Emergency and safety education

Schools will have the opportunity to schedule presentations based on topic and age-appropriate key messages. Presentations are organized by grade level and will require larger areas such as a gym or library. Educational materials will be provided to each participant.

Student presentations

• Fire Safety and Prevention (October) - Kindergarten to Grade 6
  In celebration of Fire Prevention Week, this presentation builds substantial fire prevention and safety key messages that are valuable at any age.
• 9-1-1 (April) - Grade 1
  Students will learn what is considered an emergency, when it is appropriate to call 9-1-1 and what questions the 9-1-1 dispatcher will ask.
• At Home Alone (December and June) - Grade 5
  There is no “right” time for your child to be left alone in the home; the child must feel comfortable with the situation and feel ready for the responsibility. The 'At Home Alone'  program covers a variety of topics including general safety, the value of 9-1-1, dealing with different types of emergencies, potential hazards in the home, and some brief first aid.

Staff and student presentations

Presentations for school personnel are available throughout the year upon request.

• Emergency preparedness and home - school safety presentation
  Are you and your family prepared to be self-sufficient for up to 72 hours? This presentation is aimed at teachers (perfect for a staff meeting) where we will discuss what emergency preparedness is and how you and your family can get ready.
• CardiacCrash^TM - staff and Grades 8 to 12
  Gamified CPR experience from the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada. Learn how to perform CPR and use an automated external defibrillator (AED) in 1 hour. Perfect for Grades 8 to 12 and staff meetings, with group sizes 8 to 40.

Questions?
Community Safety Education
780-464-8468
safety.educators@strathcona.ca

History and heritage

Imagine Strathcona County’s yester-year

• What was it like here 100 years ago?

• Why did early settlers move here?

• Why is our municipality both urban and rural—city and country?

Three ways to learn about Strathcona County’s history:

1. From time to time | An interactive online storymap
This innovative historical timeline helps students visualize how Strathcona County has evolved to what we see today. Featuring a selection of carefully curated images paired with researched accounts of history, the timeline highlights settler life in this region and includes some of the challenges that threatened Indigenous ways of living. A large print display is also available.

2. The past where we live | A two-part video series

• A rich and plentiful country gives an overview of this region’s history. (11 minutes)

• A specialized municipality explores Strathcona County’s name, its boundaries and how it came to be a specialized municipality. (9 minutes)

3. Rural history from the skies | An online image gallery
These archival aerial photographs taken between 50 and 100 years ago offer a bird’s eye view of the countryside. You can survey Strathcona County’s early rural landscape from a vantage rarely, if ever, seen by its residents back in the day.

Learn more at strathcona.ca/history.

RCMP and Enforcement Services

Local RCMP members and Enforcement Services peace officers are pleased to offer the following safety presentations:

Enforcement Services

• CPO and me: personal safety

  Students are introduced to Community Peace Officers and their role in helping keep Strathcona County safe. Students will learn about personal safety, making safe choices, recognizing potentially unsafe situations and knowing when and how to seek help. Through age-appropriate discussions, questions, and scenarios, students will develop practical strategies they can use to stay safe at home, at school, and in their community.

• Crosswalk and pedestrian safety
  This interactive presentation teaches students how to safely navigate roads, crosswalks, parking lots, alleys and driveways. Students will learn how to identify safe crossing locations, recognize crosswalks, understand the risks posed by distracted drivers, and stay alert around moving vehicles. Through age-appropriate scenarios and interactive activities, students will learn the “PAUSE-POINT-PROCEED” strategy to help them make safe decisions when crossing the road.

• Bicycle safety
  This interactive presentation teaches students how to safely share the road and pathways while on a bicycle. Students will learn about the importance of wearing a properly fitted helmet, mandatory bicycle equipment, where to ride and the importance of following traffic rules. Through age-appropriate discussions, demonstrations, and scenarios, students will develop practical skills to help make every bicycle ride a safe one.

• Dog safety
  A Community Peace Officer will teach students how to safely interact with dogs. Students will learn how to recognize animal behaviour, identify situations where they should give an animal space, and understand what to do when encountering an unfamiliar or loose dog. Through age-appropriate scenarios and interactive activities, students will develop practical strategies for safely interacting with animals and responding appropriately when they feel unsafe.

• Traffic Safety Presentations

  Enforcement Services can present on numerous vehicle safety topics such as distracted driving, seatbelt use, rules of the road, vehicle equipment requirements, off-highway vehicle safety, child car seat requirements, commercial vehicle safety, and Project TENSOR East.

• Request a CPO for your special event
  You can request a Community Peace Officer to attend special events such as Earth Day, Community Clean-up events, Reading Week, Remembrance Day, Terry Fox Run, Graduations, holiday celebrations or Pink Shirt Day.

