currently teaching the D.A.R.E. Program in
the Pittston Area School District this January
and the program will run for 17 weeks
culminating in graduation.

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D.A.R.E. Curriculum

The 5th grade Core program content is organized into seventeen 45-60 minute lessons taught by certified D.A.R.E. Instructors Chief Tayoun. The lessons offer a variety of interactive, role playing and cooperative learning activities which are designed to encourage students to solve problems of major importance in their lives.
The following are the objectives for each of the 17 core lessons:

LESSON 1- INTRODUCTION TO D.A.R.E.:
Students will be introduced to their D.A.R.E. Officer and will become acquainted with the D.A.R.E. Rules, D.A.R.E. Box and their responsibilities as D.A.R.E. Students.

LESSON 2- UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF MIND-ALTERING DRUGS:
To help students develop a knowledge of basic drug facts and the harmful effects of mind-altering drugs if misused.

LESSON 3- CONSIDERING CONSEQUENCES:
To help students identify consequences of using and choosing not to use tobacco, alcohol and marihuana.

LESSON 4- CHANGING BELIEFS ABOUT DRUG USE:
To make sure students aware of the actual extent of drug use among adolescents and of the kinds of pressures they may face to take drugs.

LESSON 5- RESISTANCE TECHNIQUES:
To help students learn and practice effective ways to respond to different kinds of peer pressure to use drugs.

LESSON 6- BUILDING SELF-ESTEEM:
To help students understand that self-esteem results from positive and negative feelings and experiences. They will also learn how self-esteem may influence the choices they make.

LESSON 7- ASSERTIVENESS:
To teach assertiveness as a technique for refusing offers to use drugs.

LESSON 8- STRESS:
To help students recognize stress encountered in their daily lives and to suggest ways to deal with it other than by taking drugs.

LESSON 9- REDUCING VIOLENCE:
To help students recognize that destructive acts of violence are inappropriate ways to deal with anger and to resolve disagreements.

LESSON 10- MEDIA INFLUENCES:
To help students understand how the media influences the choices that they make.

LESSON 11- DECISION MAKING:
To help students apply the decision-making process to avoid risky behavior such as taking drugs or joining gangs.

LESSON 12- SAYING YES TO POSITIVE ALTERNATIVES:
To help students find activities that are interesting and rewarding alternatives to drug use.

LESSON 13- POSITIVE ROLE MODELS:
To acquaint students with outstanding High School Role Models.

LESSON 14- RESISTING GANGS:
To help students recognize the negative consequences of gang and group violence and to help them resist becoming involved.

LESSON 15- SUMMARIZING D.A.R.E.:
To help students summarize and access what they have learned during D.A.R.E..

LESSON 16- TAKING A STAND!:
To help students respond effectively when they are pressured to use drugs. Students will take a positive stand to be drug-free and to avoid violence by putting their commitment in an essay.

LESSON 17- D.A.R.E. GRADUATION!!!!!:
To provide an appropriate D.A.R.E. culminating activity to recognize individual achievement of all participants and to reinforce the values and skills they have learned.

Photo of Greg Policare with a local D.A.R.E. Class

Please continue to check out this site for updates in our D.A.R.E. program and stories of classroom achievements.

Bookmark this site now and be sure to check back often
for the latest updates to the Pittston City Police Department D.A.R.E. Page!