Featuring a talking bus, local fire and police departments, and K9 officers, Killeen ISD campuses participated in programs and presentations during School Safety Week to teach students about safety inside and outside of the classroom.
“Buster” the Bus spent a busy week visiting elementary students to share about bus safety and how to safely ride the bus. Buster educated students on emergency exits, how to report bullying to the bus driver, and ended the presentation with a dance-off.
Bus Driver Trainer, Anthony Donnell shared that kids are excited when Buster visits, and the bus drivers see an improvement in behavior and courtesy of those students that ride the bus. “They love to tell other students what they learn after the presentation with Buster.”
K9 Officer Sauron and his handler, Officer Quirino Villegas, visited Maude Moore Elementary on Friday morning for a K9 demonstration.
The nearly 5-year-old German Shepherd had no trouble keeping the attention of audience members as the officer duo demonstrated Sauron’s abilities with commandments spoken to him in the Dutch language.
Sauron is not only trained in narcotics detection and apprehension but is also a tracking dog and can help track down someone who is lost or, “help catch the bad guys,” as Officer Villegas shared. The K9 officer runs between 30 and 40 miles per hour and can follow someone’s scent for miles.
Students asked questions about what work looks like at a police station. More importantly, students wondered what Sauron’s favorite treats are as a reward. Although Sauron was not very talkative, Officer Villegas shared on his K9 partner’s behalf that he enjoys the occasional pup-cup and is rewarded with his favorite blue ball after a job well done. Villegas told students that they can always ask him or another officer for help and that he and Sauron are there to protect them. “We want our kiddos to know that Sauron is their K9 officer, I am their officer, and they can always tell us if they need help,” he said.
On Wednesday, firefighters showed students at Maude Moore Wood Elementary School their gear and the tools they use to battle fires.
Other events around Killeen ISD included poster-making, community hero dress-up day, and sharing appreciation for Law Enforcement.
Check out our video and see Sauron and Buster in action!
