PMS and PHS Students Mark Red Ribbon Week With Conversation and Gratitude

Sometimes, an important conversation starts with something as simple as spinning a wheel.

During lunch periods at Pleasantville Middle School and High School, Student Assistance Counselor Jason Schoolsky invited students to take part in interactive activities through the District’s Mental Wealth Club in recognition of Red Ribbon Week.

Students spun a prize wheel and answered questions designed to spark conversations about substance use, including the factors that can lead teens to experiment with drugs or alcohol, warning signs, healthy coping strategies and ways to make positive choices. Questions ranged from “What is one way you are kind to your mind?” to “Name one long-term health consequence of vaping.” Participants earned prizes, including red ribbons, keychains and the clear favorite: stress balls.

This year’s national Red Ribbon Week theme, “Be a Hero, Stay Drug Free,” encourages students to recognize that making healthy choices and surrounding themselves with positive influences are important ways to look out for themselves and one another.

Students were also invited to reflect on the people and relationships that give them strength by writing something they are thankful for on a paper leaf. Parents, siblings, friends and beloved pets appeared throughout the responses, along with heartfelt explanations:

My dad: “He is always there for me.”
My family: “No explanation needed.”
My dog: “Helps me relax.”
My best friend: “She makes me feel like me.”

The leaves will be brought together to create a tree displaying the students’ collective responses, a visual reminder of the many people and relationships that provide strength, comfort and support.

“One of the most important things we can do through the Mental Wealth Club is make these conversations feel approachable and part of everyday life,” said Schoolsky. “We want students to see that support is available, that it’s okay to talk about difficult topics and that even taking a minute to reflect on their choices, their well-being or the people they can turn to can make a difference.”

Through activities like these, the Mental Wealth Club helps raise awareness, reduce stigma and encourage open conversations about challenges, while recognizing the people, relationships and healthy habits that help students navigate life’s ups and downs.