WCMS Hosts 6th Grade All-Stars Ceremony to Discourage Risky Behaviors

Windsor 6th-grade students celebrated their completion of a program to help them make good decisions and set themselves up for success later in life.

Windsor Central Middle School hosted the All-Stars Commitment Celebration on Tuesday morning. For the past two weeks, students have engaged in the All-Stars Core program, a research-based prevention program to help students avoid risky behaviors like substance use and bullying behavior.

“They learned how to make positive choices, and I think they did well. The students asked in-depth questions, they were highly engaged, and asked a lot of follow-up questions,” said Kara Kasmarcik, behavioral health counselor for the student assistance program at Guthrie/Lourdes.

To delay the onset of risky behavior, the program uses the following strategies: build idealism and a belief in the future, establish positive norms, establish personal commitments to avoid risky behaviors, promote bonding to positive peers and a positive adult, and promote positive parent/adult attention.

“The choices we make in middle school can help inform the people we become later in life. Our hope is that each student finds something they’re passionate about like sports, arts, making friends, or even being part of something a little bigger than themselves. Those connections always matter and having positive people in your life can make a difference,” said WCMS associate principal Kelly Vavalle.