Lessons on the Road

The Zaslonovo School stands right by the roadside. The road was once quite busy. Now, although it has quieted down a bit, it hasn't become much safer. Children and roads are not very compatible concepts. Children on the road are always a cause for concern. The local school has learned to live by the road – here they study the road, master it, and "tame" it.

Recently, the school actively joined the creative project "Safe Crossing 2012". Take, for example, reflective strips. Sometimes adults lightly scoff at the call "Mark yourself in the dark," let alone children. Teenagers don't like being persistently imposed upon; they want to look independent, fashionable, elegant, and adult. And then suddenly – some "childish" accessory on their clothes that glows. It's easier with boys: firstly, they are not as fussy about clothes, and secondly, the light industry has recently taken great care, developing a range of fashionable tracksuit models and jackets for boys that incorporate light-reflective elements. But with girls, it's a whole problem, as no fashionista would voluntarily agree to "spoil" her elegant look with a ridiculous reflective strip on the sleeve of a fashionable suit or coat!

The school decided to use their imagination. Participation in the creative competition "Observe the Road Rules" involved developing a sketch for the best women's suit with retroreflective elements. The girls happily imagined themselves as fashion designers. Their imagination conjured up such original evening gowns, jackets… with reflective strips. The best works were by seventh-grader Maria Shpilevskaya, sixth-grader Lera Sautina, and eighth-grader Alla Bartash. There were also competitions for the best essay and drawing on the relevant theme. There are many winners – Vitaly Balaban, Artem Khadakovsky, Karina Shalak, Alena Klimentyonok, Anna Lantukh, Tatyana Lazovskaya. In the end, everyone turned out to be a winner – both the children and the teachers. The children accepted the rules of the "game," during which they gradually mastered the road, and the teachers had less and less to worry about them. Because if you are warned, you are armed.

On the first floor of the school, stands on traffic rules were set up. In all classes, from primary to ninth grade, road safety rules are studied in the "Life Safety Fundamentals" lessons. The lessons are conducted by the life safety teacher Andrey Lazovsky. Practical classes are also held, during which, for example, the safe route from school to home is mastered. The educator-organizer Alena Skibskaya, together with the children, created a series of road signs using a computer. The signs were neatly placed under film, attached to poles for easier handling. It turned out very beautifully. This work captivated and attracted the children.

The study of traffic rules did not stop during the school holidays. The school subscribed to a scientific and educational film "Traffic Rules for Little Ones" from the Lepel Film and Video Enterprise, with which they have long and fruitfully collaborated. The younger students watched it with pleasure.

Employees of the district traffic police are frequent guests at the school. They give talks, explaining to children with specific examples that jokes on the road are bad, and to feel confident on it, one must seriously study its unpredictable nature.

The work on studying traffic rules at the Zaslonovo School is coordinated by the Deputy Director for Educational Work, Victoria Kiriy.

Vladimir MIKHNO, author's photo
In the picture: Zaslonovo pupils "mastering the road"