PCR-I Female Staff Learn Self-Defense
Did you know that according to the National Violence Resource Center, one in five women will be a victim of sexual assault at some point in their life?
Sexual assault has been all over the news recently with headlines such as the Mollie Tibbetts case, Bill Cosby and the #MeToo Movement, and many others. Unfortunately, these situations seem to be more and more common, and it's very important for females of all ages to be educated and proactive in ensuring their safety. Dr. Heath Halley, Superintendent of PCR-I schools, decided that the school should do everything possible to help our female staff and students be prepared for worst case scenarios. He reached out to Justin Simmons, owner of Midwest Martial Arts Academy (MMAA), to see what our options were. The idea was for our female staff and students to be educated in not only the statistics but also multiple methods of defense.
Recently the female staff of PCR-I had the opportunity to take a Self-Defense Course taught by Justin and Lydia Simmons. The course was offered free of charge to participants and took place at the MMAA Dojo on Monday, October 29,2018. During the class, our staff learned various statistics on sexual assault, common myths were explained, self-defense tips were given, and multiple strikes and counter-measures were explained and practiced.
Female students in grades 9-12 will have the opportunity to learn from Justin and Lydia on Tuesday, November 20, 2018. The student course will be free for all participants, and the course will be offered here at Putnam County R-I in the High School gym during the normal school day. There will be required paperwork for parents that we will provide closer to the activity date. If you have questions regarding this activity you may email Dr. Halley at hhalley@putnamcountyr1.net or Mrs. Rhodes at krhodes@putnamcountyr1.net.