Field Trip

The Pre-K classes at Mitchell's school took a field trip to Safety Town last Wednesday. I decided to volunteer as a chaperone since I have plenty of free time these days.

Parents were not allowed ride the bus, so we met the kids at the recreation center at 11:15. Mitchell was so excited about the bus ride. He told me that he rode with Fabian and Anthony.

The program was well-organized. The kids cycled through 3 different activities. Mitchell's class did the police officer session first. I missed the beginning of the discussion because the chaperones were being coached on their role in the program. When we came in, a woman from the police department was talking to the children about stranger safety. She went on to talk about gun safety and water safety. Then they headed outside to meet a police officer. They got in the backseat of his car and heard another speech on safety -- this time car and seat belt safety.

Next was the chance to sit in the front seat of a fire truck. The kids absolutely loved it. Then we headed inside to talk to a firefighter. He put on his full gear so the kids could see what a firefighter would look like if they came into their home to help them. He told them that they should not hide under their beds or in a closet if they see a firefighter. The children were not scared at all by all of the gear and even helped the firefighter get dressed by telling him what he should put on next.

Next, we headed to the gym where a child-size replica of Roswell was set up. Half of the children rode Hot Wheels on the roads and the other half walked around the city -- being sure to use crosswalks and sidewalks. We started out as walkers and then my group got to be drivers. There was quite a bit of congestion on the roads, so we tried to avoid the typical Atlanta traffic. The kids loved the working stoplight.

It was a great program and I think the children loved it. They also learned a lot. Mitchell still talks about what he should do if he finds a gun (walk away and tell an adult). The creators of the program do a really good job of breaking down the information so the children remember it.