Chem free grad replaces traditional “pit party”

Bob McGreevy
RRHS Principal

In last week’s articles, I mentioned the initial planning meeting for Chem Free Grad 2005. Our second planning meeting took place on Tuesday, April 5th. The turnout of students and parents at the meeting was an indication of the strong support for the event. As planning for the event moves ahead, I thought it might be of interest to readers to know more about Chem Free Grad.
At the school we will recognize the achievement of our graduates with our formal ceremony in the gym on June 22nd. This important milestone is also celebrated by families, friends, and peers. Celebrations among our grads and their peers can frequently be of concern to parents and school staff. How many times have we heard about students being seriously injured, or worse, after celebrating on their graduation night?
Chem Free Grad is a celebration for students and parents on graduation night in an environment that will be supervised, and free of alcohol or drugs. Here is how it works. After the ceremony at the school, grads and their families frequently attend house parties put on by parents or family friends. After a few hours at the house party, many grads traditionally excuse themselves and moved on to another location to party, frequently without adult supervision. Chem Free Grad is intended to take the place of the traditional “pit” party. Students at Chem Free will have signed a contract to be free of drugs or alcohol for the entire night. They arrive at the Recreation Centre around 11:00 p.m. and must stay until the conclusion of the event. This year Chem Free will end at 3:00 a.m.
The Chem Free Grad party will be attended by nearly all of this year’s grads, as well as up to five guests per grad, all of whom have signed the contract to be chemical free. On the ice surface of the Recreation Centre will be a number of “Air Bounce” games including: Gladiator, Western Trail Obstacle Course, Bungee Run, and X-treme Basketball. As well, there are plans for a video game tournament. These activities will be supported by a buffet table of great food and mocktails. To top things off, there will be regular draws for fabulous prizes. School staff, parents, and other community partners will be there to supervise and participate.
Needless to say, organizing an event of this magnitude requires detailed planning. The students have taken the lead in putting this plan together. Three committees have been established: Events, Fund Raising, and Food/Donations/Publicity. On each committee there are students, school staff, and parents. As well, the Ontario Provincial Police and the Rainy River Valley Substance Abuse Prevention Team are key community partners in this event.
One of the important activities in determining the success of this event is community support. Shortly, the Fund Raising Committee will be sending letters to businesses and organizations throughout the district asking for their support for this worthwhile undertaking. If you do not receive a letter and wish to make a donation of any sort, or if you would like to be involved in Chem Free Grad 2005 in any way, you are invited to call the school at 852-3284.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the school.