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Pocantico D.A.R.E. Update

from
Officer Marty Greenberg

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Read the 1999 Graduation Essays
Read the 1998 D.A.R.E. Graduation Essays
Check out Officer Greenberg's Dare Page

What is D.A.R.E.?

"D.A.R.E. is a unique and magical program that gives law enforcement officials the opportunity to provide children with the knowledge and strength to make choices they can call their very own."

- D.A.R.E. Officer

D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. It is a program taught in schools by specially trained law enforcement officers. It was created by a combined effort of educators and law enforcement personnel in Los Angeles in 1983, and rapidly expanded nationwide.

Officers are carefully chosen and must undergo stringent training to receive their certification as D.A.R.E. instructors. A common thread shared by these D.A.R.E. instructors is their dedication to the task and their commitment to helping children.

"D.A.R.E. hasn’t just taught me about drugs. It has taught me daily life skills. I’ve learned ways to live a better life and take care of myself."

- Sixth grader

D.A.R.E. is not focused on "scare tactics," but on helping children develop important life skills in order to make good choices; skills needed to deal with the dangers of illicit and illegal drugs, including alcohol and tobacco. D.A.R.E. provides the guidance children need to make the right decisions for their health and their future.

"The kids had developed a relationship with the D.A.R.E. Officer that rooted deep within their hearts. My daughter remarked to me, ‘Mom, he is so sensitive, he really cares about us…he’s a good friend and we don’t want him to leave.’"

- Parent

The 17-week elementary curriculum, taught to fifth or sixth graders, covers many topics that help students understand and deal with social pressures while strengthening their own self-image. Lessons actively involve student participation through workbook exercises, questions and answers, role playing, and group discussion. These lessons include:

D.A.R.E. is taught on a continuum from kindergarten through 12th grade. The K through 4th grade lessons focus on personal safety. Middle school and high school lessons reinforce the elementary curriculum, as well as covering additional issues such as managing anger and resolving conflict without the use of drugs or violence.

"I have dreams I want to accomplish from now until the time I am an adult…D.A.R.E. helped me take a step to make my time all it can be."

- Sixth grader

Through D.A.R.E. and the caring people who make it work, today’s children have a stronger chance of creating a better world.

"If we fail to dare, if we do not try, the next generation will harvest the fruit of our indifference --- a world we could have made better by caring more."

- Senator Robert Kennedy

"Because our children hold the future in their hands, we all must take responsibility for them. Setting them on the right path will take all of us; law enforcement officials, educators, parents, and members of the business community working together."

-Business leader

If you would like to learn more about D.A.R.E., lend your support, or find out how to establish a D.A.R.E. program in your community, please contact:

NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services
Bureau for Municipal Police
Executive Park Tower
Stuyvesant Plaza
Albany, NY 12203

1-800-SAY-DARE
(518) 457-2667

D.A.R.E. is a registered service mark of D.A.R.E. America, Inc.
The D.A.R.E. curricula are legally copywrited by the Los Angeles Unified School District.

D.A.R.E. at Pocantico Hills School

The D.A.R.E. program came to Pocantico Hills School in the fall of 1996, following a request made by Superintendent/Principal Peter Lisi. This cooperative effort between the school district and the Mt. Pleasant Police Department resulted in Officer Marty Greenberg being assigned the duties of D.A.R.E. Officer.

The core D.A.R.E. program is provided to the fifth graders in a weekly 45 minute lesson, for 17 weeks. At the conclusion of the program, the fifth graders "Graduate" in an emotional and exciting D.A.R.E. Culmination Ceremony. On February 20, 1997, the first Pocantico Hills D.A.R.E. class graduated. Thirty-six fifth graders received D.A.R.E. graduation certificates. They celebrated with their families afterward at a reception held in their honor.

In addition to the core program, Officer Greenberg also provides lessons for the other grade levels, from Pre-K through 8th grade. Programs for Pre-K through 4th grade deal with issues on personal safety, stranger awareness, Halloween safety, and bicycle safety. Programs for 6th through 8th grades reinforce the elementary curriculum. Teachers throughout the school utilize Officer Greenberg for individual lessons as well.

As part of the core D.A.R.E. program, high school students are brought into the classrooms for Lesson #13, entitled "Role Models." These role models are selected by Mr. Lisi and Officer Greenberg. They are former Pocantico Hills School students, and represent the three area high schools: Sleepy Hollow, Briarcliff, and Pleasantville. The Role Model lesson is one of the fifth graders’ favorite classes.

In addition to scheduled classes, Officer Greenberg can be seen throughout the school. His special D.A.R.E. car parked outside is a sign that he is near. The cafeteria, gym, art room, library, and playground are just a few of the places you’ll find him interacting with the children and staff. After school, you will often find him visiting the scouts or watching the school teams play. Throughout the year, he can be seen at special events, including the PTA’s Craft Fair and Book Swap. During the summer months, Officer Greenberg even spends time at the Pocantico Day Camp.

Thanks to the continued support of the Pocantico Hills School District, the Mt. Pleasant Town Board, and the Mt. Pleasant Police Department, the D.A.R.E. program at Pocantico Hills School has flourished. Special thanks to Pocantico Hills School Superintendent/Principal Peter Lisi and Chief of Police Russell Beckley for their continued support. Remember, the children are our future.

