Check out this article from the Madison County Journal about our Safety Week Project. Special thanks to the City of Madison, Madison Central administration, Madison County School Board, Madison Police, Madison Fire & Rescue, AirCare Medical Helicopter, and Metro One Police Helicopter.

Safety Week

Safety Video Contest. For the past two weeks Madison Central students have been working diligently on their Safety Week Videos. Footage was provided from our Safety Week activities which included a variety of activities encouraging students to make wise choices and culminating in a wreck simulation the day before prom. To give students additional exposure to the lessons of that week, the SADD club of Madison Central sponsored a video contest. Students put together their own video edit using our footage and the winning entry will receive a HD Digital Video Camera and Memory Card. Entries submitted have ranged from documentary to art film and a little of everything in between. Watch our blog next week to see which video wins. Above you see one of our first contest entries.

Prom Impact

Its been about a week since prom and the impact of the crash scene still astonishes students around Madison Central. Many students were mesmerized by how realistic the scene was. Though the students knew that the scene was only a depiction of a real accident scene, many students couldn’t help but be shocked by the authenticity of it all. The helicopter scene, the crying parents, and the ambulance personnel and firefighters added to the realism of the scene. In the end the crash scene depicted at MCHS hopefully had an impact that influenced students to make the right decisions for themselves, for their friends and for their loved ones.

On Friday, April 3, Madison students witnessed a wreck simulation on campus. With the cooperation of the Madison City Police Department, Fire Department, Metro One police helicopter, and Aircare, Madison Central gave students a realistic picture of what it's like when someone makes bad choices involving driving. Metro One was first on the scene which was staged at the north end of campus in a grassy area across from the football stadium. Students crowded together in designated viewing spots as emergency responders moved through their normal procedures which included assessing the driver's condition, removing the vehicle door to gain access and, ultimately, calling in AirCare to airlift the patient to a local hospital. Senior Bradley Martin played the role of the careless driver for this simulation. Following the simulation, an announcement over the public address students encouraged students to consider others who are affected by their choices. Prom night should be a memory of good times with close friends, not a memory of tragedy brought on by careless choices. Pictures from the simulation were published in the Clarion Ledger, a metro area newspaper.

Madison Central's "Safety Week" got off to a great start this morning as Linda Dutil, an emergency room nurse from Maine, spoke to the Junior class about the physical toll of making dangerous choices. Linda began her presentation, which was alternately comical and sobering, with the statement that when we intentionally hurt our bodies [through overt acts or reckless choices] we always do so because of feelings and she encouraged students to seek an adult to talk to when feelings begin to lead us into making destructive choices.

Much of the presentation focused on what happens when a person is brought into the emergency room as a result of alcohol or drugs, with students serving as props for the often grotesque and eye-opening descriptions of the unpleasant processes a patient must endure. Linda used a variety of props and slides to illustrate the short term and long term impact of drug and alcohol abuse. Her love for students and her compassion for her patients was evident as she implored the student body to think carefully about the people they love and the people that love them and the permanence of many of their choices. Students, faculty, and staff members could be heard in the school corridors throughout the rest of the day explaining to those who weren't present at the presentation the emergency room procedures we can steer clear of by making wise, considered choices and opting for positive, safe experiences with our peers. What a great way to kick off this next week's focus on safety.

Back from Spring Break

Since Spring Break is over students of Madison Central will be coming back to school. Students Against Destructive Decisions will be encouraging students to drive safely.