Early last month, Stratford Elementary School’s third grade students and their parents were invited to attend a workshop on the topic of pedestrian safety. This interactive program was facilitated by Catherine Blotiau (pictured here with Jim Roth from Safe Kids), Coordinator of The North Shore LIJ Health System’s Department of Public Health Education, and in cooperation with Nassau County’s Safe Kids Coalition. The presentation provided invaluable safety tips for parents and children on how they can remain safe while being a pedestrian. College and high school students participating in the Kiwanis Club’s Circle K and Key Club were trained by Safe Kids to facilitate the program. This fifteen-minute workshop provided a wealth of information on a variety of topics including: remaining safe while crossing the street, understanding street signs, and the dangers of using technology while crossing the street. At the conclusion of each workshop, the students were engaged in hands-on activities designed to practice the safety tips they learned.

As part of the Safe Kids presentation, families were also invited to participate in the “Spot the Tot” demonstration located in the lobby of the school. During this exercise, parents were asked to sit in a mock vehicle to test their knowledge of blind-spots while driving. Adult participants were asked to sit in the driver’s seat of the car and look out the back window to see if they could “Spot the Tot.” Children participating were asked to sit on a designated circle ranging in distance (20 feet, 15ft., 10 ft. 5ft. etc.) from the vehicle. Parents and children were able to participate in this fun activity while learning important safety tips when interacting with traffic.

For more information about Nassau County’s Safe Kids Coalition, please contact Catherine Blotiau at 465-2500.