1928 - Alderson High School - 1968
TOWN OF ALDERSON
POST OFFICE BOX 179
CITY BUILDING—202 SOUTH MONROE STREET
ALDERSON, WEST VIRGINIA 24910
TELEPHONE (304) 445-2916
NEWS RELEASE - June 4, 2018
Contact: Mayor Travis Copenhaver 304-445-2916 / Margaret Hambrick 304-646-2439
(Click on photos for larger view)
On
Monday,
June
4,
2018,
students
from
the
Alderson
Elementary
School’s
third,
fourth
and
fifth
grades
who
graduated
from
the
Drug
Resistance
Education
Program
were
given
certificates
and
they,
and
their
parents or guardians, were treated to dinner.
The
dinner
was
catered
by
The
Corner
Café
in
Union
and
included
fried
chicken,
ham,
scalloped
and
mashed
potatoes,
small
corn
dogs
(a
favorite
of
the
kids),
mac
and
cheese,
fruit
and
several
desserts.
After
the
meal,
Mayor
Travis
Copenhaver
welcomed
the
students,
parents,
school
personnel,
members
of
the Alderson Police Department, and other visitors.
Autumn
Kirk,
RN,
School
Nurse
for
Alderson
Elementary,
described
the
content
of
the
program.
She
said,
“The
first
class
was
about
the
safe
use
of
over-the-counter
medications
and
prescription
medications.
The
abuse
of
prescription
drugs
is
happening
at
an
earlier
age.
We
discussed
the
risks
and
consequences
of
misusing
medications.
Then
we
moved
on
to
the
dangers
of
illegal
drugs
and
the
abuse
of
prescription
medications.
We
identified
the
signs
of
someone
abusing
drugs,
the
effect
that
can
have
on
your
body
and
your
whole
life,
and
how
to
get
help.
Finally
we
discussed
peer
pressure
and
how
to
make
good
choices
to
live a drug-free life style.”
Paula
McCoy,
RN,
Lead
School
Nurse
for
Greenbrier
County,
noted
that
much
of
the
material
came
from
the National Association of School Nurses.
Principal
Debbie
Fairchild
said,
“Staff
were
sensitized
to
the
problem
during
a
teacher
training
day
in
the
fall so when Mayor Copenhaver approached me about the program, I said yes”.
Mayor
Copenhaver
said,
“This
education
program
is
part
of
the
larger,
more
comprehensive
approach
to
reducing
drug
abuse
in
Alderson.
Addiction
knows
no
socio-economic
boundaries
or
race,
creed,
gender,
or religion.”
Tia
Humphreys,
LPN,
Greenbrier
County
Health
Department,
asked,
“How
long
do
you
think
Hepatitis
C
can
live
in
a
water
bottle
that
may
have
been
used
as
part
of
the
process
of
injecting
drugs?
Three
weeks!”
She
is
a
firm
believer
in
the
needle
exchange
program
and
related
the
story
of
a
local
EMS
crew
member
who ran a needle through his knee when he knelt down to perform CPR on a patient.
Sonja
Manspile
from
the
Rainelle
Medical
Center
taught
a
complementary
program
called
Students
Against Destructive Decisions at Alderson Elementary.
Mayor Copenhaver congratulated the students on their accomplishment as he presented the certificates.
PHOTO
CAPTION:
Mayor
Travis
Copenhaver
(far
right)
and
just
some
of
the
students
who
received
certificates for completing the Drug Resistance Education Program at Alderson Elementary School.
Graduates Treated To Dinner