A graduation ceremony was held last week to celebrate Clearview fifth graders’ completion of the KIDS Choice program.

 

KIDS Choice is a 12-week curriculum for fifth grade students to learn about bullying, internet safety, and drug prevention and awareness. The acronym KIDS stands for kindness, intelligence, decency and safety, focusing on the positive choices students have available to them. 

 

Sherburne Co. Officer Todd Schuster taught the program to the students, which was developed by Sherburne Co. in 2009. The program covers bullying prevention, cyber bullying, online games and social media sites, drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

 

Principal Sheri Rutar welcomed the audience, after which Schuster explained the KIDS Choice program and what is taught during the 12 weeks students spend in it.

 

“KIDS Choice provides students with the opportunity to rehearse what they might do in a situation before it happens in real life,” he told the audience.

 

Each of the students who participated in the program performed research and wrote an essay about what they’d learned. Caitlin Kliolz from Mrs. Clymer’s class, Elijah Novak from Profesora Maria’s class, and Claire Staudinger from Profesora Jourdan’s class were each chosen to read their essays during the ceremony.

 

Tech High School Principal Charlie Eisenreich congratulated the students on their accomplishment, and stated he hoped it was one of their accomplishments in a long list to come. He encouraged each of them to participate in as many activities as they can.

 

“Students are most successful when they’re involved in activities,” he said. “They teach you how to be a good team member, how to lose, persistence and a never-give-up attitude, provide good discipline skills and help you learn how to have more fun.”

 

Dressed in white t-shirts adorned with the colorful KIDS Choice logo, the graduating students paraded across the stage to receive their certificates of completion, and then sang the song I Can Be, conducted by music teacher Karen Ingeman. 

 

Sherburne Co. Sheriff Joel Brott closed the ceremony by congratulating the students and reminding them of their responsibilities.

 

“You are the future decision makers and leaders of our community,” he said. “As our future leaders, you’re going to face a lot of pressure. True leaders never give in to that pressure. They have the fortitude to do the right thing even if it’s not the popular thing.”

 

“I know you’ve heard it from your parents, teachers and Inspector Todd,” he continued. “But it’s not cool to drink and do drugs. We’re counting on each and every one of you to make good choices because you are our future.”