He talked about why the district decided to visit the intermediate schools this year and why it’s so important to teach the students about safety.
“Last year, we brought the safety program back for the primary schools,” Olack said. “That program is more kid-oriented and has the Safety Pup come in to visit the kids. However, we really wanted to meet with the fifth-grade students, because that is such a pivotal year for students. It’s right before middle school, which is a gamechanger for a lot of kids.”
During the presentations, students from the local high schools came to perform several anti-drug and anti-vaping skits. Berkeley County Schools has seen how younger students look up the high schoolers and wanted to give the students positive role models to work toward.
At Mountain Ridge Intermediate School, Musselman High School students Chloe Tetzloff, Emily Czaja, Ada McCoy, Addison Payne and Reese Pennington all came to talk with the fifth graders. They encouraged the kids by reminding them that if they see something, they need to say something to a trusted adult.
“When they asked us to come out and do these skits, we were all for it,” Czaja said. “We like to be involved, so we were excited for the opportunity to come and act as role models to younger students.”
Berkeley County Schools also had local law enforcement and fire department officers come to talk briefly about what to do if they find a weapon, online threats and fire safety.
Olack believes that if they only reach one or two kids through this program, that makes the whole thing worth it. He hopes that students will learn to be aware of their surroundings and find an adult they trust to help them when they need it.
