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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.During Canfield PTO’s Kindergarten Safety Day on Aug. 19, the Canfield Fire Department covered fire safety and described the firefighter’s gear and equipment they use during a fire and the students were also able to get an up close look at the fire truck.
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.In-coming C.H. Campbell Elementary School kindergartners peered out the windows and waved to their parents after they boarded the bus to take a ride to the school during Canfield PTO’s Kindergarten Safety Day on Aug. 19.
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.A Canfield Local Schools bus driver spoke to in-coming kindergarten students and their parents about school bus safety on Aug. 19.
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.Canfield Local Schools Resource Officer Steve Garstka of the Canfield Police Department focused on teaching in-coming kindergarten students pedestrian and stranger safety during Canfield PTO’s Kindergarten Safety Day.
By ABBY SLANKER
A record number of 111 in-coming Canfield Local Schools kindergarten students attended Kindergarten Safety Day sponsored by Canfield PTO on Aug. 19. The soon-to-be kindergartners from Hilltop Elementary School and C.H. Campbell Elementary School participated a day of safety instruction at St. Michael’s Church.
Kindergarten Safety Day was designed to teach and inform the students about important safety guidelines and included presentations from the Canfield Police Department, Canfield Fire Department, Canfield Library, Hilltop Elementary third-grade teacher Marie Rupert and Canfield Local Schools bus drivers. The children were scheduled to visit the four stations for 15 minutes each, rounding out the event with a bus ride to their respective elementary schools.
“We have 111 kindergartners here today. This is the largest number we have ever had for Kindergarten Safety Day,” said Julie Kwaiser-Miller, Canfield Local Schools PTO president.
The children were given name tags that were color coded and were instructed to follow the color coded corresponding schedule in the Safety Day informational handout they received at the registration table.
Hilltop Elementary School Principal Joe Maroni and C.H. Campbell Elementary School Principal Travis Lavery and Canfield Local Schools Superintendent Alex Geordan were on hand to meet the students and answer any questions.
Canfield Local Schools Resource Officer Steve Garstka of the Canfield Police Department focused on teaching the children pedestrian and stranger safety. The children were also able to check out the inside of a police cruiser and were each given a sticker police badge.
The Canfield Fire Department covered fire safety and described the firefighter’s gear and equipment they use during a fire and gave the children tips on what to do if there is ever a fire at their home. The children were also given the opportunity also checked the fire truck and, with the help of a fire fighter, spray water hoses at a target.
Hilltop Elementary third-grade teacher Marie Rupert talked to the children about staying healthy in kindergarten and gave them a lesson on how to not spread germs. Canfield library Children’s Librarian Jane Adams read the children kindergarten-themed books.
Two Canfield Local School bus drivers were in attendance to educate the children and their parents on school bus safety. The drivers focused on showing the students how to get safely on the bus, the rules that need to be followed while on the bus and how to safely get off the bus.
Once the students boarded the buses, they were taken to either Hilltop Elementary School or C.H. Campbell Elementary School, where they were shown how to exit the bus and enter the school. Maroni and Travis accompanied the students on their bus ride to their respective schools.
When the buses returned from students’ first bus ride, all attendees gathered back in the Family Life Center for the conclusion of the program, which included each soon-to-be kindergartner receiving a Safety Day gift bag and a personalized Safety Day certificate. Inside the goody bag was coloring books donated by State Farm Insurance Agent Jason Reckard and crayons, a small gift, a snack and the book “The Night Before Kindergarten” all provided by the PTO.
PTO volunteers from both Hilltop Elementary School and C.H. Campbell Elementary School helped with the event.
“Kindergarten Safety Day is a joint effort between Hilltop Elementary School and C.H. Campbell Elementary School. We couldn’t do this without all the volunteers from both schools,” said Kwaiser-Miller.