School's poster contest highlights children's safety

In October, the Office of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Corpus Christi hosted their first-ever 2021 School Safety Poster Contest. October is packed with safety observations, from bullying prevention to internet safety, from fire prevention to Red Ribbon Week.
 

April Esparza, RN, BSN

April Esparza, the Office of Catholic Schools nurse and diocesan health services coordinator also uses the month of October to familiarize students with the Vector Alert Tip Reporting System, an online tip reporting system available at each school. Using the online tip reporting system, the students can report safety concerns anonymously to school administrators.

"This poster contest is a way to engage students to think about school safety, think about the challenges that other children face and how important it is for them to advocate for their own safety as well as the safety of one another," Esparza said. "If something comes up, they can report it to a school administrator, teacher, or their parent, or they can use the safe schools alert tip line [now called Vector Alert Tip Reporting System]."
  The Vector Alert Tip Reporting System is available on all the schools' websites by clicking on a tab that allows you to quickly, easily, and anonymously report safety concerns to school administrators. "There are posters throughout the schools promoting the online tip reporting system, and they can do it via a website, app, phone, email or text. And all the schools participate," Esparza said. "It's also on our diocesan website links to report to each school.

"We've participated in the program for about three years or so, but we think it's important to bring it to the forefront of people's minds continually, so it does serve that purpose of a lifeline for a child who may be fearful of speaking up about something," she added.

Esparza who has three of her own children attending St. Elizabeth school in Alice said, "Our kids face really complex challenges these days with the prevalence of drugs, bullying and cyberbullying. We try to talk to them about speaking up – that it's not tattling, and it's helping your friend if there's something serious going on. I think our kids need to know that they can support each other. 
 

The contest winner from the fourth-sixth grade age category was sixth grader Sarveen Vatankhah from Incarnate Word Academy, who promoted car safety with her art entitled, "Fast Drive Could Be Last Drive."

"One way that they show resilience and can be resilient against these challenges is by supporting each other to be that friend that counters the peer pressure and says, 'No, let's not do that.' Or be the friend that recognizes a friend is changing, that their behavior is different, that they're struggling with some mental health issue, and I need to tell somebody so they can intervene. Adults need to know, and they need to help, and they can help if they have the information. That's what promoting safety is all about.

"I really enjoyed seeing the creativity and learning about the issues that are on the hearts and minds of our students. Each poster entry included two-three sentences from the artist about why they chose to advocate for that particular safety topic. In reading those, I saw a very inspiring theme emerge. Our students understand that there are many choices in life. When they choose good, virtuous, and beautiful, the outcome is always filled with joy, peace, and goodness. They also understand that what they say and do, sets an example that can lead others also to choose the good."  
 

An honorable mention went to sixth-grader Emma Ysaguirre from St. Elizabeth School in Alice with her art entitled, "Stay Drug-Free."

The contest winner from the fourth-sixth grade age category was sixth grader Sarveen Vatankhah from Incarnate Word Academy, who promoted car safety with her art entitled, "Fast Drive Could Be Last Drive." 

Winner of the contest from the seventh-ninth grade age category was seventh grader Justin Brown from Bishop Garriga Middle Preparatory School with his art entitled, "Doing Drugs is Digging Your Own Grave."

An honorable mention went to sixth-grader Emma Ysaguirre from St. Elizabeth School in Alice with her art entitled, "Stay Drug-Free."