Flathead launches Positive Choices Campaign

Flathead High School is on a mission to encourage healthy living.

Its Positive Choices Campaign that starts Monday is a cooperative effort among school administrators, teachers, students and parents.

“We are going to take back the Flathead pride, redefine the Flathead way and stand against negative influences, and we are doing this because we are ‘brave’ enough to be the change,” Kelly Osborne, a member of the Flathead Parent Group, wrote in an e-mail to the Inter Lake.

She defined “the Flathead way” by using an acrostic created by Flathead student Jake Williams:

Beyond peer pressure

Responsible

Accountable

Valued

Excellent

Every day of this school week will feature guest speakers or activities focused on empowering students to live above the negative influences in their lives.

Musician Luke Dowler, a Flathead alumnus, will perform at the school on Monday. Newly crowned Miss Montana, Kacie West — also a Flathead alumna — will talk with students one day.

Other guests include Flathead graduate Andrea Lutz, a news anchor for KAJ. Flathead graduate and University of Montana football standout Lex Hilliard, who now plays for the Miami Dolphins, has offered to send videos of himself talking about positive choices.

Stay Sharp, a drug prevention presentation, and young adults who have experienced drug or alcohol addiction and rehab will address students on Wednesday. Activities also are planned for Tuesday and Thursday.

The week will wrap up with a special assembly Friday featuring local author Mac Bledsoe.

“Mac will challenge the students to live out the things we discussed throughout the week and challenge them to allow peer pressure to lead in a positive direction,” Osborne said.

The campaign is “all about trying to do the right thing,” Activities Director Frank Jobe said.

He added that the goal is for the campaign to create lasting change.

“Part of the key is it can’t be [only] next week. We have to come up with good stuff to sustain it,” he said.

The campaign is a kickoff to a yearlong effort to “be the change we want to see in the world,” Osborne said.

Students will be able to sign pledge certificates, which will be placed on a pledge wall, and there will be monthly activities to encourage students to keep their pledges to live above the influence.

“It is our desire that this will become a community effort and that the students of Flathead will lead the way challenging our friends, family and community to be B.R.A.V.E.,” Osborne said.