2009 Got 2B Safe! Contest Winners

The Got 2B Safe! Contest recognizes those teachers with the greatest commitment to teaching child safety. Since 2005, nearly 4,000 teachers from across the U.S. have submitted lesson plans on implementing the Got 2B Safe! safety rules into their classrooms. To date, 20 Grand Prize winners and nearly 400 first prize winners have been recognized. Learn about their stories below.

Norvell

Matt Norvell
Oneco Elementary School
East Bradenton, FL

Matt Norvell's classroom makeover was revealed to his students on August 24th. Here is what the Got 2B Safe! makeover means to him:

The Got 2B Safe! classroom makeover means so much to me and my students, and has given me the opportunity to let every part of my classroom engage my students. I am now able to use every square foot of my room to teach my students, and can utilize the technology that otherwise would not have been available. I have special reading seats for students to use during independent reading times, and the room is both inviting and engaging. I know that my students will both enjoy the decorations and be motivated by the technology.

Read on for Matt's winning essay: Read More

Overview: To incorporate the Got 2B Safe! Rules - check first, it's my body, go with a friend, tell a trusted adult - into our classroom environment and community. Students will learn the Got 2B Safe! Rules and incorporate them into their everyday
life. The students will learn four chants that help them remember the four Got 2B Safe! Rules which they can teach to the students, parents, and community during a presentation at a report card pickup night.

Lesson Plan:
Monday - In a whole group setting use puppets to introduce and discuss all four Got 2B Safe! Rules. Have a conversation with the students to activate their prior knowledge about safety.

Tuesday - Have a group of Fifth grade students come in and act out different scenarios reinforcing the four Got 2B Safe! Rules.

Wednesday - Invite a local police representative to teach the students chants that go with each of the four Got 2B Safe! Rules. Reinforce chants to ensure the students can comprehend the four rules.

Thursday - Grade level classes practice chants for the assembly Friday evening.

Friday - Share the chants on the morning announcements.

Also have a Got 2B Safe! assembly during a report card pickup night for the school's students, families, and the community members. Have packets prepared to send home with families discussing the four Got 2B Safe! Rules helping the families teach students who a trusted adult is.

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Matt Norvell Individual release

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Chisholm

Dr. Rewa Chisholm
Robles Elementary
Tampa, FL

Health Benchmark: HE.5.C.1.3: Explain ways a safe, healthy home environment and school environment promote personal health. Objective: Students will learn specific rules that can increase personal safety. As an introduction to the Got2B
Safe activities, I will have my 5th grade students independently complete the “Let’s Take a Safety Test” worksheet. Once the test is completed, we will hold a group discussion about each question to reiterate the four rules: Check First, Go with a friend, It’s my body, and Tell a trusted adult. Read More

Planned activities: 1) Students will use the “What Would You Do” scenarios to create and perform a skit that will be played for the entire student body (K-5) on the school’s morning show. 2) Students will work in a collaborative group of 4 to create a safety poster, which depicts one of the places presented in the “Let's Take a Safety Test” worksheet (at home, walking home, internet, mall, park). This poster will be displayed in the main office for the school community to see. 3) Students will review brochures and tip sheets from the Know the Rules Series. They will use Microsoft Word to create their own brochure highlighting the four rules: Check First, Go with a friend, It’s my body, Tell a trusted adult to be shared with the entire school. Copies of these brochures will be displayed in the school library and the main office. They will also be available for students and parents to take home.

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Rewa Individual release

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Kovach

Danielle Kovach
Tulsa Trail Elementary School
Hopatcong, NJ

Danielle's classroom makeover was revealed to her students on August 27. Here's what the makeover means to Danielle and her students:

When I was younger, my parents always stressed the importance of saying “no” to strangers. As a parent and teacher, I realize that this tactic is no longer a child’s best defense. Through Honeywell’s Got2bSafe program, teachers and parents have the resources to teach children the necessary steps to protect themselves against child predators. As a teacher, I have the privilege to reach many children and to instill a positive influence in their lives. Read More

The ultimate goal of my classroom makeover was to create an environment that is not only conducive to learning, but also a place where my students can feel safe and content. My goal was not only accomplished, but the results exceeded my expectations. New tables and chairs replaced the old worn-out desks. Computers were added, not only to give my students an edge on technology, but to also teach internet safety.

My favorite addition is the “VIP Lounge.” This special area was made just for my students where they can read, chat, play games or just relax. It also gives us a place to discuss the four rules of safety and work on our project, “Superheroes of Safety.” More information about the Superheroes of Safety can be found at www.kovachkids.com, and we’ll be sharing our project on the site throughout the year.

Here is Danielle's winning essay:

I am so thankful to Honeywell for my classroom makeover and for providing teachers and parents the resources needed to teach our children how to be safe.

When we think of our childhood superheroes, many names come to mind. However, it’s amazing to see how times have drastically changed! No longer are heroes leaping from tall buildings to save a damsel in distress. With violence and hostility surrounding us, children need to be taught how to protect themselves against the predatory villains that lurk around our world today.

