Proudly displaying their “brain” erasers, “brain” pencils and touting, “I touched a Brain!” was the scene as South Orangetown Middle School (SOMS) students left the classroom of Health teacher, Vickie Shaw. The students had just departed a lesson packed full of pertinent information on how the brain functions.  One of the classroom activities included the students watching a short video in which six people, three in white shirts and three in black shirts, pass basketballs around. While watching, the students were asked to keep a silent count of the number of passes made by the people in white shirts. At some point, a gorilla strolls into the middle of the action, faces the camera and thumps its chest, and then leaves, spending nine seconds on screen. Would you see the gorilla? This helped to guide to class toward discussions on the topics of how the brain is affected by the use of seatbelts, helmets, sleep and drugs and alcohol. The power of this lesson will have a long term impact on students understanding how the brain works will hopefully deter adolescent risk taking. “Brain Day” was such a success that students are asking for a second “Brain Day!”
A special thanks to the Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research (NKI) and Dr. Michael Milham MD, PhD, founding director of the Center for the Developing Brain at the Child Mind Institute who are internationally known for pioneering contributions to psychiatric research and for sharing their knowledge with students at SOMS.

Thank you to all who made the Annual SADD Walk Run a SUCCESS! It would not be possible to gather over 250 runners for this event without continued community support. We would like to give special thanks to Councilman Troy and Congress Woman Jaffee for taking time out of their Saturday to support the SADD WALK RUN.

COME RUN/WALK WITH US

 HELP KEEP TEENS SUBSTANCE FREE

Sponsored by

 South Orangetown Community Awareness of Substance Abuse & Students Against Destructive Decisions

When: Saturday, October 20, 2012

                                                       Place: South Orangetown Middle School

                                                         Time: Registration-9AM

                                                               Race-10:00AM

SADD Walk Run Application 2012