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Show PTA concerned about safety By KALYN SECRETAN The local schools are concerned because safety is a problem, the Pleasant Grove PTA Council learned on March 3 at the Pleasant Grove High School, where local principals and PTA presidents met for their March meeting. The schools are continually working on safety issues, the council was told. A flyer was sent home to the parents from Central School just before an accident happened and a young student was hit by a car. Fortunately, the driver was going slow, but cars are going fast. They are not necessarily speeding but they would not be able to stop soon enough if something happened. The schools would like to alert the whole community to use caution as they travel during the time students are on their way to or from school. People should use extreme caution as they drive around buses. Principal Harwood of Grovecrest expressed concern for the students coming and leaving the school. He noted that they can't control safety when the kids leave. A few dart across the street or run down the road. He stated that the roads around the school are narrow. Cars travel fast, too fast to stop in case of emergency. The traffic is congested as school begins and as parents return to pick up their children. The school held two or three assemblies on safety and have tried all year to train students coming from and going to school. The teachers discuss safety and Harwood Har-wood has visited each class to express ex-press concern. He would like all to work together as parents, school and a city on safety measures. Dave Vickers, emergency medical director, came to the school where he stepped on a potato and related it to a car running over a body. Children don't realize how heavy a car can be. The city is working to do what it can and plans to redo lines across the road and post school crossing signs. Central PTA president, Debbie Bullock, is working with the state in the hope of having flashing lights placed on 100 East. Harwood is working with the district on the possibility of making a better parking and student dropoff drop-off area. Money is so tight right now and he doesn't know how soon something can be done. Carolyn Jacob, the Community Involvement commissioner, expressed ex-pressed concern with sa ty and stated they will keep working on safety within the schools. She also brought up an issue concerning physical fitness. Junk food and TV over the past 30 years contribute to fitness problems among our youth, she said. Fewer than one percent of all children can earn the Presidential Physical Fitness Award, she noted from an article in the March "Better Homes and Gardens." Too many children feel they can't do it and they simply give up, she stated. Too much emphasis is placed on who can run the fastest or jump the highest. Children who mature early get better grades than kids who do regular exercise. The article offered four suggestions: a fitness test, health standards which allow all children to succeed, a customized fitness report with suggestions for parents to help, and rewarding children who participate in regular physical activity. Carolyn would like to see parents become involved with physical fitness. Many parents are "couch potatoes" at home. Parents need to become involved in fitness programs as an example to their children. Marilyn Patch from the nominating committee announced the president and president-elect for 1988-89. Mariam Tomlinson will serve as president of the council, with Vicki Young as president-elect. Gary Keetch will serve as administrator ad-ministrator representative and Gene Maag as principal representative, with Bruce Bushnell as teacher representative. Mariam has taught aerobics for six years. She married Richard Tomlinson, owner of Tomlinson Auto Body. She graduated from Pleasant Grove High School and served as PTA president at Grovecrest School for one and one-half one-half years. Other PTA positions she has held include secretary, Individual In-dividual Development commissioner com-missioner and room mother. A positive person, she has many interests and hobbies. She has been tole painting for 15 years and serves as a counselor in the Primary. Vicki Young has touched the lives of many through her role as Education and Family Life commissioner. com-missioner. Her husband, Dell, See PTA Page 3 PTA meeting Continued from front page teaches at the junior high seminary. They are the parents of six children. She graduated from Orem High and BYU in elementary education. She taught school in Orem and Tooele. She has been active in PTA ever since her oldest son, Shaun, started school. Vicki has served as chairman of the City Talent Show, on the Strawberry Days Queen Contest Committee and the Community Fair Talent Show. She also works 1 with the Pageant of the Arts Committee. PTA Pre-Convention training will be held at the high school on April 7 for everyone attending the state convention. The convention will be held April 22 and 23 at the Salt Palace. Voting will take place on April 7 for the new region director. Rosalie Smith of Manila and Robin j Cahoun of Orem will be listed on the j ballot. You must have a PTA card to vote. j |