Dozens of Santa Maria-Bonita School District students—kindergarteners through sixth-graders—learned all about being “Masters of Disaster” the week of Sept. 22, as part of a joint program between the American Red Cross, Santa Barbara County Chapter and the district’s After School Education and Safety (ASES) program.
Red Cross staffers made several presentations to the district’s elementary schools, discussing fire safety, earthquake safety, disaster preparedness, and more.
Presenters gave students at Battles Elementary School an emergency situation and asked them to brainstorm necessary items for a home disaster kit.
“Imagine you’re going to an old cabin in the woods, where there’s no power, no heat, fresh or running water, stores, or phones. Even your cell phones don’t work,” said Red Cross staff member Laura Parrott. “What would you bring with you to the cabin?”
The students listed items like food and water, and more specialized items, like baby formula for infants and hearing aids for elderly family members.
One little girl recommended that clothes be included in a disaster kit because “you wouldn’t want to run around the woods naked.”
All silliness aside, ASES teacher Kimberly Olivares said that it was important to educate students about disaster safety.
“In case of a disaster, our students will be prepared, and hopefully they’ll go home and share the information with their parents because it’s mainly the parents’ responsibility,” Olivares said.
ASES is a joint after-school program run by the Santa Maria-Bonita School District, the Santa Maria Valley YMCA, the Santa Maria Valley Boys and Girls Club, and the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department.
School Scene is compiled by Staff Writer Amy Asman. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Oct 2-9, 2008.