Students and staff at William Byrd Middle School celebrated a combination of Halloween and
Red Ribbon Week October 28-November 1. Red Ribbon Week is the nation’s largest and
longest-running drug-use prevention campaign.
The mission of the Red Ribbon Campaign is to present a unified and visible commitment
towards the creation of a drug-free America. Schools across the country engage in Red Ribbon
Week activities each year at the end of October, finding creative ways to increase awareness
about the harm drugs can cause and to reinforce the message of staying drug free.
The theme for this year’s Red Ribbon Week was “Life is a Movie, Film Drug Free!”
Included in the activities were the special Red Ribbon Dress-Up Days throughout the week,
wearing red on Monday, dressing like a movie star on Tuesday and a Dr. Seuss character on
Wednesday, and wearing a Halloween costume on Thursday and school colors on Friday.
However, there was one very memorable day mid-week when staff and students decorated the
halls of the school for “Hallway Wars.” Celebrity judges Logan Sherrill and Brent Watts from
WDBJ-7 and school bus driver Pat Webster took on the task of deciding which classes and/or
departments demonstrated the most student involvement in their displays (on doorways, lockers,
walls, and more), showed creativity or cleverness, incorporated the drug free message, and were
visually appealing.
The themes (films) chosen were:
- Jurassic Park by the Science and Electives Depts.
- Toy Story by the FAACTS class
- Beetlejuice by sixth grade English, Tech Ed, and laptop depot
- Inside Out by sixth grade math, counseling, the SPED coordinator and Testing
coordinator - All Things Disney by seventh grade math, English, history, and the library
- All Things Marvel by sixth grade history, and eighth grade math, English, and civics
“Beetlejuice” took first place and “Inside Out” second place, with honorable mentions for the
others. Sherrill and Watts congratulated all the Byrd students for their talent and willingness to
personalize the “drug-free message” throughout the hallway displays.
Week message, “Don’t let drugs and alcohol get in the way of your goals.” She is pictured with
Brent Watts (left) and Logan Sherrill.
movie “Toy Story.”
WBMS Principal Evan Noell noted that WBMS takes Red Ribbon Week very seriously and staff
develops a multitude of activities to reinforce the drug-free message, not just during Red Ribbon
Week, but throughout the year.
In fact, the school won an award from the RAYSAC against tough competition in December
2023 for its efforts during Red Ribbon Week, and hopes to win again.
On another occasion, the middle school and high school invited Byrd alumni, athlete, and
motivational speaker Trip Ison to share his story of addiction, recovery, and wellness with
students.
At the end of Red Ribbon Week, students were encouraged to take the pledge to live a healthy
drug-free lifestyle and learn more about the destructive effects of drug abuse.
WBMS staff members Allyse Dunlop and Gloria Harris facilitated the Hallway Wars event.
(View more photos from Red Ribbon Week at WBMS on the following Facebook post.)
