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Village teaches kids safety
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Victoria Balestrino, who begins kindergarten this fall, checks the mailbox Wednesday during the bicycle training station at safety village at North Elementary School in Poland.
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Sgt. Jim Craven of the Village of Poland Police Department talks to incoming kindergarten students about bicycle safety and traffic laws during the annual Poland Safety Village. Fifty children attended the two-day event that gave them tips for calling emergency services, riding the bus and navigating the playground.
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Michael Masucci, principal at Poland North Elementary School, reads a story to a group of incoming kindergartners during the annual Safety Village at the school, which teaches the youngsters various safety tips.
By Ashley Luthern
POLAND
Police officers, firefighters and an ambulance converged at North Elementary School this week, but not for an emergency.
The officials were helping at the annual Poland Safety Village that teaches children entering kindergarten safety tips for riding the bus, bicycling and navigating the playground.
Victoria Balestrino was one of the 50 incoming kindergartners who attended Safety Village, and said she was “kind of” nervous to start kindergarten in two weeks, but felt prepared.
Safety Village “tired me out,” she said. “We learned how to stay safe, and my mommy already got me a Tinker Bell backpack.”
Morgan Bailey, 5, practiced riding a bicycle through a miniature version of Poland Village, stopping to check a mail box and let other children pass in front of her.
“I like it,” she said of the Safety Village.
The Safety Village is organized by the parent-teacher organization from one of the three elementary schools in Poland. The two-day event was from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and registration was $8, which included the cost of a T-shirt and snack.
“We try to get as much of the community involved as possible,” said Christy Pepperney, vice president of the Poland Union PTO, which organized this year’s Safety Village.
Township and village police officers talked to the children about when it was appropriate to dial 9-1-1, street signs they’ll see while riding their bikes and warned them of strangers on the playground. North Elementary Principal Michael Masucci explained the job of principal and a few classroom rules before reading a story to the group.
Christy Smith volunteered for the program. Her daughter,, Cassidy, will start school at Dobbins Elementary this fall.
“We’ve been talking to her about it, getting her prepared for school, but she’s already very excited to go,” Smith said, adding that all parents feel some anxiety when their children start class.