Before School

• Walking or Biking: Encourage children to walk or bike to school in groups. Equip them with reflective clothing or backpacks and ensure they understand traffic signals.
• Bus Safety: Review the basics of safe boarding and exiting with your child. Make sure they know their home address.
• Driving: If you drive your child to school, obey school zone speed limits, follow drop-off procedures, and never pass a bus that is loading or unloading children.

At School

• Contact Information: Ensure your child knows their full name, your cell phone number, and home address.
• Hygiene: Review proper hand-washing techniques.
• Personal Safety: Avoid personalizing the exterior of backpacks and other items with your child’s first name to prevent making them vulnerable to predatory adults. Initials or names can be placed inside items instead.
• Backpack Weight: To promote healthy posture, keep your child’s backpack weight between 5% to 10% of their body weight.
• Bullying Awareness: Teach your child how to recognize and report bullying.
• Trusted Adults: Help your child identify a "trusted adult" at school they can approach if they feel unsafe or need help.

After School

• Check-In Routine: If no one is home in the afternoons, set up a check-in routine where your child calls or texts to inform you they've arrived home safely. Consider using a family locator app to track your child’s real-time location.
• Home Safety: If your child will be home alone after school, establish routines for locking the door and specify who is allowed to visit during your absence.
• Internet Safety: Discuss internet safety and remind children never to share personal information online.
• Emergency Preparedness: Ensure your child knows what to do in an emergency, such as where to go during severe weather, where to meet outdoors in the event of a house fire, and who to call if they need immediate help.

Remember, precaution is a shared responsibility. Your awareness and thoughtfulness contribute significantly to a safer school environment. For more safety tips or assistance, reach out to Select Source Insurance as the school year gets underway.