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Kelso High School drama teacher David Crayk patrols the cafeteria as the 'yellow tooth fairy' on 'Kick Butts Day,' an event to discourage teen smoking last week. Greg Ebersole / The Daily News

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Kelso students hold 'Kick Butts Day'

Thursday, April 3, 2008 6:26 AM PDT

By Carrie Pederson

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The pictures on the door of Shellee Brassard's office at Kelso High School aren't pretty.

One compares a smoker's black lungs to pink healthy lungs.

Another shows a young man sporting large sores on his lips from chewing tobacco.

The pictures get students' attention, Brassard said.

As the school's full-time prevention/intervention specialist, it's Brassard's job to draw attention to the health risks of tobacco and other substances, she says.

She works with students in the Student Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) club to promote a substance-free culture in the school. Their efforts are boosted this year with $21,000 from the Education Service District 112.

In addition to helping support Brassard, the grant pays extra hours for security officer Tara Garcia-Fromdahl to patrol smokers' hangouts around the school.

Melissa Boudreau, dean of students, said she hasn't had one repeat smoking offender this year. According to the school's discipline report, there are about 56 incidents of tobacco use reported per semester on average.

The SADD club gets anti-substance messages out to students in a variety of ways.

During last week's "Kick Butts Day," for example, a dingy-looking "yellow tooth fairy" played by drama teacher David Crayk showed up to let students know that smoking is gross, not cool.

The SADD club also displayed a healthy pig's lung next to a "smoker" pig's lung and passed information about harmful chemicals in cigarettes.

They passed out yellow bracelets to draw awareness to family or friends who have died from lung cancer or who are trying to quit.

Three days after "Kick Butts Day," junior Quay Nims was still wearing three yellow "support" bracelets. One is for his mom, who quit 20 days ago. The other two are for friends. But he also supports their cessation efforts in other ways.

"I talk to them or have someone stand between them to get their mind off of it" when they are hanging around smokers, he said.

Since he's stopped marijuana and alcohol, Nims said he has more fun. He said he has more time, money and energy. "I got into snowboarding," he said. "I would rather have gas money."

Positive peer pressure is the best way to prevent smoking or chewing tobacco, said senior Derrik Deen.

As president of the DECA marketing club, he works with Brassard to make anti-substance announcements on the school's intercom system every day.

Deen said he's tired of seeing chew spit on carpets and bathroom walls.

He wants to make chewing the "gross thing" instead of the "cool thing." Kissing your boyfriend with sores in his mouth is not cool, he said in one announcement.

Deen said he thinks chewing is an even bigger problem than smoking at Kelso. It's easy to hide, students can walk around with in their mouths at school, he said. "It's the convenience factor."

A Kelso High School student may be called into the principal's office if he or she even smells like smoke and has lighters and cigarettes, said Boudreau, the dean of students.

If a student gets caught smoking it's a three-day suspension unless they opt to take an eight-hour "alternatives to suspension" class after school. The class has been going for at least five years and teaches students the health risks of smoking.

Many of the students who take the class end up signing up for the optional smoking cessation class, Brassard said. She teaches both classes.

In the cessation class, "they pick a quit date and learn techniques on how to quit," Brassard said.

Delay, drink water, do something else and use deep breathing techniques are among her tips. She gives students "mood cards" so they can understand how emotions make them want to smoke.

Many students, "come from parents that smoke, so they don't see anything wrong with it," Boudreau said.

Kids chew because they think it's cool and tough, Deen said.

"It's going to be your friends that stop you from smoking," he said. "Fight fire with fire."

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Look Like a Teacher Day wrote on Apr 3, 2008 6:50 AM:

" While I think the no smoking is a great thing to promote, What about look like a teacher day, I recently visited a local High School only to find that the teachers dressed worse and had longer hair and scruffy beards. May be if they teacher started looking like teachers they might help set a better image for their students. At least then when you visit you would know who is a teacher. "

momincommunity wrote on Apr 3, 2008 9:08 AM:

" Go Shellee Brassard! This is a wonderful lesson for kids. I think that when you make it a visual for them to see, reality sets in. I think that this effort can truly make a difference, especially with parental and teacher support. Thanks Kelso High School for allowing this to take place. "

Best not to start wrote on Apr 3, 2008 9:08 AM:

" I started in boot camp because they kept giving us smoke breaks and cigarette were practically free. I wasted some of my best years athletically (my 20's) smoking. It is VERY DIFFICULT TO QUIT, I failed dozens of times, but like anything you just have to stay at it and don't stop quitting, you will eventually succeed. I urge you to not start smoking. Quitting opened up a whole new world to me, I ran a marathon, I could backpack, do big bike rides, I no longer STINK of tabacco. Believe me it is worth it to quit. "

Not Surprised wrote on Apr 3, 2008 9:09 AM:

" The term Kick B--ts" Day is just another indication of the immaturity of the teachers. Their dress is nothing more than a costume of the slovenliness that accompanies their lack of intellectual ability let alone their language loss. The board and administration are nothing to look to as an exemplification either.

