PA state police visit Myers

Brooke Beichler

All of the students loved listening to the troopers.

Brooke Beichler and Cazen Cowfer

Sun burn, falling off of your bike, getting in the car with a stranger, and picking up the phone and talking to someone you don’t know, are all issues that kids go through in the summer. Some might not seem as serious as others, but they are all things that kids should be aware of.

That’s why state troopers came to talk to the kindergarteners at Myer’s Elementary.

Two years ago Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Pennington came in and spoke to the kindergarten class about safety and about being a police officer. Two weeks ago, he came back to speak with the students again.

Trooper Pennington’s daughter, Kiera, and trooper Wise’s son, Landon, are both in kindergarten.

“With summer coming up, everyone is going to be outside,” said Trooper Pennington. “We wanted them to have an idea about staying safe.”

Trooper Pennington and trooper Wise spoke about the duties of an officer, helmet safety, gun safety, strangers becoming lost, using the internet, and about the equipment the carry. They answered any questions the kindergarteners had. They also brought a police vehicle and let the students climb though the back seat.

“They came to talk about summer safety, and what the police do,” said Mr.  David Plummer a kindergarten teacher at Myer’s elementary, “They got a chance to see the trooper’s car, and they also got to learn about equipment.”

Nearly 800,000 children are reported missing each year, that’s more than 2,000 a day. The troopers thought it was important to talk to the kids about it, and about what to do if something like that happens to them.

“The kindergarten team was glad to have him come in.   We believe that it is important to discuss summer safety, and what better way than to have a parent who is in the professional position of keeping us safe do that?” Mr. Plummer said.