Pubdate: Sun, 05 Mar 2006
Source: Truth, The (Elkhart, IN)
Section: Pg A5
Copyright: 2006 Truth Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://www.etruth.com/Contact.aspx?ID=Editorial
Website: http://www.etruth.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1706
Author: Patricia  Davis
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATORS: FRIENDLY MESSAGE FINDS FAVOR

Deputy Has Won Fans For Work With Students

Words To Live By

Elkhart County Patrolman Craig Polachek  thanks a class at Oxbow 
Elementary School for their  hard work in the D.A.R.E. program.Photo: 
Fred Flury /  The Truth

Craig Polachek dares anyone to change his beliefs about  Drug Abuse 
Resistance Education.

A recent D.A.R.E. graduation ceremony at a local  elementary school 
was clearly a big deal to the  students, teachers and many parents in 
attendance. As  students entered the assembly room, there was a 
happy, expectant tension.

Later, it became clear this was because Polachek, an  officer with 
Elkhart County Sheriff's Department who  teaches the D.A.R.E. program 
in several schools, is  admired and respected by the students he 
dares to  resist drugs.

Several students all competed to answer questions about Polachek.

"He's cool!"

"He's fun!"

"He gave us all nicknames ..."

This seemed especially important to these students,  also variously 
known as "Einstein," "Snowman," "Socks,"  "Sunshine Head" and "Holmes."

Most telling was the answer to the question, "Why will  you remember 
what he taught you five years from now?"  The response came with 
surprising intensity and  seriousness, "Because he taught us."

The mutual respect between students and teacher/officer  is the key 
element in the apparent success of  Polachek's work.

"Police aren't always able to make friends with kids,"  Polachek told 
the graduates. "I'm so glad you are my  friends."

Sara Hetler, a parent at the D.A.R.E. ceremony who saw  her third 
child complete the program with Polachek,  said, "I have two older 
daughters. One is a sophomore,  one an eighth grader. They still talk 
about the classes  they had with him."

This ongoing influence witnesses to something else  Polachek said to 
the students. "There is a final test,  for this (D.A.R.E.) class. It 
is one you will take many  times. Can you live drug free? Not just 
today, but when  you are in high school, and later, when you are 
adults?  Can you set the standards? Can you boldly change the 
attitudes of those around you?"

As part of the course, students write essays about what  they learn. 
Comments from those essays reveal amazing  anecdotes, as well as insight:

* "... Two guys asked us to smoke a cigarette. Because  of D.A.R.E., 
it (sic) gave me the strength to say NO to  them ..."

* "With all this information, I am sure I will be able  to make the 
right decisions."

Another graduate spoke articulately about her  experiences with her 
D.A.R.E. teacher -- Polachek. "It  was really good. He told us 
specific things about what  drugs will do. He added humor. We acted 
things out,  like how it would be like if a drug dealer came to us. 
He went over it a lot and made sure we knew."

Polachek was asked about the ongoing success, or  non-success, of the 
D.A.R.E. program.

After many years, there is still a definite drug  problem in our 
community. His response was clear and  passionate. "It is as if there 
was a big pile of  garbage in our midst. D.A.R.E. is one way of 
taking it  out. Others keep bringing it in. If we weren't working  to 
take it out, that pile of garbage would only keep  getting bigger," he said.

"I tell the kids that if they have to make choices. If  they see 
their dad smoking, it doesn't mean he's a bad  guy," Polachek said. 
"But it also doesn't mean they  have to make the same choice."
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman