Mckinney Courier-gazette > News
Ogle students learn fire safety
Ogle Elementary School first-grader McKenna Toporek shows off her safe driving skills at the Frisco Fire Safety Town. Stefanie White/McKinney Courier-Gazette
By Stefanie White, McKinney Courier-Gazette
Caleb Molo and McKenna Toporek aren’t even old enough to drive, but that didn’t stop them from getting a head start on some drivers’ safety lessons.
Caleb, McKenna and other Ogle Elementary School first graders learned about motor vehicle and school bus safety at the Frisco Fire Safety Town on Wednesday.
“It is a fire and life safety program and we’re geared towards kindergarten through fifth grade,” said Bettie Grimes, Safety Town coordinator.
Grimes said the different grade levels learn about different aspects of safety. For example, kindergartners get an introduction to 9-1-1 and emergency services.
“Everything we do has a classroom component and everything we do follows with a hands-on,” Grimes said.
With the hands-on section, kids are able to test their safety skills. The Ogle first-graders were able to test their drivers’ safety skills and pedestrian skills in a miniature version of Frisco where students drove mini-Jeeps down streets.
“They love it,” Grimes said. “Everything’s on a five to eight scale so they can see what it’s like.”
Kristie Sanders, Ogle first grader teacher, said the kids learned several life-saving lessons from the motor vehicle and bus safety class.
“I think it helps the kids to realize they should not be riding in the front seat of a car and most of them do,” Sanders said. “The airbags, for one thing, can deploy and hurt them.”
The first graders also learned that children under the age of eight should be in a booster seat in the back seat of a car.
Sanders said the students also learned how to be good pedestrians and about what safety measures they should take when crossing the street.
“I think a lot of kids don’t look when they cross the street, especially when they don’t have an adult with them,” Sanders said.
Caleb visited Safety Town last year and enjoyed the lessons he got in emergency services and introduction to 911.
“It was great,” Caleb said. “We got to do a lot of fun stuff. We got to look all around in the fire car.”
This year, Caleb added on to his safety skills he learned from last year with the motor vehicle and bus safety class.
“Don’t run in the street while it’s dark out because you might get hit by a car,” Caleb said.
McKenna said she also enjoyed her visit when she came to Safety Town as a kindergartner last year.
Her favorite part was “the part where we learned not to talk to strangers because I like to learn about that,” McKenna said.
Safety Town helps teach kids important life lessons but it also helps parents, such as Michelle Zoltowsky, know that her daughter, Ashley, knows what to do in certain situations.
“It teaches the kids how to be safe,” Zoltowsky said. “We were here last year and it taught them about 911.”
Contact staff writer Stefanie White at swhite@acnpapers.com. To post comments online, access this story at www.scntx.com.
Caleb, McKenna and other Ogle Elementary School first graders learned about motor vehicle and school bus safety at the Frisco Fire Safety Town on Wednesday.
“It is a fire and life safety program and we’re geared towards kindergarten through fifth grade,” said Bettie Grimes, Safety Town coordinator.
Grimes said the different grade levels learn about different aspects of safety. For example, kindergartners get an introduction to 9-1-1 and emergency services.
“Everything we do has a classroom component and everything we do follows with a hands-on,” Grimes said.
With the hands-on section, kids are able to test their safety skills. The Ogle first-graders were able to test their drivers’ safety skills and pedestrian skills in a miniature version of Frisco where students drove mini-Jeeps down streets.
“They love it,” Grimes said. “Everything’s on a five to eight scale so they can see what it’s like.”
Kristie Sanders, Ogle first grader teacher, said the kids learned several life-saving lessons from the motor vehicle and bus safety class.
“I think it helps the kids to realize they should not be riding in the front seat of a car and most of them do,” Sanders said. “The airbags, for one thing, can deploy and hurt them.”
The first graders also learned that children under the age of eight should be in a booster seat in the back seat of a car.
Sanders said the students also learned how to be good pedestrians and about what safety measures they should take when crossing the street.
“I think a lot of kids don’t look when they cross the street, especially when they don’t have an adult with them,” Sanders said.
Caleb visited Safety Town last year and enjoyed the lessons he got in emergency services and introduction to 911.
“It was great,” Caleb said. “We got to do a lot of fun stuff. We got to look all around in the fire car.”
This year, Caleb added on to his safety skills he learned from last year with the motor vehicle and bus safety class.
“Don’t run in the street while it’s dark out because you might get hit by a car,” Caleb said.
McKenna said she also enjoyed her visit when she came to Safety Town as a kindergartner last year.
Her favorite part was “the part where we learned not to talk to strangers because I like to learn about that,” McKenna said.
Safety Town helps teach kids important life lessons but it also helps parents, such as Michelle Zoltowsky, know that her daughter, Ashley, knows what to do in certain situations.
“It teaches the kids how to be safe,” Zoltowsky said. “We were here last year and it taught them about 911.”
Contact staff writer Stefanie White at swhite@acnpapers.com. To post comments online, access this story at www.scntx.com.
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