Respect yourself and each other.

That was one of the messages conveyed to S.S. Palmer Elementary students during the Officer Phil Program on Wednesday.The program emphasized several important topics, which were taught in a fun and entertaining manner.Magic Dave, the Edu-tainer, discussed the importance of safety and respect.He began with a magic trick, which got the students focused and reinforced several rules, such as no talking, paying attention, laughing, learning and having fun.Magic Dave then asked the students to recall some safety rules that they use at home, at school, or out and about.He then shared his ideas on bus safety, car safety and Internet safety."Be nice to other people, and they will be nice to you," Magic Dave said.Each idea was represented by a light which is tossed into a magic bag. The students volunteered to "toss" up some of their ideas, which Magic Dave magically caught and placed into the bag.Stranger awareness was covered by "blending" four different colored scarves together, each of which represented a safety rule to remember when dealing with strangers. Blue stood for don't go, red stood for run, yellow stood for yell and green stood for tell.Magic Dave then put the scarves together to form one scarf, just as the rules come together to form one rule to keep them safe from a stranger.That rule, he said, is don't go, run, yell and tell a grown-up what happened.Magic Dave then talked about the values of respect, at which time he pulled several "rabbits" from a hat, and reminded the students that much like the rabbits, they are different.As such, the students were told to work together to help each other be the best they can be.Magic Dave told the students they should treat others the way they want to be treated, and to show respect to their peers, families, teachers, the police, and most important, to show respect for themselves.Much to the children's enjoyment, one of Officer Phil's Pals, Turbo the Turtle, was on hand to help teach the lessons.Turbo talked to the children about making healthy choices, such as eating right, drinking plenty of water, exercising and getting enough rest.Next, Turbo addressed the issue of bullying.Throughout the presentation, Turbo proved to be a big hit with the students.Magic Dave told the students how to react if they are bullied."If someone comes up and bullies you, tell them to stop," he said. "It's better to be a buddy than a bully."Magic Dave told students to find out more about Turbo the Turtle, they can visit

www.officerphil.com.