Dever students learn about safety

About 300 students in kindergarten through fourth grade at the James A. Dever School learned all about safety at Long Island Jewish Valley Stream’s second annual Safety Fair on Jan. 26.

At the Safety Fair, students learned how to prepare for a fire or natural disaster. They also created emergency bags and brought home sheets with emergency numbers listed on them. “If they’re faced with something, they’ll know what to do and may direct their parents, actually,” said Tara Brown, the director of safety and emergency management who organized the event.

The students also learned how to stay healthy and avoid medications that may look like candy. They also took part in several hands-on activities, including a CPR lesson. “I think there were a lot of take home messages for them to bring home to their families,” said Marianne Pavia, the program director for infection prevention.

Pavia taught the students how to properly wash their hands in the middle of flu season, which has already killed 65 people throughout the country. To do so, Pavia put fake germs on the students’ hands that they had to wash off. Pavia also asked the students if they received a flu vaccine this year, to which some students said that they did, while others said that their parents did not like the idea of a flu vaccine.

“It was interesting to hear their perspectives,” Pavia said, adding, “I think the kids were excited.”