Sixth Graders Certified ‘Safe Sitters’
On May 19, twenty sixth-graders became certified as Safe Sitters after completing Safe Sitter instruction. SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1The Glasscock County office of Texas AgriLife Extension Service, in conjunction with Glasscock County Independent School District, incorporated the program during the month of May as a supplement to the students’ health curriculum.
Safe Sitter was implemented for the first time at GCISD in 2006, and due to the 100% success rate of key concepts and skills mastered by the students completing the instruction, it was highly recommended by the School Health Advisory Committee that this course continue to be taught annually.
Teachers were Charlene Belew, County Extension Agent-Family & Consumer Science and Candy Jones, GCISD aide, with the assistance of Christy Seidenberger, Registered Nurse for GCISD.
Safe Sitter is much more than a babysitting class, it is a medically accurate curriculum that teaches young adolescents safety and how to prevent accidents and properly care for younger children, as well as important work-force skills. During the class students received hands-on practice in basic lifesaving techniques. They also got helpful tips to make them more confident care givers, and learned safety precautions and how to understand and deal with children of different ages. Completion of this instruction allows these youth the opportunity to offer a needed service to the community.
To successfully complete Safe Sitter, students must participate in 6-1/2 hours of training and pass practical and written tests to show that they have mastered the key concepts and have the skills necessary to handle an emergency.
At the conclusion of the instruction, parents and school administration were invited to attend a recognition ceremony to showcase the students’ accomplishments.