Elementary Students Urge High Schoolers to be Safe During Prom

A letter written by a second grader, to a prom goer as a reminder to stay safe before heading out for the dance! Photo: Post Bulletin

AUSTIN, Minn. (AP) – A school district in southern Minnesota is delivering a positive safety message to students attending prom.

Instead of seeing a mock crash as a reminder to be safe, each of the 250 students who attend prom in Austin this weekend will receive a letter form an elementary school student, urging them to make smart choices.

The letters from the second and third graders at Banfield and Neveln Elementary Schools are part of the school district’s Positive Community Norms method designed to reduce illegal substance use.

Program coordinator Bill Spitzer tells the Rochester Post-Bulletin the goal is to highlight the positive.

Some letters include hand-drawn pictures. One reminds the prom-goer to be respectful. Another says the student should bring a first aid kit in case someone breaks a bone while dancing.