East Meadow schools celebrate Red Ribbon Week

From Oct. 23 to 31, many East Meadow School District students celebrated Red Ribbon Week - an alcohol, tobacco and other drug and violence prevention awareness campaign observed annually.

Students at both Meadowbrook Elementary and McVey Elementary participated in special initiatives designed to raise awareness about healthy living. At Meadowbrook, youngsters tied red ribbons along the school fence in honor of the campaign; at McVey, children exercised by walking around their neighborhood.

Prior to the ribbon ceremony, Meadowbrook students learned about exercising, eating nutritious food and drinking plenty of water. They showed their commitment to living healthy by tying ribbons to the outline of the school’s red ribbon slogan, “Drug Free is the Key.”

At McVey, special guests joined students and staff on their walk through the community. State Sen. Kemp Hannon and Assemblymen Tom McKevitt greeted community members and the children, commending them for being active.

Just before the walk began, members of the school band performed while classes gathered with their “wellness signs” outside of the school. Each class created a sign to emphasize their commitment to making healthy choices, district officials explained, with slogans like, “Love yourself! Live a healthy lifestyle,” “McVey Go Healthy!” and “Eat Good Feel Good.”