Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Alta Vista begins DARE with support from LGPD

Program focuses on self-esteem

By Michelle Alaimo

Principal Leonard Beller of Alta Vista School knew something was missing from his fifth-grade students' curriculum. He had come to Los Gatos from Southern California more than a year ago, and he was accustomed to his students going through a Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program. He decided his Alta Vista students should do the same.

Now, Alta Vista school has started the DARE program in conjunction with the Los Gatos/Monte Sereno Police Department. The program began recently at the school after Beller received approval from the Union School District and Los Gatos police officer John Campos, who, as the school resource officer, teaches the 17-week program.

"It's something I really wanted to see happen here," Beller said. Until now, Campos has only taught the program to students in the Los Gatos Union School District.

Beller said the program is widely used in Southern California, where it originated in 1983. Since the program was formed by the Los Angeles Police Department, the program has grown nationwide to include more than 5.5 million children.

Both Campos and Beller say the program will be a great asset to Alta Vista's curriculum. "It's not only a drug-resistance program, but students also build onto their self-esteem," Beller said.

Campos added that DARE focuses not only on drugs but on life skills. Every week for one hour, Campos focuses on a different lesson, including drug use and misuse, building self-esteem, decision making and risk taking and alternatives to drug use. The lecture takes place during regularly scheduled classes, and students must complete a workbook, participate in class, perform role-playing and write a DARE essay, Campos said. The students' regular teacher is in the classroom the entire time.

In addition to scheduled lessons, Campos said he is also able to give students insight about what they will be facing in junior high and high school.

Beller said that he has seen the difference in students who went through the DARE program and those who didn't in the way they handle themselves with older students.

"I've seen it work," Beller said. He added that students have more self-esteem and are able to handle pressure better after completing the program.

After 17 weeks, students graduate from the program and receive a certificate and DARE T-shirt during a ceremony to which family, friends and police department officials are invited.

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