In an effort to prevent drug use among the children in our communities, St. Charles will be launching a drug prevention program called Brain Power!; a K-8th grade program. Initially we will be working with K-1 and then reaching out to the remainder of the school 2-8. The school nurse, the school counselor and the classroom teacher will be directly involved with this program.
We will also extend our message by asking the School Resource Officer
to talk with our students.
Brain Power! is an evidenced based program developed by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA). The NIDA's mission is to lead the Nation in bringing the power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction. Brain Power! will teach students the processes of science and the effects drugs have on the nervous system and the body. After each lesson, your child's classroom teacher will send home a letter reviewing the material covered in class.
We are hoping that this will help continue conversations at home.
We are hoping to use other programs in the future as we continue to develop this platform of education. These programs include: HOPE (Health and Opioid Prevention Education), Smart Moves/Smart Choices and Start Talking.
As a parent there are many ways that you can get involvled. The BEST way that you can help is to start conversation with your children....research has shown that having a foundation helps children be better prepared to make good decisions when they are older. Children of parents who talk to their children about drugs are up to 50% less likely to abuse them. There are free parent resources at:
