Rita B. Rumbaugh 

Montgomery County Public Schools

 Safe and Drug-Free Schools
 

Rita Rumbaugh and Montgomery County Public Schools Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program have worked with The Pathways Schools since 1996, nearly 14 years.  In February, 1996, Pathways staff saw a need for an alcohol and drug prevention component to help students for whom this had become an identifiable problem.  With the support of Rita and the Safe and Drug-Free program, in the 1996-97 school year, Pathways qualified to participate in the Maryland Student Assistance Program (SAP) and became a Safe and Drug-Free School.  During the following summer, eight staff members were trained through Montgomery County Safe and Drug-Free Schools to implement SAP.  The Pathways Schools was the first nonpublic special education school to have a Student Assistance Program and the first to gain the Safe and Drug-Free School designation.
 

Rita and her colleagues, including Barbara Pearlman, an Intervention Specialist with MCPS Safe and Drug-Free Schools, enabled Pathways' SAP to become a significant and central piece of the web of support we provide our students.  They provided the resources and expert advice that enabled Pathways SAP to grow and expand.  In its first year, Pathways' newly trained SAP team members were able to identify and refer 23 students to receive help overcoming problems related to drug use.  Since then, the program has developed into a support system for students that goes far beyond identification and referral.  A strong educational component raises awareness about the dangers of drug use and teaches students about healthy lifestyle options and choices. The annual drug awareness rally is one of the only times each year that the entire Pathways student body comes together to boost pride in themselves and their school and to celebrate the possibilities in a drug-free lifestyle.  None of this would have been possible without the commitment and consistent support of Rita and the Montgomery County Public Schools Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program.
 
 

 

 For almost a decade, Pathways students have been able to learn about, care for and ride horses through a remarkable program at Rock Creek Horse Center.  Nicoline Beveridge and Rebecca Lafave, certified instructors in therapeutic horseback riding, have assisted Pathways students for years. They have seen students undergo real change and growth through their relationships with the horses. This year Pathways was faced with the possibility of having to cut back due to financial constraints.  Rebecca and Nicoline worked to get a grant from Rock Creek Riders, Inc. that made it possible for our students to continue to benefit from this unique program.  

 

In therapeutic riding students learn far more than how to sit on a horse.  Once a week they visit the stable where they engage in reading, writing and hands-on activities to help them learn horse physiology, psychology, handling and care, as well as the importance of teamwork to maintain safety amongst large herd animals.  They must follow directions closely, overcome fear, and cooperate with the horses in order to guide them firmly and kindly.  At the end of the program, each student is able to sit proudly on his or her horse and speak to an audience of adults and peers, before demonstrating mastery of basic

The positive relationship of a student and her horse

riding skills.  The student is empowered by a new sense of control in her life and by the discovery that he can establish mutual trust and respect. 

 

This valuable program and its expert and dedicated staff remain a trusted and important part of the emotional and academic growth of our students.

 

 

Pathways Community Partner in Education Awards