Newfields Police Department 

A Level I New Hampshire Accredited Agency

D.A.R.E. — Drug Abuse Resistance Education

D.A.R.E. is a collaborative effort by certified law enforcement officers, educators, students parents and the community to offer an educational program in the classroom to prevent or reduce drug abuse, violence and gang involvement among children grades K-12. Currently the Newfields Police Department offers D.A.R.E. to the fifth grade class

D.A.R.E. Program K-4

The lessons in the K-4 DARE program are designed to assist officers in educating children to help keep them safe, drug-free and violence-free. The program also teaches them to recognize, avoid and report situations, which may endanger their personal safety and health.

The kindergarten lesson is organized into one lesson Grades 1-2 are organized into four lessons. During these lessons a series of prints developed by the Los Angeles Unified School District entitled Protecting Our Children are utilized.

Grades 3-4 consist of five lessons, which deal with personal safety. Drug and alcohol prevention, conflict resolution and violence prevention.

D.A.R.E. Program 5-6

Grades 5-6 consist of ten, 45-minute lessons, the primary objective of which is to help the students develop the capacities needed to enable them to take charge of their lives with particular emphasis on substance use and abuse. Students will utilize the D.A.R.E. Decision Making Model. (Define the problem/ assess the situation/respond with the appropriate and best choice/ evaluate the decision.) to assist them with choices throughout life.

Becoming a D.A.R.E. Officer

Initially an application was submitted to the New Hampshire State Police D.A.R.E. Coordinators Office in Concord with the approval of both the Chief of Police and the Principal of the Newfields Elementary School.

After receipt of the application and further review by the D.A.R.E. Coordinators Office, A officer is scheduled for an oral board interview with a four-member panel. After successful completion of the interview, I was selected and scheduled for Dare Officer training to be held in Center Strafford, New Hampshire. D.A.R.E. Officer training then affectionately became known as DOT #16. (Only twenty officers are selected and the DOT is conducted once a year.)

During the two weeks of D.A.R.E. Officer Training, I became familiar with the lesson plans associated with the D.A.R.E. Program. I also had the opportunity to make presentations on an assigned lesson plan to the various DOT teams. In addition to written tests and homework, I was required to present an entire lesson plan to a fifth grade class at Northwood Elementary School. During my lesson plan presentation, both the classroom teacher and a D.A.R.E. Mentor observed me. After successfully completing this task and others, I graduated as a member of DOT #16.

We look forward to this year’s upcoming D.A.R.E. class. For more information about D.A.R.E check out D.A.R.E. America.com or the D.A.R.E. NH site. For the kids, check out fun and games at the the D.A.R.E for Kids site.

The Story of Daren

Daren, a young lion who lived in Africa, was like any other young animal. He loved to play and romp across the wide plains. Then he loved to stretch out and sleep in the warm African sun.

He dreamed he would someday grow up and find his own way in the world. He would have great courage and would be kind to others. Now, he was young and curious. He wanted to find out more about the world he lived in.

Often he listened to the stories that the older lions told about being chased and almost captured by people called trappers. The trappers usually dig a deep hole and cover it with a few branches. Then they hang some food from a string. When a lion reaches for the food. a net drops over him and he falls into the hole. The trappers then put the lion into a cage. He is taken to a zoo in a far off country and sold for a lot of money.

Each time Daren left to roam through the country, his mother warned him to keep his eyes open and look for signs of danger. She told him to stay away from the nearby village where people might harm him.

One day while he was walking near the village, something strange happened to Daren. As he reached for some food that seemed to be hanging on a branch, he fell into a hole. A large net covered him. He was afraid and cried for help. He tried to get out of the net but couldn't.

A young boy who lived in the village was on his way home when he heard Daren's cry for help. The kind boy saw what had happened to Daren. He knew how frightened Daren was and wanted to help him. Daren had seen the boy before, and the boy had not tried to harm him. The boy was able to cut the net and help the lion escape.

Free again. Daren ran home as fast as he could. He had learned the lesson to follow directions and not to be tricked by free gifts. He also learned that when you are in trouble, there are some special people who are kind and will help others.