Students in Wallaceburg graduated from the VIP program on Wednesday, in ceremonies held at A.A. Wright Public School and H.W. Burgess Public School.
Thirty-nine schools across Chatham-Kent partivipated in the Values, Influences and Peers Program this school year.
T-shirt sponsors throughout Chatham-Kent include Blenheim, Bothwell, Chatham, Wallaceburg and Wheatley Optimist Clubs, Bothwell Legion Branch 252, Merlin Knights of Columbus, Merlin Kinsmen and Merlin Legion Branch 465, Ridgetown Kiwanis, Thamesville Sertoma and LaSertoma, Tilbury Legion Branch 206, Wallaceburg Knights of Columbus.
Chatham-Kent Police Service officials say the VIP program has been very effective in establishing positive community-police relationships over the years.
Students meet their VIP officer on six different occasions and build a positive rapport that can last a lifetime.
Lessons taught to students such as shoplifting awareness, victims and vandals, the dangers of drugs and bullying and the laws are preventive in nature and allow students to evaluate the consequences of negative behaviour before they are caught up in it.
Here are a pair of photos of the graduating classes in Wallaceburg:
H.W. Burgess
A.A. Wright
– Submitted photos
