Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
The first week in June represented the start of Safety Town at Starr Elementary in Oregon, where young kids are taught safety lessons over a two-week period.
“We've had an amazing turnout,” Safety Town’s program coordinator Deb Kowalski said. “We're very blessed that we have our police officers here, and we have wonderful students from Oregon schools that are our team volunteers. They have just stepped right in to take a role in helping our students learn how to be safe. It's just been a very positive week. We've had wonderful weather. We're excited about everything that we've taught so far.”
During the second week, a new group of children were scheduled to participate in the daily class, which takes place from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Following that is graduation, which brings in families, where they will see a slideshow and learn about everything their children have learned.
This year has had a greater turnout than years past.
“It's exciting,” Kowalski said. “We've noticed that we've had people that have their grandchildren that are going to be coming in town visiting, and they want (them to) have the (same) opportunity (to participate in Safety Town) that their children had living here.”
This year’s Safety Town featured a complete makeover due to generous sponsors, the Oregonian Club and the students at Clay High School’s construction class. Initially, the thought was to remodel or renovate the buildings, but after rot was discovered, the students put everything together in a matter of weeks with the help of instructor, Drew Lashaway.
Kowalski said her oldest son didn’t have the buildings when he went through Safety Town, but her other son, who is 30 years old, participated in Safety Town with the old buildings.
“It’s bittersweet. I always love and I look forward to Safety Town as a second-grade teacher,” she said. “I'm used to seven- and eight-year-olds, so I get what I call my pre-kindergarten, kindergarten fix of four- or five- and some six-year-olds. For me, it's just a blessing. I enjoy it. I know for some teachers they start their summer, and that's okay and they do what they need to do, but for me I look forward to it every year.”
CAPTION
Young children, with the aid of Clay students, learn lessons about safety in the first week of this year’s Safety Town at Starr Elementary on June 3. (Photos by Nicholas Huenefeld)
