Community Corner

Safety Town Comes to Kinnelon

Incoming kindergartners learn about bus, sun, first aid safety and more.

A group of about 62 of Kinnelon's soon-to-be-kindergartners are equipped to be as safe as can be after spending four days last week at Safety Town.

In 2000, the brought the Safety Town program, which teaches children about various forms of safety, to Kinnelon after seeing the program in Oakland, according to Sgt. Joseph Napoletano, who teaches the children in the program.

"They learn about bus safety, First Aid safety, sun safety, how to call 911," he said.

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They also learn about strangers, fire safety, water safety, playground safety and more. In previous years, the children have had the opportunity to also learn about mounted police units, but this year, the students, or "campers" as they are called in the program, also learned about animal safety from Kinnelon Veterinary Hospital Veterinarian Dr. Joseph Giordano, who brought in his own dog. The program is open to any incoming kindergartner who lives in Kinnelon.

From , second grade teacher Deborah Reinhardt and kindergarten teacher Michelle Sorce are the directors of the program and are assisted by sixth- through eighth-graders from who volunteer as counselors.

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"The children are broken up in groups of four or five to work with the counselors," Reinhardt said.

On Friday, at the conclusion of the program, students were given certificates of graduation and T-shirts that were signed by the counselors and their new friends. The children were also entertained by Puppeteer Mike McDade.

One part of the program the kids enjoy most, Reinhardt said, is being able to ride Big Wheels tricycles around a small town of cardboard buildings that are sponsored by local businesses and made to look like real businesses in the borough. The town also has "Stop" and "Yield" signs so the kids can learn about what the signage means.

To participate in the program, there is a registration fee of $40 per camper, but the program is primarily funded through donations from local businesses.

This year's donors were Fantastic Sam's, Evergreen Landscaping, Route 23 Honda, Piccolo's, Penguin Communications, Master Kim's Tae Kwon Do and Taste of Reality Deli. Service organizations that volunteered time included the Kinnelon Police Department, Kinnelon Volunteer Fire Department, Tri-boro First Aid Squad, 1st Student Transportation, Pequannock Township Public Health Nurse Rachel Lendner and more.


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