D.A.R.E. curriculum

The following outlines the 17-week D.A.R.E. 5th and 6th grade curriculum:

  1. INTRODUCING D.A.R.E.: Acquaints students with role of police and practices for student safety. The children will go over the course requirements and discuss them with their parents.
  2. UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF MIND-ALTERING DRUGS: Students will learn about the harmful effects of drugs.
  3. CONSEQUENCES: Students will learn about choices and consequences. Making good choices often lead to good consequences.
  4. CHANGING BELIEFS ABOUT DRUG USE: Students are made aware of the different kinds of peer pressure they may face, which will help them make good choices.
  5. RESISTANCE TECHNIQUES: Students learn the "8 Ways to Say NO" and how to apply them to the various types of pressure.
  6. BUILDING SELF-ESTEEM: Helps students understand that self-image results from positive and negative feelings and experiences.
  7. ASSERTIVENESS - A RESPONSE STYLE: Teaches that assertiveness is a response style that enables a person to state his/her own rights without the loss of self-esteem.
  8. MANAGING STRESS WITHOUT TAKING DRUGS: Students learn how to recognize and manage stressful situations.
  9. REDUCING VIOLENCE: Helps students identify non-violent ways to deal with anger and disagreement.
  10. MEDIA INFLUENCES ON DRUG USE AND VIOLENCE: Helps students develop the understanding and skills needed to analyze and resist media presentations about alcohol, drug use, and violence.
  11. MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT RISKY BEHAVIOR: Helps students apply the decision-making process in evaluating the results of various kinds of risk-taking behavior, including that of drug use and violence.
  12. SAYING "YES" TO POSITIVE ALTERNATIVES: Helps students find out about activities that are interesting and in which they can achieve success.
  13. POSITIVE ROLE MODELING: High school role models, that do not smoke or use drugs, talk to the younger students to clarify the misconception that those who use drugs are in the majority.
  14. RESISTING GANG AND GROUP VIOLENCE: Helps students identify situations in which they may be pressured by gangs and evaluate the consequences of the choices available to them.
  15. DARE SUMMARY: Helps students summarize and assess what they learned from the program.
  16. TAKING A STAND: Students take a positive stand to be drug-free and to avoid violence by putting their commitment in writing and reading it aloud.
  17. CULMINATION: Student graduation from the D.A.R.E. program.

Letter to parents

Dear Parent:

The Mount Pleasant Police Department, in conjunction with the Pocantico Hills School District, is presenting a life skills program at your child’s school. The primary emphasis of the program is to provide the guidance that children need to make the right decisions for their health and their future. The program is entitled D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education).

A 17-week course will be given one day each week to fifth grade students. The curriculum, developed by the Los Angeles Unified School District, will cover such topics as dealing with peer pressure, building self-esteem, decision making, and managing stress.

It is hoped that you share the Police Department’s and School District’s enthusiasm regarding this program. If you have any questions , feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,
Officer M. Greenberg
D.A.R.E. Officer
Mt. Pleasant Police Youth Bureau

About your D.A.R.E. Officer

Officer Marty Greenberg joined the Mt. Pleasant Police Department in July of 1990. After completing the Zone 3 Westchester County Police Academy, he was assigned to the patrol division. In February of 1996, Officer Greenberg attended a D.A.R.E. Instructor Certification Course, sponsored by the Bureau for Municipal Police. This intense training took him to Saratoga Springs, New York for two weeks. He came back highly motivated, ready to provide the children of Mt. Pleasant with "The Ultimate D.A.R.E. Program."

Although he was still assigned to patrol and rotating shifts, Officer Greenberg reached out to the schools, parent groups, community leaders, and the children, and set the wheels in motion for D.A.R.E. By late spring, D.A.R.E. signs were posted throughout the Town of Mt. Pleasant, and the D.A.R.E. car became a reality.

In October of 1996, D.A.R.E. began at the Westlake Middle School and the Pocantico Hills School. In fact, the 36 Pocantico Hills fifth graders became the first Mt. Pleasant D.A.R.E. graduates, in a culmination ceremony held at the school on February 20, 1997. Dignitaries that attended included members of the Pocantico Hills School Board of Education, Town Supervisor Robert Meehan, County Legislator Suzanne Swanson, Chief of Police Russell Beckley, members of local community groups, and D.A.R.E. Officers from throughout Westchester County. A reception followed, honoring the graduates and their families.

In March of 1997, Valhalla Middle School, Holy Name of Jesus School, and Holy Rosary School began their D.A.R.E. programs. They culminated their programs in a combined graduation ceremony on May 29, 1997.

By the end of the 1996-97 school year, 315 children graduated from Officer Greenberg’s D.A.R.E. programs in all five school districts. In June, a splash party at the new Mt. Pleasant Pool brought them all together for the grand finale.

Officer Greenberg graduated from Valhalla High School. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from SUNY Albany and a Master’s degree in Education from Long Island University. He is happily married and still lives in the area.

Upcoming Events:

Check back periodically for announcements.

 

Sunday, May 3, 1998
D.A.R.E. DAY at SPORTIME USA
Times will be announced.
Free Super-Tokens to anyone wearing a D.A.R.E. tee shirt

Mt. Pleasant D.A.R.E. Car

Check out Officer Greenberg's Dare Home Page

E-Mail Officer Greenberg

Link to Official D.A.R.E. Home Page

back to Classes      This page was last updated on February 17, 2005