About 625 5th-graders from St. Bernard Parish schools who graduated D.A.R.E. classes from the Sheriff’s Office attended area-wide field trip to a Zephyrs game

About 625 5th-graders from eight St. Bernard Parish schools, all of whom graduated this school year from the Sheriff’s Office-taught program Drug Abuse Resistance Education, attended a field trip May 7 with other school systems to a Zephyrs baseball game at their stadium in Jefferson Parish.

“We had a good time,’’ said Lt. Lisa Jackson, who heads the sheriff’s D.A.R.E. program and is an instructor in it with Sgt. Darrin Miller. Several other deputies also attended the field trip conducted by schools in the parish.

Local D.A.R.E. programs in various school systems took part in the field trip, Jackson said. “The stadium was filled.’’

“The kids enjoyed the field trip. They had a lot of fun,’’ Jackson said.

Numerous parents of St. Bernard children went along as chaperones, she said. For years, the minor league New Orleans Zephyrs have held a special day each year to recognize the D.A.R.E. program and students in local schools who have successfully completed the course that school year.

The D.A.R.E. program emphasizes to students a message of building self-respect and advocates they should refrain from drug use, alcohol and tobacco abuse, as well as refusing to take part in violence or bullying.

Eight schools in St. Bernard Parish had D.A.R.E. programs for 5th-graders this school year and all held graduation ceremonies in conjunction with officials from the Sheriff’s Office appearing to speak to children and parents, including Sheriff James Pohlmann and Maj. Chad Clark, head of the Special Investigations Division which includes the Narcotics Unit.