Yell and Tell discussion saves first-grader from drowning

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For a first-grader at Chancellor Livingston School, he took thelessons he learned during a Yell and Tell presentation and saved aclassmate from drowning.

Yell and Tell founder Author Jean Davidson visited Rhinebeck lastmonth from her home in Wisconsin, to serve as keynote speaker andsign books at the Grand National Super Meet of antique motorcycleenthusiasts at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds.

Davidson is the granddaughter of Harley Davidson Motor Company'sfirst president Walter Davidson.

While Davidson told glorious stories of "growing up Harley" at themeet, she also received an invitation to visit ChancellorLivingston School in Rhinebeck.

She is a retired educator who has written many children's storiesand has developed educational curriculum for all levels of teachingat both the state and local levels.

She recently developed an extensive program, called "Yell andTell," which is based on a family tragedy in which she lost her4-year old grandson, Ryder, in a drowning accident along withanother 4-year old in a water-filled ditch.

She realized that both tragedies could easily have been prevented,had the accompanying 8-year old yelled and told an adult what hadjust happened, instead of running home, paralyzed with fear.

Reeling from this horrific experience, Davidson emerged from hergrief to create the now widely-known Yell and Tell program and Website.

She explained that sometimes children don't want to be thetattletale or get into trouble, so they run, instead of informingan adult who could intervene.

Knowing and understanding young people as well as she does,Davidson decided to take charge of teaching children how to takeaction and become heroes.

"All I want to do is save children's lives," Davidson said. "Sofar, 5,000 children have learned about Yell and Tell. I know ofthree who have told me they used it to save another child's life.There's probably more," she said.

Little did she know that when she entered Chancellor LivingstonSchool on June 10, that a hero, Jared Revell, would emerge later inthe month as a result of Davidson's Yell and Tell demonstration.

At a private pool party at one family's home, a youngster got intotrouble in the water. The first-grader started to go under eventhough he was in the shallow end of the pool. Neither the lifeguardhired to be on duty, nor any of the parents around the pool, seemedto realize the youngster was in trouble.

Jared, another first-grader, saw his friend was having difficultyand ran to tell his mother. Parents were alerted and ran over toremove their son from the pool.

An EMT attending the party as a parent provided assistance to thefirst-grader at the scene, then a private vehicle brought him tothe hospital to be checked out.

Although the child's lungs had expelled the water, there was stillconsiderable water in his stomach, but he was treated and was homeby bedtime.

Later, in a casual conversation with her son, Kris Revell askedJared why he came to her to report his first-grade friend'sproblem.

Jared replied, "Mom, that is what we learned in school. I only didwhat I was taught to do."

Chancellor Livingston Principal Dr. Ed Sullivan nominated Jared asa "Yell and Tell Hero" and he will receive his certificate andspecial T-shirt from a thrilled Davidson when she returns toRhinebeck this summer.

Some of the most dangerous situations that this program covers arewater, fire, poison, guns and child enticement.

When using the Yell and Tell program, the leader is encouraged tolet children practice yelling to attract attention. Children learnby repetition, so the leader goes over many different dangeroussituations and has each child take a turn being the observer andyelling for help.

Squawk, the parrot, is the mascot who shows children how to react.

The four Yell and Tell steps are:
o See it (observing something dangerous)
o Feel it (feeling something is not right-scared)
o Yell (scream at the scene immediately to alert others)
o Tell (the nearest adult)
Learn more about Yell and Tell at the Web site:www.yellandtell.com.
The Davidson Yell and Tell Foundation, Inc. is a 501c(3) charitablefoundation that accepts donations and encourages sponsorships andfundraisers.