Several times each year, elementary teachers gather students and make their way to the gym for different speakers, fundraisers, and safety drills. In the month of October, multiple occasions arose where students filled the gym and learned about several tips to keep them safe before, during, and after school.
On October 14th, the Fair Grove Fire Department traveled to the elementary school to educate young students on the basics of fire safety. Erich Higgins, Fair Grove Fire Chief, and members of his department led this annual assembly for students and teachers. “The fire department spoke about their uniforms and safety during a house fire and each student was given a pamphlet on fire safety,” claims elementary principal Charity Hollan. For many students, this assembly is routine, but for some, it was their first experience with firefighters and learning about the dangers of house fires.
Just over 700 students, kindergarten through eighth grade, learned about the five basic steps which are posted on each bus as well as the newly implemented Thumbs Up Rule, in order to ensure their safety. “This rule is so every student who crosses in front of the bus will stop and make eye contact with the driver. After the driver makes sure it is safe to cross the road the student gets a thumbs up and is cleared to cross,” shares Transportation Director, Don Brite. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education mandates that Kindergarten through sixth grade students participate in School Bus Evacuation Drills every semester to ensure and maintain the safety of all. Brite adds, “We also talked about bullying on the bus and how to handle it. This is all in an effort to lower the discipline write-ups on the bus and to enhance the safety of our students.”
With these rules, safety tips, videos, and activities, students gained knowledge on appropriate behavior to display in order to prevent emergency situations from occurring.