Holbrook High School’s Roadrunner Roost is bringing serious topics for consideration for the students and families in the community.
This month beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 21, Sergeant Ray Patterson of the Holbrook Police Department will be there to discuss adolescent drug and alcohol use trends. Patterson, who has been in law enforcement for 10 years and has had first-hand experience in the field, will offer his expertise on how to detect, prevent and discourage drug use.
According to Holbrook Unified School District Business Manager Jacob Boyle, the idea to host RoostEd Talks was inspired by TED Talks, a popular broadcast that hosts guest speakers on a variety of topics.
“I watched a TED Talk on addiction and it resonated with me. I thought it would be of great benefit to the community and the parents of our school system if we could find experts to present on subjects that might otherwise not have a platform to be presented,” said Boyle, adding that the goal is to provide thought provoking and relevant topics to the students and community.
Since the unveiling of the Roadrunner Roost in August, three guest speakers have made presentations. Hulet Elementary School Principal Kevin Fosburgh discussed positive behavior intervention systems at school and in the home. Dr. Darrell Brimhall of Summit Healthcare discussed depression, anxiety, and suicide awareness and prevention, and Holbrook School District IT Director Barry Lambson spoke on safe and appropriate use of technology at home and in the classroom.
According to Boyle, there was no specific incident that spurred him to invite Patterson to speak at the Roost aside from the knowledge that drugs are a threat to the youth.
As a parent himself and a career law enforcement officer, Patterson is all too familiar with how much temptation there really is for middle to high school students and how much of a challenge it can be for the parents trying to lead their child down the right path. In his talk, Patterson will be presenting tools for both parents and students to tackle drug temptation.
Patterson will also be discussing how to recognize signs of drug use and then how to approach it, not only addressing how parents can handle drug temptation but also how students can address a situation involving peers who they suspect of using drugs.
Patterson believes that smaller towns face some unique challenges that lead the youth toward drugs. “Small town America is more susceptible to kids getting introduced to drugs because there is not a lot to do so we try to find things to keep them away from drugs but we also try to educate the parents on what to look for.”
So far, the RoostEd talks have received glowing endorsements from some members of the community who have already taken advantage of the free education.
Cale Allen who has attended two of the three said, “I believe this RoostEd Talks are beneficial because they provide the opportunity for us as parents, educators and the general public to be aware of topics that we otherwise may not have the chance to delve into much. The information presented goes way beyond the title and I have learned new things that can benefit me in my home and career. It is important that we make it worth the district’s time and effort to put these on. Every topic may not be for you, but if we continue to support the district in this endeavor it is a good bet that eventually a topic will come up that can be so important to you in so many ways.”
Boyle stated that all parents and students are invited to attend but due to the topics presented, parents are encouraged to review the content when deciding which discussions to bring their child to. The RoostEd talks are held once a month and Roadrunner Roost is located at 455 N. Eighth Ave. The times and dates can be found by contacting the district office at (928) 524-6144.
