In late April a team of Putnam Valley Middle School seventh grade students and staff brought an important message to elementary school students: Learn how to be safe.

The “Safe Kids” Program was initiated more than thirteen years ago in response to a New York State mandate to include a safety and abduction prevention program in the schools’ curriculum. Mrs. Pam Darreff, PVMS Health teacher, coach, and chair of the Putnam Valley Health Advisory Council, heads up the Safe Kids program, with help from her staff of teacher-trainers.

Students at the Middle School who volunteered for this program were extensively trained to visit classrooms and teach specific skills and rules. Safe Kids rehearsals were held for about six weeks—before school, during academic skills periods, during lunch, and after school. Each of this year’s teams was made up of six to eight enthusiastic seventh graders. As part of the Safe Kids program, Elementary School parents are encouraged to reinforce safety skills at home, and have been given some take-home flyers to help continue teaching the lessons begun in the school program. Safe Kids is funded through the budget of the Putnam Valley Health Advisory Council.

This year’s Safe Kids teams were:

Kindergarten (Mrs. Nadell and Mrs. McCarthy, team leaders): Justin Kroll, Rosemarie Babcock, Denise Canela, Denis Kelly, Allison Saffo, Manny Saffe.

First Grade (Mrs. Bowe, team leader): Christina Policastro, Juliana Albano, Meghan Cassidy, Cody Flanagan, Richie Denike, Kevin Tompkins.

Second Grade (Mrs. Racanelli, team leadeer): Elise Alexander, Laura Ahmetaj, Emily Azcue, Samantha Cunningham, Erick Lowe, Sara Zadrima, Ryan Finn, Dylan Kreiser.

Third Grade (Mrs. Darreff, team leader): Amelia Spittal, Danielle Babcock, Emily Cray, Jackie Budano, Royce Conlin, Amanda Gonzalez, Kevin Consolazio, Tyler Patterson.

Fourth Grade (Mrs. Byrnes, team leader): Courtney Carlson, Justin Mazzarisi, Victoria Chizzik, Joseph Funicello, James Fitzgerald, Mally Rhian, Kelly Sepa, Robert Funicello.