Retro Bill Brings Motivation to Students in Unique Live Show

Santa Clara Weekly
By Robert Haugh

Sporting Elvis-inspired hair and wild flame-themed clothing, including flamed CONVERSE sneakers, Retro Bill’s performance is designed at teaching students to make healthy, drug-free choices.

With his humorous anecdotes, Retro Bill’s show is one of the most sought-after children’s safety and self-esteem events, helping enrich children on serious issues such as bullying, saying no to drugs, peer pressure, self-motivation, name-calling, how to deflect negativity and being respectful for teachers.

Creating widespread giggling, Retro Bill’s show is a humorous, yet serious program geared at motivating kids on decision-making and self-esteem matters.

According to Bill, "everyone has a remote control," which can be used to mute others when somebody tries to put them down. "Stay on that positive channel," he told the fifth-graders.

You’d have to see the show to understand Retro Bill’s life lesson taught using an otherwise silly prop.

Retro Bill appeared at the Mission City Center for Performing Arts at Wilcox High School, presenting two laughter-filled shows for approximately 1,000 Santa Clara Unified School District fifth graders on October 27, made possible by the combined efforts of the Santa Clara Police Department D.A.R.E. program in conjunction with the Santa Clara Unified School District.

Elementary schools attending included Bowers, Bracher, Briarwood, Don Callejon, Haman, Kathryn Hughes, Laurelwood, Millikin, Montague, Pomeroy, Scott Lane, Sutter, Washington Open and Westwood.

ABOUT D.A.R.E.

Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) is a drug abuse prevention education program designed to equip elementary school children with knowledge about drug abuse, the consequences of drug abuse, and skills for resisting peer pressure to experiment with drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. D.A.R.E. uses uniformed law enforcement officers to teach a formal curriculum to students in a classroom setting. The Santa Clara Police Department Community began teaching the program in 1995. Santa Clara’s D.A.R.E. program is taught at 17 public and private schools.

D.A.R.E. lesson plans focus on four major areas:

• Providing accurate information about drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.
• Teaching students good decision-making skills.
• Showing students how to recognize and resist peer pressure.
• Giving students ideas for positive alternatives to drug use.

D.A.R.E. officers work with children to raise their self-esteem, teach them how to make decisions on their own, and help them identify positive alternatives to drugs. Through role-playing, the D.A.R.E. curriculum emphasizes the negative consequences of drug and alcohol use, and reinforces the skills to resist peer pressure and intimidation.

For more information on the Santa Clara Police Department Community’s D.A.R.E. program, contact Sgt. Gabby Seagrave at 408-615-4866. For more information on D.A.R.E., visit dare.com.

Retro Bill is the official D.A.R.E. International Safety Buddy.

© 2012 D.A.R.E. America. All Rights Reserved. D.A.R.E. and the D.A.R.E. logo are trademarks of D.A.R.E. America.
PO Box 512090 Los Angeles, CA 90051

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