Choose Drug-Free: Your Future, Your Script!

Mount Olive Middle School Lights Up Red Ribbon Week: A Creative Journey to Living Drug-Free

October, 2024

At Mount Olive Middle School, Red Ribbon Week is more than just a campaign—it's a chance for students to pledge to a brighter, healthier future in the most creative ways possible! From October 23rd to October 31st, the halls buzz with excitement as students embrace this important cause through hands-on activities and a splash of Hollywood flair.

Spearheaded by our dedicated guidance counselors, Mrs. Crumm and Mrs. Flagg, Red Ribbon Week is a national event that encourages students to steer clear of drugs and make positive life choices. But instead of just talking the talk, our students are walking the walk—right down the main hallway, where hundreds of signed "movie tickets" are proudly displayed. Each signature represents a promise to live drug- and violence-free, adding extra motivation in the form of points towards an epic end-of-year competition run by the Student Council. Who knew staying healthy could be so rewarding?

"This week is a great opportunity for students to understand that they can be the heroes of their own stories," said Mrs. Crumm. "Red Ribbon Week teaches them that making healthy choices isn’t just about avoiding drugs, but about shaping a bright and successful future."

And the fun doesn’t stop there! In homeroom, students will take part in a schoolwide door-decorating contest with the theme: Life is a Movie: Film Drug-Free. Each homeroom will transform their door into a mini movie set, complete with LED lights, posters, props, and some serious artistic flair. The rules? Simple:

The door must be themed after a movie.
Be as creative as possible—go wild with materials and design!
Most importantly, capture the spirit of staying drug-free.

Judging will take place on November 1st, with doors being evaluated in these fun categories:

Best fit to the movie theme
Execution (Is the movie recognizable?)
Significant student contribution
Creativity and originality

“We wanted to make Red Ribbon Week not only educational but also something the students could really get excited about," added Mrs. Flagg. "The door-decorating contest allows them to express themselves and connect with the message in a fun, hands-on way."

Each homeroom is vying for the top spot, and the competition is fierce. With doors inspired by everything from animated classics to action-packed thrillers, it's clear our students are ready to take on drugs and violence with style.

Red Ribbon Week at Mount Olive isn’t just about making healthy choices—it's about coming together as a school, embracing creativity, and learning that we all have the power to positively shape our own futures. After all, life is a movie, and in this one, we’re all choosing to live drug-free!

Stay tuned for the winning homerooms and see which classes will take home the Red Ribbon Week crown. Until then, remember: "Lights, camera, drug-free action!"

NOVEMBER 4TH UPDATE

Red Ribbon Week at Mount Olive Middle School wrapped up with an exciting announcement of the top homeroom winners in the schoolwide door-decorating contest. Students channeled their creativity to design movie-inspired doors that promoted the theme, "Life is a Movie: Film Drug-Free." With incredible submissions from each grade, the competition was close, and now, the winners and honorable mentions have been revealed!

Grade-Level Winners:

8th Grade Winner: Room D119, Mr. Kelley & Mrs. Tarnowski, with their design "Scream if You See Drugs" inspired by the thriller Scream. This spooky, bold display reminded students to stay alert and steer clear of drugs!
7th Grade Winner: Room E134, Mr. Carifi & Mrs. Karipidis, with "STEM Wars," a Star Wars-inspired creation complete with galactic props and lights. This “force-filled” design reminded everyone that students have the power to fight off negative influences.
6th Grade Winner: Room F140, Mrs. Dejaager & Mrs. McDowell, with "Let Drugs Go" inspired by Frozen. Complete with snowflakes and icy blue hues, this door captured the importance of “letting go” of harmful choices for a drug-free life.

Honorable Mentions:

Room B134, Mrs. Corazza, with "Who You Gonna Call? Drug Busters!" inspired by Ghostbusters. This clever display transformed the doorway into a ghostly fight against drugs, reminding students to “bust” negative influences.
Room B148, Mrs. Rennalls, with "We Scare Because We Care" inspired by Monsters, Inc. This fun and colorful design showed that sometimes a little “scare” can encourage positive choices and a drug-free life!

Congratulations to all the winning homerooms and honorable mentions, and a huge thank you to every student who participated. Red Ribbon Week at Mount Olive was a powerful reminder that creativity, teamwork, and positive choices make a winning combination!