Rockville Centre middle school students get a primer on good decisions

All South Side Middle School students attended the “Challenge to Choose Wisely” assembly on Sept. 7. The purpose of the presentation, in its second year, is to stress the importance of good decision making as well as the dangers of risky behavior.

The speakers included Frank Mullahey, a throat cancer survivor who communicates through a voice recorder; Det. Frank Marino, who spoke on the reality of gang affiliations and bullying in our community; Wayne Rothwell, director of Adolescent Care at South Oaks Hospital, who discussed brain chemistry and addictive behaviors; Art Rosenthal, director of Confide Drug and Alcohol Counseling Center in Rockville Centre, who relayed stories of drug addiction and Judge Anthony Paradiso, who described the court system and the consequences of risky decisions.

The students were fully absorbed in the assembly and learned how to cope with a situation that could intimidate a youngster into making a poor decision through some role playing. They also were armed with solutions to help them from becoming a victim in a bullying situation, or any negative behavior happening around them.

The administrators and staff at South Side Middle School say they are dedicated to educating the whole child, and in this age of technical advancement and social networking, students need to be aware of consequences that can come from a lack of information. The school’s staff believes this assembly and the panel of speakers who participate, have been instrumental in helping the community’s middle school students make the “right decisions” and carefully navigate the world in which they live.