Spring ISD Police Officer David Fuente and Police K-9 Paco visit with students during Career Day at Meyer Elementary.
HOUSTON – March 9, 2018 – It wasn’t an emergency that brought Spring ISD Police K-9 Paco to the classrooms at Meyer Elementary on Friday, but his mission was of vital importance. He and Officer David Fuente have become a big attraction in the school’s Career Day.
Officer Fuente and Paco joined over a dozen community members who spoke to students in classrooms all over the school about their jobs. Fuente not only spoke about law enforcement to the students but emphasized the importance and relevance of the education that they are getting in school.
“We are presenting ourselves to the kids here so that we can talk to them about what they are doing in school right now with their reading, writing and math skills, and how that relates to what we do in our jobs every day at the police department,” said Fuente.
The Spring ISD Career and Technical Education Department encourages Career Day activities at the district elementary schools and the school counselor at Meyer, Nakia Jackson, is happy to see the younger children getting these opportunities. “We have had some awesome speakers here on campus and the students have been really excited about it,” said Jackson.
For the students who got to tour a fire engine parked at the front of the school and pat a real police dog on the head, the experiences at career day were something to remember for the rest of their lives. Officer Fuente has been making appearances like this for 15 years, and sometimes sees high school students who smile and tell him they remember him from years ago when they were in elementary school.
In addition to speaking about their jobs, Fuente and Paco carried some other important messages about making good decisions, and reassuring the children that they are safe at school.
“I have added a little more to my regular presentation to let them know that we are here and they are secure. I want them to focus on their education and learn and have fun,” said Fuente. The morning was obviously fun for Paco as he happily received a lot of attention from the students in the classroom.
As students moved from presentation to presentation, the counselor at Meyer was thrilled with the community’s response and participation throughout the day. “It’s very important for our community members to have a good relationship with our school. It takes a partnership like this to help the kids understand the importance of education and career pathways. We are excited to be giving them those opportunities,” said Jackson.