NEWS                                                                                   Walnut Valley Unified School District

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                            880 S. Lemon Avenue

August 31, 2012                                                                 Walnut, CA 91789

Contact:     

Kelli Gile, Office of Community Resources

(909) 595-1261 ext. 31204

WALNUT, CA—Kindergarten and first grade students at Collegewood Elementary School got a traffic safety lesson on August 30.

The assembly was organized by the school’s Traffic Committee and about 20 parents volunteered to help teach the children about the important issue of safety, said Chairperson Lisa Gomez.

Principal Joan Perez first briefed the youngsters about the school’s traffic rules including no walking in the staff parking lot and to always remember to walk between the yellow lines of the crosswalks.  Students echoed the “Be safe!” mantra throughout the presentation.

Then the 175 youngsters walked down to the front lawn for a demonstration led by Collegewood Community Club parents that focused on helping to teach safety rules and how to help their parents follow them too.

“We’re showing the kids the right way and wrong way of how to do things including the loading and unloading zones, our crosswalk areas, double-parking - which we do not want to see, and the no parking red zones,” Gomez said.

The volunteer moms in their decorated cardboard cars lined up at the curb in front of the school on Collegewood Drive ready to demonstrate the correct procedure for dropping-off and picking-up of students safely.

Two parents maneuvered each car with one playing the part of a student with a backpack and lunchbox and the other playing the role of the parent during the morning drop-off demonstration.

“So boys and girls when you come and get dropped off, you’re going to step from the car onto the sidewalk,” Gomez said as parent modeled Anita Kim modeled the rule.

When your parent pulls up to the curb, you’re going to be ready to get out, Gomez added.

“And No Feet on the Street!” she said. “Let’s all repeat that.”

“No Feet on the Street!” All 175 students and their teachers echoed back the safety rule in unison.

“This is my first time at Collegewood, so as a parent I appreciate this information. It starts with the kids,” said volunteer kindergarten parent Betsy Castellanos.

“This is where the school day begins and I really appreciate it, said first grade parent Jean Hsu who drove a bright blue Cougar paw print car for the demonstration.

The pint-sized autos also included a red convertible, black roadster with flames, and a pink and purple Hello Kitty – a favorite with the girls.

Some of the cars were from years past and we had to repaint and reinforce them, “ said 2nd grade parent Lily Eibert.

Volunteer first grade parent B.J. Lee was in charge of protecting the red zone area.

“We just want to make sure all the kids are safe as well as the parents,” she said.

Even Walnut Deputy Sheriff Doug Daley patrolled the event to enforce any violations during the lesson.  Deputy Daley was a huge hit with the students as he flashed his lights and participated in the skit over his loud speaker.

He used his lights and siren when the cardboard car drivers failed to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk.

The children shouted “Be Safe!” after the crosswalk demonstration.

Daley gave a warning to another driver for stopping in the red zone.

“And no double parking - you will get a ticket!” he announced on his blowhorn.

“See these red lines over there pointing to Buckland Drive? We never ever want Mommies and Daddies to park right there,” Perez said.

“When it’s red, we tell them no stopping there!” she said.

“You can help your parents to be safe! And you can tell them to help us too,” she added.

Volunteer parents modeled the correct way to drop off children during a traffic safety assembly held August 30. 

Students filed one by one down to the school's traffic safety assembly held on the front lawn.

Collegewood students gave a “thumbs up” after the learning the crosswalk rules. 

Parent Eva Le ready to roll in her sporty red convertible cardboard car. 

During the assembly Deputy Doug Daley gave a warning to drivers that didn't follow the traffic safety laws. 

Principal Joan Perez closed the demonstration telling the children that they can help tell their parents about the traffic safety rules they learned that day. Also shown Traffic Safety Committee Chairperson Lisa Gomez.