East Panhandle Times

Berkeley County Schools has initiated a series of safety presentations for students across the county, which commenced this week. The district plans to visit 21 schools over three weeks, starting with intermediate levels, to educate students on emergency procedures.

Elice Gregory, director of student support services at Berkeley County Schools, organized these presentations. Gregory revived the initiative three years ago to teach basic safety practices and has since expanded it to include high school students who perform skits to engage younger audiences. Fifth-grade presentations have also been added to prepare students for middle school.

Representatives from the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department, Martinsburg Police Department, Martinsburg Volunteer Fire Department, and Homeland Security were invited to attend these sessions.

This year features a friendly competition among high schools to deliver the best presentations. Last year’s exceptional student participation inspired Berkeley County Schools (BCS) to introduce four awards: Best Overall School and Best Overall Student among them.

On Thursday, Potomack Intermediate School hosted a group including members from Spring Mills High School Student Leadership. Seniors Jayden Junkin, Addie Salfia, and Chloe Hiet returned for another year of participation. Despite their competitive spirit, they acknowledged the significance of their community work.

“At the end of the day, no matter who wins, what really matters is that we are out here in the community doing something important,” Hiet said.

Junkin expressed enthusiasm about interacting with future Spring Mills High School students. She aims to influence them positively by encouraging safe online behavior and rejecting drugs and vapes.

Salfia highlighted her enjoyment in sharing her school's culture during these presentations. “I love showing them the culture of our school and how supportive we are,” she stated. “When you are a Cardinal, this is how you are supposed to act.”

The concept of being a Cardinal or "CARDS"—Community, Accountability, Respect, Dependable and Safe Choices—is central to their message. Spring Mills High School will continue its involvement as Berkeley County Schools extends its outreach to primary schools in upcoming weeks.