Photo Caption: Students from the Montessori School during the presentation
Friday, June 7– The Director and staff of the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) made presentations this morning to some 45 children at Century House Montessori School as part of the 2013 Hurricane Season Campaign.
The presentations involved the viewing of an online video titled “A Hurricane on Sesame Street” by children ages 2 to 9 years of age. The video featured information on what is expected during the passage of a hurricane and how children can participate in home preparedness activities.
DDM, Director Ms. Sharleen DaBreo facilitated the presentation and explained, “Children can get confused about what actually happens during the passage of a hurricane and so the video helped them to understand that a big storm can bring wind and heavy rains and there are many things that can be done by adults to keep them safe.”
The children were able to see how the wind and rain can impact their living space and the many things that needed to be done during the Hurricane Season to be prepared.
Emergency Communications Officer, Mr. Jasen Penn engaged the children by showing them how to operate a Very High Frequency (VHF) radio and the importance of being able to communicate after the impact of a storm. The children took turns examining the radio and operating it by speaking through the microphone and sending messages to others.
“It was obvious that the children are being taught about good preparedness activities and they understood the various hazards, how they are formed and how they can impact their communities. They were very enthusiastic and right on point in answering questions posed to them,” Ms. DaBreo added.
At the end of the presentation the DDM team presented posters and books to the teachers to assist them in continuing their efforts to educate and inform the children about disaster preparedness. Acting Principal Danielle O’Doherty and Head Teacher at the Crèche Mrs. Richie Paul were instrumental in organizing the event and working with the DDM staff to ensure that the presentation material was appropriate for the age range.
The DDM website contains a number of educational materials that can be used by parents, school administrators and teachers in their lesson plans to give them the right tools to help children learn about the fascinating world of various hazards and how they can impact children and their communities.
The 2013 Hurricane Campaign was launched on June 3 and is designed for various target groups to help them prepare for what is expected to be a very active hurricane season.
