As part of the National Red Ribbon week, about 35 students from Armstrong Elementary demonstrated against drugs last Wednesday.
The fifth and sixth grade members of the Just Say No Club marched from the school along Lake Newport Road to North Point Village Center chanting an anti-drug message. Once the students reached the village center, they celebrated with a scoop of ice cream at Baskin Robbins before returning to school.
"It is really important for the students to learn the harmful effects of smoking, drugs and alcohol," said Kate Howard, a fifth-grade teacher who sponsors the Just Say No program at Armstrong.
During the week, the school released daily messages, like "Friends don’t let friends do drugs," and "You will always have better things to do than drugs."
Earlier in the week, a group of students and administrators made a sign — "Armstrong Drug Free" — by putting red plastic cups in a gate-link fence that faces Fairfax County Parkway.
Parents, especially Sue Altschuler and Emily Muha, were instrumental in helping the week be successful, said Jill Konrad, a guidance counselor at Armstrong who also sponsors the Just Say No program.
National Red Ribbon week, which ran Oct. 23-31, unites communities and students across the country around the goal of promoting a commitment to drug-free living. The National Family Partnership, which coordinates Red Ribbon activities nationally, estimates that over 80 million Americans participate in Red Ribbon events.