Helping to strengthen families
THUMBS UP
To all teachers, educational assistants, school support staff, law enforcement officials, firefighters and others who helped ensure the safety of our children during last week’s evacuation of all Prince Edward Island schools. Fire drills and lockdowns are something that have been rehearsed countless times in the educational institutions of this province but no one ever thinks that, one day, a that practice will be put into action. There may have been some hiccups getting the thousands of Island schoolchildren to safe zones but, from most accounts, things went smoothly. There are some who will ridicule the actions taken. Unfortunately, this was something that, even though there were drills done, no one is every really fully prepared to face. So, to all who helped ensure that not one child was harmed and all were safe, thanks for a job well done.
THUMBS DOWN
To those who still don’t get the message that texting and driving is wrong. It happens everywhere and too often — at stoplights or even travelling at high speeds down busy highways — people sending a text message, liking a social media post or holding their cellphone to their ear and in full conversation. There have been 1,450 convictions since the law was implemented in January 2010 against the use of handheld communication devices while driving. And those are only the people who are caught and convicted. And the numbers continue to rise with each passing year. So, the next time there is that urge to answer that phone call or send that message remember this, those few seconds of distraction could cost you your life or someone else there’s. No call, text or Facebook post is that important that it can’t wait until parked and off the road. Put the phone down.
THUMBS UP
To the introduction of a new program in the Summerside area, one aimed at, as its name says, strengthening families. The Boys and Girls Club of Summerside’s Youth Engagement Centre is gearing up to offer the Strengthening Families Program beginning Oct. 12. The 14-week program, being offered on P.E.I. for the first time, aims to improve the lines of communications between parents and youth by focusing on conflict resolution skills and family cohesiveness. The program’s ultimate goal is prevent behavior in kids and teens — such as drug abuse, self-harm and truancy — that can lead to more serious problems. We all know that, these days, there are so many things that can pull a family apart. Having a proactive program like this, where youth and their parents can work together to better communicate, can only be of benefit to the community. And, hopefully, more organizations and communities throughout the Island will be able it to offer it.