Calvary Christian School invited me to do a presentation on
“Safety Pledge Indoor and Outdoor.”
I presented to over fifty students and it was great! I must admit that presenting to children versus adults can lead to some anxiety, perhaps more than presenting to adults. I’ve presented many times and each time, it comes. Nonetheless, Calvary Christian School students were AWESOME! They were engaged and participating, it was great.
Let’s talk about safety at home, outdoors and inside the classroom.
Classroom anxiety – Let’s chat
Have you ever walked into a room and all eyes were on you? I had over fifty faces turn towards me and glared. I hope my hair was in place. Did I have a boogie trying to look back at them? How embarrassing would that be?
Well, it’s showtime!
The curtain opened and there I was walking across the stage to deliver a stellar performance to a classroom of Pre-K to 1st-grade students. I was prepared and eager to talk about safety, but there was one little obstacle that stood in my way. A USB cord! I have several of them but didn’t think I needed to bring one. Teachers Rock!! They were like moms always prepared to make sure things took off without a hitch. Thank you Calvary School teachers. I used their laptops and was able to bring up my presentation and the kids enjoyed it.
Meeting Eno, Safety Pledge Robot
Eno, The Safety Pledge Robot is the main character in the Safety Pledge Indoor and Outdoor books. A huge thanks to my animator, Glenn Harper whose animations and voice-over, brought Eno to life. The kids were engaged and excited.
What’s a safety pledge?
“If someone asks or tells you to do something that’s safety related, and you agree to do it, you’ve made SAFETY PLEDGE.” For example, instructing a child not to run in the hallways or buckle their seatbelt. If your child agrees, they have pledged to do something that will keep them safe. Yes, it’s that simple and easy!
It’s not easy to remember a pledge or keep it without much practice. We make pledges and daily break them. Inside the Safety Pledge books are safety pledges to be used as learning tools to help you get in the habit of creating one and practice safety with your child.
Safety Pledge Presentation – Calvary Christian School
Let’s talk about safety inside your home…
I started with bath time safety. I explained bath time should be “safe and fun.” When playing with toys inside the bathtub, it should be done while seated because bathtub floors are slippery. Also, make sure the water temperature is checked before getting in, including the shower.
I shared some thoughts about things inside the kitchen and bathroom cabinets. I showed them different bottles to look out for and “Stay away and Don’t touch.” We did a few exercises by pulling both hands back towards our body (stay away) and using our pointer finger to move left to right like a pendulum to signal “no” (don’t touch). They loved that!
I further explained items that were not inside the refrigerator may not be food and that they should ask before eating or drinking them especially things on top of a counter or other areas inside the home. I showed several pictures of items that look like juice and candy but were medicine. They were engaged and some said they’d seen some of the illustrations inside their home. I was happy to hear that because I believe teaching should be practical and real. Of course, taught on a child’s level. Eno, the Safety Pledge Robot chimed in and shared that things on top of the stove or inside the oven, they should “Stay away and not touch.” I had them repeat it. It was great seeing the excitement on their faces.
Classroom Safety – Are there dangers inside the classroom?
This was an exciting part of the presentation too. After going over the five senses, I grabbed some hand sanitizer and said, “Hmm this smells like apples.” I put some on my hands and said, “Should I put this on my eyes or inside our mouth? They all shouted, “No!” They agreed there was a place for things that didn’t belong inside of the mouth, such as pencils, lotions, and other objects inside the classroom. Food didn’t belong up their nose, inside their ears, or thrown across the room. I asked, “What is food for??” They replied, “Eating!” I chuckled inside because there was some finger-pointing which suggested, some may need a little reminder or reassurance of keeping some classroom safety pledges.
I ended classroom safety and explained listening to the teacher and obeying classroom rules were great ways to begin creating and practicing classroom safety pledges. A teacher’s responsibility to a parent was to ensure their child was safe while learning and having fun. I guess teachers make safety pledges too. I also believe safety pledges should be created and practiced at home and while traveling abroad.
It’s playtime! Outdoor safety pledges are essential to a child’s life. Eno defined and provided some good tips regarding strangers. A “stranger” was someone they didn’t know. If a stranger asked them to follow or take something, they should always go and get their parents’ permission BEFORE taking or following a stranger anywhere. If the stranger says, “Your mom said it’s fine.” They should always check with their parents and make sure what they were told was true.
Outdoor fun was encouraged, but while playing outdoors, they should be kind and play nicely with others.
If someone hurts them to “always tell” their parents, teacher, or the police. I explained that someone who hurts them or is doing something wrong will always want them to keep it a secret, but “always tell.”
I encourage everyone to have their child make safety pledges daily and practice keeping them. I used sign language to demonstrate the word pledge. There was so much shared and more inside the Safety Pledge books.
You can get your copy today, download it off the Msquared Books website. Your child can have it as their daily affirmation on their phone and all electronic devices. Paperbacks are available where books are sold. If you desire this presentation to be done at your school, please go to services and “book now” for a meeting with me.
Thank you Calvary Christian School for having me present to your students. They were excellent and I had a great time.
Looking forward to the next time, when Eno teaches them about the environment – “Saving Earth.”(Spring 2023)