To book a Community Peace Officer presentation, please contact Enforcement Services by email at CPO.PublicSafety@strathcona.ca.

• Guard of Honour
  The ceremonial Guard of Honour is available to commemorate significant events at school-wide assemblies. Contact GuardofHonour@strathcona.ca for availability and more information.

RCMP safety education presentations

• Police Pals - Preschool to Grade 4
  Students will learn about police officers and their role in the community. An RCMP officer will touch on seasonal safety tips, police uniforms and equipment (including a police vehicle demonstration).

• READ IN Week - Preschool to Grade 3
  RCMP and a special seasonal guest will attend your classroom to read a story that promotes student engagement. This presentation takes approximately 30 minutes and allows students the opportunity to meet a local RCMP officer and share the joy of reading. 

• Safe Halloween - Preschool to Grade 3
  Students are reminded how to be safe on Halloween. An RCMP member will attend for a fun and interactive experience. We can tailor this program anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.

• Sports Challenge
  Have your school sports team play against the RCMP and Enforcement Services members in a friendly and exciting sports game.

If you wish to have an RCMP member attend your event, please contact Community Policing at 780-467-7741 or KStrathconaCPU-KStrathconaUPC@rcmp-grc.gc.ca. 

School gardens

School gardens are a place where students can learn about growing and eating healthy food. Through hands-on learning, teachers help students connect with the plant life cycle, while learning about seeds, soil, sun, water, bugs and weeds.

Each participating school receives two raised garden beds, soil and seeds (courtesy of Salisbury Greenhouse) to get started, with opportunity for expansion over time. 

School gardens inspire creativity and wonder. Kindergarteners learn that fresh-picked spinach is sweet and tasty, and that good nutrition helps grow muscles. High school students incorporate growing and harvesting vegetables and herbs into their culinary arts program. In the fall, harvest soups made with root vegetables are ways teachers and students celebrate growing food.

Are you wondering how to start or expand a school garden program at your school? Visit strathcona.ca/schoolgardens for more detail.

Questions?
Jill Hestbak
780-467-2211
jill.hestbak@strathcona.ca 

Strathcona County Museum

Come learn the stories of Strathcona County. Students will discover the County’s past and present through interactive activities, artifacts, photographs, games, and oral histories. Our programs explore the County’s events, land and people, allowing students to learn where they fit within our local history.

Exhibits and visible labs become the classroom during facilitated curriculum-based activities, giving learners a holistic understanding of the stories that shape Strathcona County. Students will engage with hands-on history and see their world through the eyes of a museum.

Programs include:

• School programs for kindergarten to Grade 6 (field trips or in-class)

• Guided tours

• Online teacher and student resources

• Summer camps

• Seasonal events

We also offer a wide variety of adult programming throughout the year. From wine tasting to lectures, there’s always lots to see and do at Strathma.

Questions?
780-467-8189
strathma.ca/for-teachers

Environmental awareness

Strathcona County believes that, through education, current and future generations will respect and conserve natural resources by making informed choices. Choose from the following programs or work with a programmer to develop one that will work well for your class.

Waste programs

• “Waste in Our World” comes to you! (Grade 4)
  Students learn about waste management and reduction through an interactive presentation, a class Kahoot and take-home activities. 
• Take a Tour! 
  Visit the Broadview Enviroservice Station and the HodgePodge Lodge for a hands-on, behind-the-scenes look at how we recycle household hazardous waste, electronics and other materials. Kids will make a craft out of recycled materials in the HodgePodge Lodge. This program is free.
• Get Eco-Schools Canada certified
  With fun projects, great resources and our staff to help you, getting certified as an EcoSchool is easy!
• Free education kits
  Borrow a kit to make reusable beeswax wraps with your class, do a waste audit, play a waste sorting game or read a bundle of great books. We can drop them off and pick them up.

Water programs

• Yellow Fish Road
  Learn how we can keep our stormwater ponds and wetlands healthy—and take part in painting yellow fish in your community through this Freshwater Conservation Canada program.
• Water as a resource (Grade 5)A presentation about global water availability, water as an energy source, as well as the need for conservation and how we can conserve water in our daily lives by making small changes. Learn where our water comes from, where it goes, and how we can keep our water clean. Activities encourage students to be mindful of water and how we use it. This program is best suited for Grade 5.
• Tapped Out (Grades 8 to 12)
  Students learn the journey water takes from rivers to our taps. Activities encourage students to re-evaluate their understanding of where water comes from and learn the mysteries behind treated municipal waste.
• Water books to borrow
  Sign up for two weeks with our water book bins for Kindergarten to Grade 3 and Grades 4 to 6.

Questions?
School Resource Liaison
Tamara.VonKuster@strathcona.ca