Hopatcong children went to Safety Town on Thursday.
The two-week program, which has been in the borough for more than 20 years for kindergarteners, offers instruction in various areas such as bicycle and fire safety. Hudson Maxim Principal Tracey Hensz said it’s also valuable because it acclimates children to the school.
“It is a nice community program because we work with the fire [department], police and ambulance [squad],” she said. “Everybody is involved for the kids.”
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The program, run mostly by volunteer high school and middle school students and two certified teachers, has 45 children this year. It includes informational videos and books, coloring and puzzle time, and even bicycle riding around the gym. It also includes visits from Hopatcong’s emergency services, allowing them insight to the borough’s safety efforts.
And this year there was an added bonus: Bobby Duncan, who earned his Eagle Scout honors two years ago, designed a bicycle course with replicas of Hopatcong landmarks.
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Safety Town costs $35 per child. Two sessions are offered a day—the first from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., the second from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
And while 5-year-old Caroline Eckardt enjoyed the learning, she didn’t have a tough time pinpointing her favorite part of the day.
“My favorite thing is having a snack,” Caroline said.
Neither did 4-year-old Natalie Bovair.
“My favorite thing is having a snack and puzzles,” she said.
