Each school

will be given a personalized banner to hang in a prominent location to

remind students about Red Ribbon Week events. The week will kick off as

students across the county are asked to sign pledge cards certifying they

will lead a drug-free life-style.

This year's

event will differ from previous ones in Fayette since it will be the first

time that the drug-free message is tied to the school system's language

arts curriculum. Students across all grade levels will integrate what

they learn during the week by writing books, stories, essays and plays

as well as reading books, doing word searches and creating posters.

"We thought

it was important that Red Ribbon somehow tie into the curriculum so we

decided to start with language arts. We don't want the children just to

hear about Red Ribbon; we want them to show us what they have learned,"

said Deborah Crockett, school psychologist and chairman of the Red Ribbon

Week Committee.

In addition

to academic lessons, schools have also planned fun activities. Many schools

are hosting spirit and red t-shirt days. Students at Brooks Elementary

will put "A Cap on Drugs" by wearing hats to school and Tyrone

Elementary will "turn their backs to drugs" by wearing their

t-shirts inside out or backwards.

Rising Starr

Middle School has decided to devote the entire month of October to celebrate

Red Ribbon, drug-free communities and patriotism. All staff and students

will wear red t-shirts Oct. 17 and will form the letters "USA"

on the school's football field.

Even school

cafeterias are taking part in the week's festivities by offering a special

menu selection. Oct. 24, all students will be able to choose from "just

say no" nuggets and "hugs not drugs" cookies.

The focal point

of the 2001 celebration will be the Red Ribbon rally scheduled for Oct.

25 at Fayette County High School's Tiger Stadium. Fifth-grade students

from all of the county's 14 elementary schools will attend the rally wearing

red and white t-shirts.

Lee Haney,

Mr. Olympia, and Donna Lowry, education reporter for WXIA Channel 11,

will make special appearances. Haney, who has been named Mr. Olympia more

times than any other contender, will tell students how he has conditioned

his body naturally and earned the title of Mr. Olympia without the help

of drugs. Lowry will get students excited about living drug-free lives

Additionally,

several students will talk to the fifth graders about their drug-free

lifestyles. Two nationally acclaimed choral groups, the Sandy Creek High

School mixed chorus and the Fayette County High School chorus, will perform.

The rally will begin with the signing of a Red Ribbon pledge card by schools

Superintendent John DeCotis.

Crockett said

the committee decided to focus the rally on fifth grade students since

research indicates that students are beginning to experiment with drugs

at earlier ages.

"Children

get a lot of information on drugs when they enter middle and high school.

We see this event as a last awareness push to strengthen their knowledge

base before they make the transition to the next school level," Crockett

explained.

The Red Ribbon

Week campaign originated when drug traffickers murdered federal Agent

Enrique Camarena in 1985. After his death a small community displayed

red ribbons out of respect for Camarena's courage. The red ribbon has

grown and is now a symbol of commitment to reduce the demand for illegal

drugs in each community across the United States.