NEWS RELEASE

Release Date: September 14, 2009

Contact: Christine Philley, School Health Administrator, Office of Healthy Schools 601-359-1828, CPhilley@mde.k12.ms.us,
Pete Smith, Director of Communications, 601-359-1336, psmith@mde.k12.ms.us

Safety First: School crossing guard training programs coming to Mississippi this week

JACKSON - Mississippi families can soon feel more confident about their children walking or biking to school.

The Mississippi Department of Education, Office of Healthy Schools, and the Mississippi Department of Transportation are partnering to insure that crossing guards have uniform training and the equipment necessary to protect children who walk or bike to school. Four training sessions will be held in Jackson, Oxford, Greenwood, and Hattiesburg on September 16th and 17th.

In these train-the-trainer sessions, individuals from districts with crossing guards will become certified to train others. They will also receive a safety kit for each crossing guard containing state-of-the-art equipment, including a reflective vest, STOP sign, flashlight/flare light, white gloves, cap, and whistle. The trainings will be conducted by Mississippi Department of Transportation staff, who recently attended national training, using a new curriculum developed especially for Mississippi school crossing guards.

"Comprehensive training for crossing guards is one important part of our Safe Routes to School Program," Shane McNeill, Director Office of Healthy Schools said. "We know that there are both health and education benefits when children walk or bike to school. We want to make sure that they are as safe as possible on their way to and from school buildings."

The instruction program will improve pedestrian and bicycle safety for not only students, but also the community. There are approximately 300 school crossing guards serving Mississippi schools. Training for these individuals has not been readily available in the past. This program will fill a critical gap by providing crossing guards with the latest information and the right tools for their important job.

While the main responsibility of an adult crossing guard is to guide children across the street, a well-trained guard can also help students develop the skills necessary to safely cross streets at all times. This week's sessions will teach crossing guards how to:

• Discourage children from behaving unsafely near traffic, such as darting into the street without looking.
• Use existing gaps in traffic to help students cross safely.
• Alert motorists that pedestrians are in the process of using the school crossing.
• Observe and report any incidents or conditions that present a potential safety hazard to the school children or the guard.

According to Christine Philley, School Health Administrator, the crossing guard trainings will be tied to other Safe Routes to Schools programs, including classroom lessons to teach students about the value of walking or bicycling to school. "Daily physical activity helps children be fit, healthy, and ready to succeed at school. Walking or biking to and from school is an easy way for students - and their families - to enjoy a daily dose of physical activity. It also reduces traffic and congestion around schools - and can actually improve air quality. Safe Routes to School are a win-win-win for families, schools, and communities."