School Resource Officer
Officer Knox
Contact Information @ AMS: 673-8944 x7139
Contact Information @ Amherst Police Department: 673-4900
Email address: mknox@sprise.com
Internet Safety Presentation
Officers Knox and Smith from AMS and SHS, respectively, gave a presentation on March 3, 2008, regarding Internet Safety and what you can do as parents to keep your children safe. The presentation is linked here, but feel free to contact Officer Knox directly if you have questions or concerns.
Seventh Grade DARE program
An updated DARE curriculum will be presented to students in the Seventh Grade at the Amherst Middle School. This program is an extension of the fifth grade program but was created specifically for the Middle School-age student. The curriculum focuses on ways to assist students in dealing with specific problematic life situations. These situations include internal and external pressures to use substances such as tobacco, marijuana, alcohol, and inhalants. This curriculum is designed to extend students capabilities with dealing effectively with feelings of frustration and anger. Students are encouraged to take charge of their own lives by developing capacities to understand facts and consequences of violence and of using prohibited substances and then developing decision makings skills and communication skills to successfully refuse the substances and the violent behavior.
Officer Knox will be beginning the 7th grade DARE program on January 03, 2008. DARE will be presented by “team” this year beginning with the Hamel, Evans, Kalenik, Wilson team.
The curriculum consists of 10 lessons. Below you will find a general breakdown of the lessons from lesson #1 to lesson #10. Should you have any concerns or questions regarding the program, please send me an email or give me a call at the school.
Thank you,
Officer Knox
603-673-8944 X 7139
Dare Lesson Overview
* No portion of this overview may be copied or reprinted in any manner without prior written approval of D.A.R.E. America
Lesson #1 – Reminds students what the DARE program stands for and provides the student with a chance to get to know their DARE instructor, their fellow students, and provides some basic communication skills that will be used in class. A “game” is used to remind students of the consequences of drug use.
Lesson #2 – Additional information is reviewed about selected drugs to correct “misinformation”. A lesson engages students as EMS workers charged with determining possible drug involvement based on “symptoms” presented by their “patients”.
Lesson #3 – Students analyze alcohol and tobacco advertisements and then develop Public Service Ads, (PSA’s), to counter the ads.
Lesson #4 – Lesson designed to differentiate between students beliefs about drugs that “everyone does it”, with statistics that clearly show that most student do not.
Lesson #5 – The concept of resistance skills is again introduced to provide the student with realistic scenario’s and how it is possible to resist drug use.
Lesson #6 – Returns to the DARE decision making model, and demonstrations of how acting assertively or confidently becomes a part of their own resistance skills.
Lesson #7 – Role play with students where realistic scenarios often encountered by adolescents are introduced and students are asked to “problem solve”. Feedback is provided by the Officer and the students to further improve skills.
Lesson #8 – Feelings of Anger and Frustration are discussed during this lesson and appropriate ways to “cool it” and prevent violent behavior. Scenarios are provided and possible responses are “played out” to encourage students to react in an appropriate way.
Lesson #9 and #10 – Students are introduced to a courtroom setting where social and/or legal responsibilities have been violated. Some teams are prosecutors, some defendants, and some are “judges”. This lesson further demonstrates additional possible consequences to drug use. Alternatives in our own community are offered at the end of Lesson #10 to drug use.
The School Resource Officer Program
I would like to thank all of the staff, students, and parents with whom I have had contact since the inception of the School Resource Officer, (SRO), Program. As the program continues to grow, I would like to take a moment to reflect.
In September of 2003, the SRO program began with a goal of furthering a collaborative effort between the Amherst Police Department, educators, students, parents, and the Amherst community to provide a new resource to the citizens of Amherst, NH.
The SRO position was proposed, accepted, and a selection process was completed. Training was then obtained through the National Association of School Resource Officers, (NASRO), in Phoenix, Arizona. This training focused on a triad approach model. The model encouraged the SRO Officer to assume a role of Police Officer, teacher, and counselor. With training complete, the program began.
The Police Officer role was the easiest to assume as that was one with which I was most familiar. School issues, which would have historically been referred to the Amherst Police Department, were immediately brought to my attention and were handled in an appropriate manner. In addition, the opportunity to be “on campus”, provided critical intelligence with regard to reviewing/furthering existing school crisis plans and updating the Amherst Police Department tactical personnel response options.
The role of teacher was foreign to this Officer at the inception of the SRO program. I did however discover the importance of the words collaboration and cooperation. I could not have asked for more support from the staff of the Amherst Middle School and the Wilkins School. In order to provide safety, law, and law related classes, invitations needed to be extended from the teaching staff and then granted by the administration. These invitations were extended on a regular basis, which enhanced the development of educational opportunities and furthered contact with the student population. Areas of instruction included:
Safety
Internet Safety for new Internet users
Internet Safety for Parents
Computer crimes
Computer Downloading and Copyright Violations
Home Alone
5th Grade Home Alone – supplemental
Victim Avoidance Strategies
DARE program assistant
Self Defense Instruction/Coordinator
Law
Juvenile Law
Junior Operator’s license education
Youth Operator restrictions
NH law presentation for eight grade students
Drug presentation for Parents (Project Safeguard)
Law Related
Search and Seizure
Mock Trial Assistance, which has included:
Courtroom Etiquette
Criminal Law Procedures
Basic Forensic Science
The aforementioned areas of instruction were only possible due to the collaboration and cooperation of teachers and the administration. Feedback received from these instructional blocks has been both positive and constructive. Clearly, I have much to learn with regard to curriculum development and delivery, but I feel confident that I can continue to improve by watching the professionals I work with on a daily basis.
An additional aspect of the SRO position is that of counselor. Students, parents, and staff seeking information and counsel about particular situations are provided with requested information or referred where appropriate. Some students are forced to deal with tragedy or turmoil in their individual lives. I appreciated all the students who felt comfortable sharing situations that bothered the student. Undivided attention and assistance was provided where appropriate and it was coupled with referrals to the guidance department in some cases.
Reflecting on my time at AMS, I feel privileged to have been involved with this SRO program. Early in the process, I was concerned about exactly how the SRO program would be received and then operate in the Amherst School District. Having already made progress towards some of the initial goals of the program, I anticipate in years to come, the SRO program will realize all of the initial goals and some not yet identified. I appreciate the opportunity I have been given in being the SRO Officer for the Amherst School District. I look forward to becoming more proficient at the SRO position and towards the challenges which lie in front of me.
I wish all students, staff, and parents a happy, safe and school year. I look forward to seeing everyone soon.
Sincerely,
Officer Michael Knox
SRO News Headlines
On September 30, 2005, Officer Knox graduated from D.A.R.E. training #18. Officer Knox is now certified to teach the DARE program at grade levels of K-8. Officer Knox will be beginning the 7th grade DARE program on January 03, 2008. DARE will be presented by “team” this year beginning with the Hamel, Evans, Kalenik, Wilson team.
Parents wishing to learn more about the Amherst Police Department are asked to visit www.amherstpolice.com.
Parents wishing to learn more about the School Resource Officer Program are asked to visit www.nasro.com.
Parents wishing to learn more about Internet Safety for children are asked to visit www.netsmartz.org.
Parents wishing to learn more about how to keep our children safe are asked to visit www.missingkids.com.
Parents interested in learning more about registered sexual offenders in our community are asked to visit www.egov.nh.gov/nsor. On the above web page, you should scroll to the bottom and hit the “submit” button before locating the Town of Amherst, NH.
To view recent security updates, please click on the slide show below. For any additional security questions or concerns, please contact Officer Knox.
