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OCP photo/Hart School Resource Officer Kevin Skipski hands off the brand-new Chromebook to sixth grader Alayna Keckler.
By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor
Pirate News is a presentation of Hart Public Schools in partnership with Oceana County Press.
HART — After Hart Middle School sixth grader Alayna Keckler lost her Chromebook in a house fire last month, School Resource Officer (SRO) Kevin Skipski stepped in to help.
The SRO, who is detective-sergeant for the Hart Police Department, used his personal funds to buy the student a replacement for her laptop, which she used for school work; shared with her brother; and was also using for writing a book.
“It’s awesome,” said Alayna about the generous donation.
“She was one of my fifth graders last year, and she had won the TEAM essay,” said SRO Skipski. TEAM essay winners win a coveted Chromebook as a prize. There is a winner from each class in fifth through eighth grades.
“Her mom said that she had used it religiously,” said Skipski. “She’s a sweet kid — she was pretty devastated” after losing her prized Chromebook. When her mom got a hold of me, I said I’d take care of it.” He paid approximately $200 for the new one.
Alayna’s family home was not destroyed in the fire, but several possessions were — including the Chromebook, said her mom Jennifer. The family was home at the time of the blaze, and they used a fire extinguisher to put it out.
TEAM is a school-based law enforcement education program taught by specially-trained officers. Students also receive fire prevention education, which was helpful for Alayna when the fire occurred, said Skipski.
Skipski is in his 19th year of teaching TEAM.
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