The fifth grade students at Blue Ridge Elementary assembled for family, friends and faculty to display the knowledge they had gained this year during their Georgia Sheriff’s Association CHAMPS program.The CHAMPS program replaced the DARE program in the Fannin County School System because, as CHAMPS instructor Cindy George said

“Dare just wasn’t cutting it.”

The focus of DARE was drugs but the CHAMPS program is opened up to drugs, alcohol, peer pressure and many of the other things that kids are faced with in today’s world.

During the assembly, George and Sheriff Dane Kirby selected parents from the audience to come down and participate in demonstrating some of the activities the kids do during the course. The crowd favorite was the beer goggles. Four parents were selected to wear pairs of goggles. Some of them represented distorted vision during the daytime and others simulated it at night time. While the parents wore these goggles, their children tossed a tennis ball to them and their parents were supposed to catch it. In most cases, this did not happen. On occasion, the ball was caught and George joked by saying

“Yeah, we know about them and what they do at home.”

After these parents were dismissed, the fifth grade class performed a couple of melodies on their flutes that they have been learning to play in Mrs. Watkins’ art class. The ceremony concluded with the presentation of certificates and the wise words from George in her closing remarks.

“Parents, don’t try to be your child’s friend. You are their parent and it is your job to control your child and make them do what is best for them no matter if they don’t like you.”

Parents applauded her advice and she continued to say

“If you ever need us, you know where to find us.”

George also stated that they are in the process of getting a program formed to reach middle school students. Congratulations to the Blue Ridge Elementary School CHAMPS Graduates of 2013!