The caliber of the products coming out of the teaching norms is very low it seems and getting lower by the year. I suppose in a few years they will just run through the halls naked and screaming if the trend continues. "

Hello? wrote on Apr 3, 2008 9:22 AM:

" What is a "Dean of Students" in a High School setting. New name for Vice-Principal? Give me a break! "

Get real... wrote on Apr 3, 2008 9:28 AM:

" How about be a parent for 'life', not just a day Last I checked a person is a person, the true test to be a teacher is can they reach the children and do they know their stuff, not pulling out the ruler to check hair length and facial hair issues, heck, maybe their ankles are showing or were seen in the presence of a man unchaperoned! Sorry, but the School Marm died out when you were in school or maybe when you taught. It is ok to be a human and teach, however, it is takes more credentials to be a teacher than a parent, so stop looking for ways to make your or others problems someone elses when it all begins at home! This is a far to common theme of these blogs; teachers, cops, lawyers, etc...they are unfair or mean or don't dress right, come on. I will be looking so see then my barber, mechanic, food service employee, and others meet the dress code. "

Alum wrote on Apr 3, 2008 9:33 AM:

" They have the right idea. I hate the random tangents other posters try and start. No one cares about the teachers dress.

Nice job kelso! "

FROGGY wrote on Apr 3, 2008 9:39 AM:

" We don't pay our teachers for fashion advise!!! "

Amazed By Ignorance wrote on Apr 3, 2008 9:54 AM:

" A person hired full time...just to teach smoking prevention? I remember their being Health Teachers for this purpose. Seems like a waste of already limited school funding. "

Fed Up By Ignorance wrote on Apr 3, 2008 11:06 AM:

" When will people start using the comment section for real comments to the articles. Every time I read these someone is making a comment that has nothing to do with the article or to put someone down.
Obviously many do not know what extent educators have to go to to get todays youths attention. We have some wonderful teachers & staff in Kelso, that truly give a damn about the students. To those individuals-I applaud you and thank you for the efforts you give everyday to make a difference! "

RE: Amazed By Ignorance wrote on Apr 3, 2008 11:16 AM:

" Shellee Brassard is also the school's drug and alcohol counselor. Who's the ignorant one now? "

Re: Hello? wrote on Apr 3, 2008 11:32 AM:

" Maybe instead of making such ignorant comments, check out the web site, it's NOT a new name for Vice-principal.
Educate yourself before making such statements. Knowledge is empowering! "

Kelso alum wrote on Apr 3, 2008 12:01 PM:

" I've seen the tobacco spit that Deen spoke of; I've seen students walking around with bottles specifically to spit in. It really is disgusting, on top of the smoking that goes on around campus. I admire the efforts of the staff at KHS; this problem has gone on long enough.

About Mr. Crayk: His attire is usually the attention-grabber that helps get the points across. Whatever works... "

RE: Amazed By Ignorance and Hello? wrote on Apr 3, 2008 12:05 PM:

" The hiring of full time Intervention Specialists is part of a grant, a rather healthy one at that. So, wasting money? No. Due it being grant money the districts of the country are mandated on HOW they spend the money. Again, ignorance into the WHAT, WHY, and HOW of the matter. Pay attention please!

Hello? Again, part of the grant(s) was to hire full time Intervention Specialists to better meet the needs, or dare I say demands, or society. The 'home' taught lessons regarding alcohol, drugs, and tobacco are not working. Time for schools to parent even more and teach the lessons that my parents instilled in me long ago and that I continue to teach my children. Maybe you are just an unhappy person. I don't know. But this story speaks of happy people who work toward a difficulty goal of overriding behavior of community norms to those of community responsibility.

