It was a morning of excitement and learning at three Pre-Schools in the South Rand on 25 September when Mr ADT (Darin McDowell) , Linda Goodenough, Community Development Manager for Fidelity ADT and Sergeant Nkuna from the Alberton SAPS came to visit the children.
“The shows at De Little Stars, The colourful Rainbow crèche and Tiny Tots in Alberton were all great fun and perfectly age-appropriate. It was so encouraging to see the children so engaged throughout the show enjoying the magic tricks and listening attentively to the important crime awareness messages and safety tips,” says Goodenough.
The show is a complementary service offered by Fidelity ADT Security to pre-primary and primary schools and is part of a programme aimed at creating crime awareness amongst children of Gauteng. The children are given practical safety tips on who to call (SAPS 10111) and how to use a panic button. “We believe it is important to be proactive and educate our children on the dangers of crime. It is great that Mr ADT is able to educate children on a serious topic but in a fun and entertaining way,” says Goodenough.
The show covers important topics such as:
- Bullying
- Home robberies
- Keeping our belongings safe
- Being alert (Paying attention to our surroundings, how to get help/Police/panic buttons etc.)
- Stranger Danger
- Respecting our fellow South Africans
Mr ADT offered the following tips:
- Make sure children know their full names, address and phone number
- Children practice operating door and window locks at home, and insist they always check who is at the gate or door before opening it.
- Never to reveal on the phone or at the door that there are no adults at home, but rather say are their parents too busy to come to the phone or door.
- Stranger Danger – never to get in a car with someone they don’t know or leave the school grounds unaccompanied.
Other topics were also covered, for instance: what is good touching and bad touching, how to use panic alarm buttons, and the importance of knowing a parent’s contact details and other emergency numbers.
“Children are never too young to be educated and made aware, in a non-threatening manner, of the dangers that exist in our society. They need to be empowered to be able to protect themselves in a dangerous situation,” she adds.
“Darin (Mr ADT) has a fun, friendly way of addressing these pertinent issues. He has found the perfect balance, as the show keeps the children informed and entertained while reinforcing valuable safety tips. What an experience to see the expressions and laughter on these little children’s faces as Mr ADT educates them. The magic tricks and brilliant ventriloquism with Rex, Mr ADT’s dog are so entertaining and the kids learnt so much today. Our sincere thanks to the teachers and owners of each of these three schools for giving us an opportunity to visit with the children, the future of tomorrow.”
The Mr ADT shows take place at local schools and are hosted free of charge by Fidelity ADT. If a teacher or parent is interested in booking a show for their school, they are welcome to email Janice Brown on janiceb@fidelity-adt.co.zafor further information.
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Compiled on behalf of Fidelity ADT by Cathy Findley Public Relations for more information Jacqui Moloi Rorke on Tel: 011 463 6372 e-mail: jacqui@findleypr.co.za