The Tempe All Stars work on leadership skills on a weekly basis. Part of being a leader is expressing your thoughts and staying true to commitments. Since one of the commitments the students take in the beginning of the year is to publicly announce their promise to stay away from underage drinking, April is a perfect month to emphasize this promise.
Last week, the Gilliland Middle School students created mini posters and pictures to promote Alcohol Awareness Month. They created visuals that showed what other activities someone can participate in to have fun other than drinking alcohol. The students had fun crafting the pictures for the schools’ lunchroom bulletin board. Not only were they proud of their work but they were excited to post it on the school campus to share with their fellow classmates.
Prevention Coordinator, Ms. G., and assistant, Ms. Patty, explain that the images on the bulletin board are a good positive reminder for other students. It is also a chance for the All Stars to showcase their hard work and it gives them the opportunity to be proud of their commitments to stay away from risky behaviors.
The image below is just one positive message a student shared on the bulletin board.
Lack of education about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse is one large contributing factor for why so many children experiment with drugs at such a young age. Often times, this starts at home. Regardless if children like to admit it or not, parents are very influential people in their lives. Research has continually shown that the earlier a parent talks with their children about drugs, the more likely the child will refrain from using drugs. In addition, there are many misconceptions about drugs and alcohol. For example, some do not realize the seriousness of abusing prescription drugs.
Given the problems associated with lack of knowledge about drugs and alcohol, programs such as Tempe All Stars are very beneficial for children. Having a better understanding about the consequences of risky behavior will help children make better decisions. Furthermore, if they make the connection that participating in these risky behaviors will compromise reaching their ideal future, than the chances of abstaining will be higher.
I interviewed Gabe, a student who has participated with All Stars for the past five years, he said his favorite aspect of the club is in fact switching the roles around and teaching his parents something new about drugs and or alcohol.
I also interviewed Ms. Patty, the assistant for the Tempe All Stars Club. She explained that teaching the kids this information about drugs and alcohol is extremely important a this time in their lives, especially because they are all about to attend high school.
To watch these short interviews, watch the video below:
1.Q: If alcoholism runs in my family, will I grow up to be an alcoholic?
A: Not necessarily. However, according to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc., you are four times more likely to develop a problem.
2.Q: How do you know if someone is an alcoholic?
A: Alcoholism is when someone is dependent on alcohol. A high tolerance is built up which makes the person need to drink larger amounts of alcohol to feel differently. When an alcoholic does not have alcohol in their system they can show signs of withdrawal. An alcoholic has a craving for alcohol and has lost control of how much they drink.
3. Q: How old should I start talking to my kids about alcohol?
A: The exact age is up to the parent. However, take these statistics into consideration when deciding when to have the talk with your child. “In a recent survey, 1 in 3 fifth and sixth graders (ages 10-11) said that alcohol was available and easy to get. Approximately 10% of 9-10 year olds have started drinking, one in three begin drinking before age 13 and by age 15, approximately 50% have had at least one drink.”
4. Q: Is marijuana addictive?
A: Yes, According to NIDA, long-term marijuana use can lead to addiction for about 9% of users and increases among those who start young (to about 17%) and daily users (25-50%).
5. Q: How can I help prevent my child from participating in risky behavior?
A: Make sure your child is educated on the facts, set a good example and make sure prescriptions drugs and or alcohol is not easy accessible to them.
6. Q: What is binge drinking?
A: Binge drinking is consuming a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time.
7. Q: Do middle school students actually participate in doing drugs and drinking alcohol?
A: Yes,“By the 8th grade, 28 percent of adolescents have consumed alcohol, 15 percent have smoked cigarettes, and 16.5 percent have used marijuana.”
8. Q: Is alcohol a drug?
A: Yes, “It is classed as a depressant, meaning that it slows down vital functions—resulting in slurred speech, unsteady movement, disturbed perceptions and an inability to react quickly.”
9. Q: I am prescribed Adderall and my friend said she needs one for her exam. If I sell it to her for a few bucks am I breaking the law?
A: Not only are you breaking the law but you are drug dealing.
10. Q: What is the difference between marijuana and hash?
A: Hashish is a related form of the drug, made from the resins of the Indian hemp plant. It is about six times stronger than marijuana.
For further information please refer to the following websites:
In today’s generation, everyone has a billion things going on; kids are busy and parents have jam-packed schedules. When families are swamped with activities, coordinating schedules can be difficult. It is important to routinely make time for family dinner. It has been statistically proven that children who have family dinner on a regular basis have a lesser chance of being involved in risky behavior.
Not only did Tricia Gillman want to get parents involved with All Stars, she wanted to emphasize the idea of habitually sitting down and having dinner as a family. This is how the monthly family dinner meeting was created; every month, the students and their families are invited to the Pyle Center for a one-hour meeting and dinner is provided; it is a good time for the kids to interact with one another and the parents to spend time with them.
The All Star students and their parents gathered for the meeting on Monday. Intern and assistant, Patricia Barron, gave a bilingual presentation on the facts of alcohol.
She explained, “Kids that try alcohol before the age of 18 have a 40% higher chance of becoming an alcoholic when they are older.” Barron had many interesting statistics to share and did so both in English and Spanish.
The parents enjoy learning the education that their kids learn in the weekly meetings. “As a parent, going to the meetings has been eye opening,” Julia Talbert said.
Gillman wrapped up the meeting by informing the parents and guardians about up-coming lessons, field trips and events that the children would be involved in.
The All Stars family dinner meeting was informative and a good learning experience for everyone. More interesting facts and statistics coming soon!
Adults often reflect back to “the good old days,” when they were young kids without so many responsibilities. However, people forget that it can be tough being a kid. Middle-school-aged kids deal with peer pressure, hormonal changes, crushes and learning how to decipher good friends from bad friends.
An after-school-club, Tempe All Stars, is a free prevention program for sixth through eighth graders at both Connolly and Gilliland Middle School. The club helps to guide the kids in reaching their ideal futures, staying away from risky behavior and becoming leaders.
Tricia Gillman has been the coordinator of this non profit organization since 2004 and she loves to see the kids happy. She said, “I really like that I can do prevention with people in a fun, supportive environment.”
Gillman and her assistant take the kids through a lesson during each meeting which is based on the best practice program. Gillman said the curriculum opens a lot of doors for creativity.
Not only do the students learn a lesson in a fun way each time they meet, they play games, have a snack, win prizes and sometimes even take field trips.
Julia Talbert, mother of two Tempe All Stars, Isabella Talbert and Autumn Talbert, said that the program is “a good positive program in a critical time in life.”
Ever since she started with All Stars, Gillman has made it easy for the parents to get involved. In fact, she puts on a free family dinner once a month for all of her all stars and their families. The next event is planned for Monday, February 10, 2014.
Make sure to check back to read all about an All Star family dinner!
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