October 16-22 has been proclaimed America’s Safe Schools Week, which was established in 1984 by the National School Safety Center. The purpose of this week is to motivate education and law enforcement policymakers, as well as students, parents, and community residents, to vigorously advocate school safety. Please read below about how you can help.
How Principals & Teachers Can Help with Safety:
• Train and practice various safety drills with students on a regular basis, and follow-up with any issues.
• Conduct regular security surveys of school grounds and be sure to follow-up on any located safety issues.
• Encourage a safe school environment by promoting respect, bullying prevention, and the importance of following rules and laws. Be a good listener and help students when they need assistance.
• Maintain a safe school environment by stressing a strong access control at each entrance.
How Parents Can Help with School Safety:
• Be a good role model for your children by following parking lot procedures, crossing at crosswalks, and by treating others with respect. Discourage your children from bullying others and encourage them to choose friends that make positive choices.
• Drive carefully in school zones and watch for pedestrians who are crossing streets, especially small children who may be walking out from behind cars.
• Walk small children to school for their safety, and encourage teens to walk together in groups. Talk with your children regularly about stranger-danger and about the importance of reporting suspicious people.
• Always stop for school bus stop arms for the safety of children who are getting on or off buses.
• Report any suspicious or potential dangerous activity immediately to the school and/or police that you observe around the area of the schools or on social media.
• Get involved with your child’s school by volunteering as a room parent, chaperoning field trips, helping out at fun fairs, and by supporting school fundraising efforts and events.
How Students Can Help with School Safety:
• Choose positive friends and stay away from smoking, alcohol use, and other drugs. Be a role model.
• Get involved with positive activities that will help to relieve stress and which will associate you with other students who are making healthy choices.
• Report any suspicious or potentially dangerous activity immediately to the school and/or police that you observe at school or on social media. Take ownership in your school by reporting safety issues.
For more information about school safety, please contact your child’s principal or any of our School Resource Officers (whom you can meet at our Crime Watch Meeting next week on October 26th)