We will be having a guest speaker from Safe Spaces, a non-profit agency, in each classroom during the month of November. She will be speaking to our students about personal safety and violence prevention. This will involve discussion around making appropriate choices and understanding personal safety issues. It is important that each child feels emotionally and physically safe when he/she comes to school. It is also helpful for all children to be taught a basic awareness of personal boundaries and appropriate behaviors related to good/bad touch.
As the parent/guardian, you can play a key role in talking to your child in a supportive, encouraging atmosphere and answering any questions he/she may have.
These presentations have been well received and are very age appropriate for K-3 graders. The presentations for 4th and 5th grade classrooms are a bit more involved, and the discussion time is longer since these students are nearing adolescence and there are many issues that come up for that age group.
Safe Spaces classroom visits are paid for through a grant and are presented in all District 719 elementary schools. If you have questions, please feel free to contact the Safe Spaces presenter (Claire Neuman) at 612-210-2179, visit their website at www.safespacesmn.org, or you may contact Patrick Glynn (Principal) or Cheryl Wendt (School Social Worker) at Grainwood.
