FFMS Celebrates Second D.A.R.E. Graduation of the Year

Felix Festa Middle School celebrated its second D.A.R.E. graduation of the school year, with sixth graders once again stepping into the spotlight to mark this meaningful achievement.

"’We’ve talked about saying ‘no’ today, but I’d like to flip that and ask you to say ‘yes’ to yourself. That’s what D.A.R.E. is all about. The ‘D’ stands for ‘define.’ You want to define who you are — you want that to be your character. The ‘A’ stands for ‘assess.’ You want to assess the situation and make it work for us. ‘R’ stands for respond. Respond by making good choices. And the ‘E’ stands for ‘evaluate,’" noted Dr. Baiocco, referring to the D.A.R.E. Decision Making Model (DDMM). “Use the principles that you’ve learned in D.A.R.E., because as you move on from Festa and go into high school and college, those situations will continue to present themselves to you. Use what you’ve learned to deal with every situation in life, and I promise you, you won’t go wrong.’"

Through their work with Officer Gavin and Officer Fitzgerald, students continue to build confidence, strengthen decision-making skills and deepen their understanding of responsibility and respect. Thank you to the Clarkstown Police Department, our dedicated D.A.R.E. officers and the community members who joined us in recognizing our students. Your continued partnership helps shape strong, thoughtful leaders for the future