Character Counts!
Schools participate in Red Ribbon activities

Deborah Natoni holds still as friends placed Character Counts' red ribbons on her back at at Church Rock Academy in Church Rock N.M. Natoni was part of a group of 8th and 9th graders from Miyamura High School that were presenting to student at Church Rock Academy the values of Character Counts. [Photo by Daniel Zollinger/Independent]

By Karen Francis
Staff writer

Dion Martin admires Collin Platers's red ribbon that Martin was given Wendesday as part of Character Counts day at Church Rock Academy in Church Rock N.M. The ribbons state "Be yourself, stay drug free." [Photo by Daniel Zollinger/Independent]

CHURCHROCK — Playing games called Big Mean Fish, singing about trustworthiness along to the famous YMCA song and drawing hand prints to display on a parade float — those are just some of the activities the Miyamura High School Character Counts! Club brought to Churchrock Academy for Red Ribbon Week.

“It’s all the kids. They really did a good job with everything,” said Katie Hardgrove, one of the club sponsors. “They run the show.”

About 15 MHS students did presentations on drug awareness and Character Counts! for the academy Wednesday morning. After lunch, they spent the afternoon with their new friends “teaching them how to do the right thing,” Jessica Torrez, a club member, said.

Character Counts! is a nationwide initiative that promotes six pillars of character including trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.

Hardgrove noted that Character Counts! is emphasized mostly to elementary schools, and the club came about because of the need to involve older kids with the continued message that “character counts.”

“It’s about teaching students to help others and to be good characters in the community and school,” Hardgrove said. About 30 members regularly attend meetings.

The visit to Churchrock was the first big event for the newly formed club.

The club members performed skits, read books aloud and did art projects with the children in honor of Red Ribbon Week.

Red Ribbon Week is a national campaign to show that young people and adults are united for a drug free society.

Millions of people across America wear the red ribbon to support the initiative.

For several of the club members, it was an opportunity to teach the younger students about making good choices and to be a role model for them.

Brittany Chiapetti said that she and her friends participate in the program “because we care about our community.”

She said that it helps the young children to have peer-to-peer learning in the educational system.

“It’s a good thing for them because it shows them that it’s not just their teachers saying it,” Chiapetti said.

Jenna Noble, club president, agreed with Chiapetti. She said that it was good to have students teaching pupils “to let them know that us older kids are also learning about it.”

She said, “It’s the greatest experience I have ever had.”

The other club members who participated were also enthusiastic.

“We’d love to come back,” club member Kristina Williams said.

When asked about the experience of working with 3- to 5-year-old children for the day, the group exclaimed almost in unison, “It’s fun!”

Noble added, “It’s so cool because they’re so cute.”

For the academy, it was a beneficial partnership.

“We’re so thrilled and excited,” Paula Anderson, a counselor at the academy, said as she watched the club members eat lunch with the children. At Churchrock Academy, the counselors organize the Red Ribbon Week.

“It’s a good way for them to see their peers at school and realize the next step in their educational career,” she said.

The Character Counts! Club is sponsoring a dance at Miyamura High School on Friday night and will be participating in the parade in downtown Gallup on Saturday morning.