by Elizabeth Green
egreen@timescourier.com
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Fifth grade graduates of the CHAMPS program listen to Superintendent Raiford Cantrell’s praise of the program.
Photo by Elizabeth Green
The first Choosing Healthy Active Methods Promoting Safety (CHAMPS) program graduation took place Tuesday, Dec. 13, at Mountain View Elementary. Gilmer County School Superintendent Raiford Cantrell, Gilmer County Sheriff Stacy Nicholson and MVE principal Kim Cagle were among the officials on hand to help CHAMPS instructors Cpl. Ray Walker and Dep. Pam Almond hand out awards, including ribbons and stuffed toy dogs, to various students who excelled in the program.
Awards for the top six placers, as well as honorable mentions were given out for a poster contest and an essay contest. Students who missed only five questions and no questions at all on the final CHAMPS test were also recognized.
Nicholson commended the students for their hard work during the CHAMPS classes and asked them if they enjoyed the program. He was answered with a resounding “Yes!” from the students.
This is the first year for the CHAMPS program, which was implemented when the DARE program was phased out of the curriculum.
The introduction of the CHAMPS program came “almost too late,” said Nicholson, but Almond and Walker managed to complete the CHAMPS instruction program in time to teach it to students during the first semester of the school year.
“I had no idea how it would turn out, but I am so glad I dealt with you,” said Walker to the gathering of teachers and students. “It amazed me how flexible you are,” he told the teachers. “You’re just great teachers.”
Walker and Almond will be teaching another round of CHAMPS classes to fifth graders throughout the county next semester.