ANDOVER TOWNSHIP —
Pymatuning Valley Middle School students got a shot of reality from a variety of different sources Friday during an all-day program designed to help understand their community and life responsibilities.
“It helps the students connect back to the community,” said Reality Day program organizer Crystal Bryski, career education consultant for the Pymatuning Valley Local Schools.
Bryski said the program has been in effect for a long time but was expanded this year. “This is the first year I have involved the whole school,” she said.
Speakers from Homesafe, the Samaritan House, Pymatuning State Park, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Ashtabula County Juvenile Court were just a few of those who brought specific lessons to students from fifth to eighth grades.
Eighth-grade students also had to make their way through a “real life” budget complete with expenses and income, Bryski said. She said it is designed so students get a sense of what “real life” is all about.
Tammy Wetherholt, an Ashtabula County assistant prosecutor, and Edith Hough, an Ashtabula County Juvenile Court magistrate, provided a “wake-up call” for students regarding texting, sexting and use of cell phones.
Hough said the message was to help students understand the importance of acting responsibly on the Internet and make them aware of potential criminal charges that could haunt their future if proper guidelines are not followed.
Wetherholt said students need to understand certain uses of a cellphone are a major problem. “It’s a crime (certain uses of texting or inappropriate cell phone usage). It’s not as innocent as they think,” she said.
Chris Wadley, a park officer at Pymatuning State Park, explained the importance of boater safety and described the qualifications for those interested in working in the state park system.
Bryski said organizations such as the Samaritan House and Homesafe were invited so students can understand the importance of volunteer organizations in the community.
She said all seventh-grade students must do a job shadowing experience so they have a variety of career opportunities to review.
“I think it’s fun. Just learning about all the different (careers),” said seventh grader Gabby Campbell.
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