TIFTON — G.O. Bailey Elementary School held its first Choosing Healthy Activities and Methods Promoting Safety (C.H.A.M.P.S.) graduation for fifth grade students on Mar. 15 at the school.

The 12-week program is sponsored and taught by the Tift County Sheriff’s Office and teaches kids about a wide variety of safety issues and how to make good choices.

Each child who passed the program received a certificate from Tift County Sheriff Gene Scarbrough and deputy Claudia Barrios-Turmunde, the instructor for the program.

Additionally, prizes were given out for the essay contest and the poster contest, and one student was chosen as the Student of the Year.

The essay winners were Emmalyn Lukas in first place, Tiffany Baird in second place and Jennifer Lara in third place.

The poster winners were Za’Riyah Parks in first place, Kevin Contreras in second place and Emily Goswick in third.

Gabriel “Zion” Odum was declared the C.H.A.M.P.S. Student of the Year.