On Thursday, December 7th, the tenth-grade students from each school district of Buffalo County gathered together at Mondovi High School for the annual 10th Grade Day. The schools that attended consisted of Alma Area Schools, Mondovi Schools, Cochrane-Fountain City Schools, and Gilmanton Schools. The Buffalo County Partnership Council (BCPC) put together the program. The students were welcomed with cinnamon rolls and a choice of milk or juice prior to the presentation. After all the schools arrived, everyone settled in for a day full of learning. The focus for 10th Grade Day was to inform the students about distracted driving and healthy relationships.
To start the day, the kids were given a lecture by guest speaker, Tom Goeltz. Tom spoke to the sophomores about the impact of distracting driving. Tom has been a safety speaker for over 30 years. He took his presentations to the next level after the tragic passing of his daughter, Megan, in 2016. Megan was mother to a three-year-old girl and was also pregnant with a little boy. Tom explained the different types of distracted driving. Goeltz emphasized to the kids that “No call, text, or snap is as important as your life”. Tom also reminded the students that they aren’t just affecting their family, but also the victims’ families.
After Tom’s emotional presentation, the sophomores were assigned three groups for different stations. Each station lasted about five minutes and was led by older students participating in BCPC. Altogether, the stations focused on communication, gender stereotypes, and relationships. Not only were these directed toward healthy relationships with boyfriends and girlfriends, but also with friends and family.
The 10th graders learned a lot of useful information that Goeltz and everyone else hopes they remember for the future.