DARE Program - Special Kids & Special Guests

It was a standing room only crowd at Louisville Elementary today for the annual DARE Program.

Marika Henton provides the "Welcome" to DARE Program

250 fifth graders from all county schools participated in this year's program. The ceremony was opened with a presentation of colors by JROTC from Louisville High and the Pledge of Allegiance led by DARE officer Tonya McWhirter. The National Anthem was performed by Cassi Pearson, a special education major at ECCC and the welcome was given by Marika Henton, a DARE student.

The DARE program has been a long term effort across the community and has been led in recent years by LPD Sargeant Tonya McWhirter. In 2016, the Mississippi Dare Officers Association recognized McWhirter as the Dare Officer of the Year for the State of Mississippi.  McWhirter was acknowledged with a special thank you at the end of the program.

MSU Women's Basketball Coach Vic Schaefer
& Point Guard Morgan William

Students and classrooms were recognized as essay winners, star students, students of the year and graffiti winners. A slide show of photos of the event will follow this article and the award winners are provided below.

Mayor Pro Tem Eugene Crosby provided a welcome from the City and Louisville, Police Chief L. M.Claiborne introduced the guest speaker for the program, MSU Head Women's Basketball Coach Vic Schaefer.

Schaefer congratulated the students for their completion of the DARE Program and challenged them to be leaders. "Can you do the right thing when nobody is looking and make sure that it is the right thing?" Schaefer noted that it was a challenge to be a leader - often painful because leaders are subject to criticism, being made fun of and subject to even the loss of friendship.

Coach Schaefer brought along a star player, Morgan William to speak to the crowd as well. William encouraged the students to get out of their comfort zone to be successful, noting that she was shy and spoke very little as a freshman but has sinced learned to be a leader on her team. The MSU team recently competed in the National Title game.

Slide Show - click Here

Essay Winners:

Noxapater Schools:

Miss Mays-Ciara Riley

Louisville Elementary Schools-

Miss Chandler- Roegon Hatcher.

Mrs. Spiers-Sahara Edwards

Mrs. McClendon- Romario Riddle

Mrs. White-Javrey "Rey" Gamble

Ms. Winters-Brycesto Cistruck

Mrs. Fondren- Cameron Ingram

Mrs. Catchot-Ty' Azia Rush

Mrs. Bonkowski- Ashlyn Nicole Tabor

Nanih Waiya Schools:

Miss Roland - Tavik Cotton

Miss Watkins  - Hunter Phillips

Winston Academy

Mrs. Long - Lainee Smith

Miss Putnam- Parker Vowell

Star Students

Noxapater
Madelyn “Maddie: Parker

Louisville

Mon’trkius Idom

Nanih Waiya

Alexa Jane Holdiness

Winston Academy
Landon Wray

Student of the Year
Zachary Jordan

Mariah Hoskins

Lexie Cowart

Amirrah Stricklin


Graffiti Winners

1st Mrs. Putnam’s Class: Winston Academy “Don’t Smoke, Drink A Coke]

2nd Mrs Fondren’s Class: Louisville Elementary “Dare to Be Amazing”

3rd Mrs. Longs Class: Winston Acadmy “ Bee Drug Free”


Honorable Mention

1. Mrs. Bonkowski’s
Louisville Elementary
Drug Free Is The Way To Be

2. Miss White’s
Louisville Elementary
Put a Cap On Drugs

Mrs. Roland’s Class
Nanih Waiya
Choose A Path. No Way Out Or Dare Dr.


Class Sticker Winners

Mrs Chandler’s: Jaidyn Washington

Mrs. Spier’s Class: Caden Yarbrough

Mrs. McClendon Class: Markevious Brown

Mrs. White Class: Courtney Mcdonald

Ms. Winters Class:  Tyriunna Steele

Mrs. Fondren Class: Ceidrick Hunt

Mrs. Catchot Class: Dustin Watson

Mrs. Bonkowski Class:  Miriam Garcia

Mrs. Roeland’s Class: Presley Kratzer

Mrs.Watkins: Braxton Rhichard

Mrs. May’s Class: Braxton Flake and Jacob Winter’s tied

Mrs. Long’s Class: Anna Grace Whitehead

Mrs. Putnam’s Class: Mazie Turner