Lesson 1 for school year’s start: Bone up on safety
The finals of the Great- est Golfer in the Valley tournament, the countdown to the iconic Canfield Fair and the anticipation of another exhilarating high school football season all signal excitement in the Mahoning Valley as the dog days of summer morph into the crisp days of autumn.
In coming days, conflict over Common Core mandates, controversy over new student-testing procedures and quandaries over school funding will all take a back seat – albeit temporarily – to the adventure and bustle of the launch of the 2015-16 academic year.
As Denise Dick, Vindicator education writer, reported Sunday in an extensive preview of the school year, public schools in the Mahoning Valley this fall are brimming with new facilities and programs.
For example, students in the Springfield Local School District will walk into a brand-spanking-new elementary school replacing one that is nine decades old.
Struthers schools will offer a progressive new science, technology, engineering and mathematics curriculum in their elementary and middle grades.
In Youngstown, enhanced academic achievement of city school students will be the primary focus of the promising state-initiated Youngstown Plan for reorganization that moves into high gear this fall.
Those improvements and projects merely scratch the surface of the hodgepodge of new and innovative curricula for the 2015-16 school year in districts large and small throughout the region. They also demonstrate a sincere commitment to student success by talented educators and staff who far too often go grossly under-recognized.
In all districts, school pride will be reignited with the kickoff of another scintillating high school football season next weekend. The Vindicator joins in that excitement through publication of its annual Blitz High School Football Preview special section in tomorrow’s newspaper, which features profiles and schedules for 44 area teams. You won’t want to miss that informative supplement.
BE CAUTIOUS, RESPONSIBLE
Amidst all of this hubbub, however, responsibility, caution and safety must remain watchwords for all in order to achieve a safe and secure cruise through the school year. That means drivers must double down on the rules of the road when the sea of yellow buses return to their million-mile routes throughout Ohio this month.
Law-enforcement officials’ biggest concern is other drivers passing stopped school buses that are loading or unloading children, the Ohio State Highway Patrol reports.
Drivers approaching a school bus from either direction are required to stop at least 10 feet back from buses displaying the extended stop signs and red flashing lights.
The patrol also advises drivers to watch out for children walking to and from the bus stop when they are backing out of a garage or driveway.
For their part, parents must instruct their offspring to stop and look both ways before crossing the street when exiting a bus and to be on guard for any sudden traffic changes.
In short, studying the rules of safety must rank as Lesson No. 1 for all students, parents and drivers to ensure the high-energy jubilation of the start of the new school year does not take a troubling tumble into tragedy.