“Superheroes of Safety” is designed to teach children the four rules of safety through fictional comic book heroes. For example, The Super Friends never go anywhere alone. Their power comes from being together. The larger the number of friends, the stronger their power! Dr. No can yell “NO” so loud, it can be heard throughout the world. His yell scares away unwelcome or uncomfortable actions made by others. Captain Check knows how important it is to check with parents and guardians before accepting anything from anyone they don't know. He leaves his “check” of approval wherever he goes. Chat-A-Girl, has the gift of gab! She knows how talk to a trusted adult when she feels scared. Always within reach: her trusty cell phone.

Students will produce comic books based on the lives of the Superheroes. The heroes will battle real-life situations, similar to what children may encounter in their own lives. Using their super-powers, each hero will defeat the enemy and live a safe and happy life! These comic books will be shared throughout the community during our “Comic Book Convention” to teach other children how to be safe!

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Danielle Kovach Individual release

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Sechrist

Amanda Sechrist
Bruce H. Tharrington Primary
Mt. Airy, NC

Amanda’s classroom makeover was revealed to her students on August 20. In addition to Amanda, her students and their parents, staff at Bruce H. Tharrington Primary, the Mayor, City Commissioners, the Superintendant and police force of Mt. Airy all came out to support Amanda's outstanding work. The mayor of Mt. Airy, Jack Loftis said:

“We really do appreciate your visit to Mount Airy and the award ceremony at Tharrington School. This was a nice event for our city, a great program for you folks to sponsor, and I just wanted to say again ‘Thanks.’”

Amanda won one of our Grand Prizes thanks to her essay, which explained how she turned her classroom into an interactive pretend town: Read More

Welcome to GOT 2B SAFETYVILLE- an interactive “pretend” town! I teach K-2 special needs children, and I work with second grade students in assistive-tutoring groups. We live in a rural area, where many parents are faced with working late nights and/or double jobs. This, in turn, leaves many of our young students with “unsupervised” time. To prepare, I will review and discuss the Four Safety rules using posters (visuals) based on the Honeywell scenarios. Second, I will allow my students to use their knowledge to turn refrigerator boxes into SAFETYVILLE Stations! Once SAFETYVILLE is ready, we will invite workers from our community (social workers, policemen, firemen, teachers, parents) to read a (grade appropriate) story on the theme, discuss and act out a “safety” scenario, and finish with a follow up activity. GOT 2B SAFETYVILLE

1. CHECK-UP STATION: Check first with parents or trusted adult. "Not Everyone is Nice" by Almorlie
2. FRIENDLY LANE & FRIEND’S FOREST: Never go anywhere alone! "Berenstain Bears Learn about Strangers;" "I Can be Safe" by Thomas
3. ME TOWN: You have the right to say NO! "Your Body Belongs to You" by Speelneer
4. PARENT PARK & MAYOR TELL: Always TELL a trusted adult, parent, teacher… "The Trouble with Secrets" by Johnson; "It’s Time to Call 911"

Our school will continue to implement this unit with a "Decorate a Door" Contest. Students will use creativity and academics to decorate classroom doors using the four GOT 2B SAFE! tips!

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Amanda Sechrist Individual release

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Arthur

Courtney Arthur
Arthur A. Libby School
Chicago, IL

Courtney's classroom makeover was revealed to her students on August 11. Here's what the makeover means to Courtney and her students:

The Got 2B Safe! Classroom Makeover means so much to me and my students. It has afforded me several opportunities that would have not been possible otherwise. As a math teacher, it is vital to connect the concepts to your students so that they can form their own understandings and leave each day with a firm foundation of the material.

Through this makeover, I was able to choose materials to supplement my teaching so that I am able to hopefully reach all types of learners. I focused my makeover on creating an environment that incorporates technology and real life applications. A laptop will allow us to have guest lecturers via iChat. The “lounge area” is a place for those who want more independent time. I chose glass top tables that allow students to write on them with dry erase markers, so supplies are no longer a hindrance to learning. Read More

Several of my students are motivated by music, so I chose an iTouch with wireless speakers to incorporate those auditory learners. Visually, the classroom is welcoming with self-portraits of the students and calming colors so that it is not an intimidating environment, as math can sometimes be.

Overall, this classroom makeover has allowed me to close the gap between schools who are fortunate enough to have endless materials and those, such as ours, who are not.

Here is Courtney's winning essay:

Unfortunately, Arthur A. Libby School is in a high-crime area. Last year, a stranger approached one of our second grade students on her way home from school and tried to get her into his van. Fortunately, she knew what to do and was able to get away. However, I want to ensure this is the case for all of our students.

I currently teach an 8th grade Algebra class, and to begin, we as a class would learn the four rules: “Check first,” “Go with a friend,” “It's my body,” and “Tell a trusted adult” by creating public service announcements. I would have them break into groups to become Safety Experts in one of the four areas. From there, we would visit each classroom in the school, Pre-Kindergarten-8th grade, teaching them these four rules through the demonstrations the Safety Experts created.

Once all classes are taught the four rules by the Safety Experts, each class will be invited to perform for our "Libby Safety Idol." Just like “American Idol,” classes will present their song, skit, rap, dance, etc. based on one of the four rules to a panel of judges. The judge’s panel will consist of our "Safety Experts," two Chicago Police officers who work with our school, and the Principal. The class with the best performance will earn the title of “Safety Idol 2009” and will then showcase their winning presentation at our Spring Ceremony for the parents and community.

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Courtney Arthur Individual release

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