Please, never stop expecting the noble cause or deed...otherwise, our schools will just be teaching Alcohol, Drug and Tobacco intervention classes with no room for the basics. "

Come on wrote on Apr 3, 2008 12:38 PM:

" If this hired position can save even 1 child from a life of sickness caused by smoking or chewing then it is well worth it! My father lost his voice to cancer caused by smoking. He would have loved to have been given the education on the harmful results of smoking. Instead he now lives with a hole in his throat, can't sing, can't swim, has a hard time being in a group of people or even being out side. Smoking didn't take his life but it took all that he enjoyed doing. Great Job Kelso keep it up. "

kelso Alumni wrote on Apr 3, 2008 1:07 PM:

" Good Job Kelso!! My Mom died 3 months ago today from Lung Cancer due to smoking. Thankfully neither my sister nor I started smoking. Keep up the good work. "

Internets wrote on Apr 3, 2008 1:39 PM:

" Via the interwebs we can learn a lot about the wonderful effects of tobacco! Yay webcoms! "

teachers should dress better? wrote on Apr 3, 2008 5:59 PM:

" maybe you should vote for levies that pay them more than minimum wage. i am a kelso grad, have a bachelors and a masters degree and i literally can't afford to be a teacher.

also, i am glad that they have people to tell the kids there to not smoke. probably the only positive messages they get in their lives in that little town. i was one of the non-smokers or chewers there, and we were few and far between. remember that kelso is a poor poor places, and the tobacco industry preys on undereducated and poor families to make its money. may as well try to save these kids years of hassel, sickness and money. "

to: teachers should dress better? wrote on Apr 3, 2008 6:36 PM:

" you have a masters degree and cant spell,what a waste of money. "

Hello? wrote on Apr 3, 2008 7:45 PM:

" So, according to, "RE: Amazed By Ignorance and Hello?" the Dean of Students is really an Intervention Specialist. Silly Kelso, just call a spade a spade... she's a Drug and Alcohol/Intervention Specialist, at least according to "RE: Amazed By Ignorance and Hello?"

Thank you for the clarification, I was so confused by a title that is generally exclusive to collegiate settings and/or private academies. "

Dad & Mom wrote on Apr 3, 2008 9:11 PM:

" ESD 112 and the students at Kelso High are very fortunate to have Shellee as their Intervention Specialist. Not only does she truly care about "her kids" but she also lives her life in the manner that she teaches. Way to go Shellee!!!! "

Hello? wrote on Apr 3, 2008 10:05 PM:

" NO. You didn't read again. I never once mentioned the Dean of Students. The Dean of Students is a teacher who receives no extra pay, just a teacher salary, who does nothing but discipline all day. Yeah, sounds fun. I hear that the KHS DOS is really quite good. They took a great teacher, who volunteered, and gave different responsibility at same pay. So, kudos to Kelso for being creative. I hope this clears things up for you. In summary: 1) I commented on the dress issue by "Look like a teacher day" when I shouldn't have as their comment was not even near the topic of the story, 2) the intervention specialist positions are part of a grant with string attached, and 3) the Dean of Students is a totally different bird than an Intervention Specialist.

Good night. "

Hello? wrote on Apr 4, 2008 6:40 AM:

" The person who, "...does nothing but discipline all day" should be a Vice Principal, not a teacher. "Teachers" should teach, and Vice Principals should issue discipline. "

Kelso Mom wrote on Apr 4, 2008 11:11 AM:

" I think the Kelso teachers dress nicely. We are talking about smoking, not about fashion ethics....if you want to see who is smoking.....let me fill you in....after school is let out..go behind the Kelso High and see how many kelso high school kids light up their cigs...it is amazing. It is so sad that in about 10-15 years they will be the doctors office complaining about having a hard time breathing..gee I wonder why...maybe it was all of the cigs you smoked after school. Quit now while you have the chance. "

spelling is also a hassle? wrote on Apr 4, 2008 9:56 PM:

" ha, good response. ironic you can't spell either when pointing out the spelling mistakes of others. "

KHS ROCKS!!! wrote on Apr 10, 2008 7:29 PM:

" I am currently a student at KHS, and honestly this program and what they do has helped a lot. There are less people smoking and doing drugs then when I started there three and a half years ago. Mr. Crayk was the perfect person to play the "yellow tooth fairy". He is an amazing teacher and a great mentor to many people. I am proud to say that I am in his drama program and I believe in Kick Butt day. "

way to go wrote on Apr 13, 2008 9:43 PM:

" way to go khs and khs staff! i just graduated from a school near seattle, and i can appretiate what you have done. i wish we could have had something like that at my school "

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