Back to School Safety Tips and Guidelines

It’s fall. School season is almost here. Kids are worried about their social status, and parents are worried about their grades. On top of all, back-to-school safety is an urgent topic looming above every household in America. Parents and teachers worry about the students’ safety during the school year. This article will tackle some of the most urgent factors in maintaining back to school safety issues.

Back to School Safety Checklist

For every school season, numerous issues need to be addressed. A back to school safety checklist should cover all areas where kids are exposed to danger. Before the school season starts, administrators, parents and teachers should use this checklist to ensure the kids are out of harm’s way.

Also Read: Learn School Safety Tips

Back to School Safety on the Road

Children should be taught general safety precautions when they walk, ride bicycles or drive to school.

1. If your kid is riding a bike, make sure they are wearing a helmet. The helmet should be properly fitted and secured.
2. Your child should know the road rules whether they are walking or driving.
3. Those who take the school bus have to follow the bus rules. These rules include: listening to what the bus driver tells you to do, standing six feet away from the curb while waiting for the bus, remaining in your seat for most of the ride, crossing the street ten feet away from the bus and making sure you see the bus driver, and they see you.
4. If your child is walking, they should always walk on the sidewalk. The child should stop before crossing the street to look left and right. The kid should always cross the street only at crosswalks and wait until traffic stops before crossing.
5. Teen drivers should refrain from creating unsafe driving practices and be fully aware of general driving rules and safety precautions like respecting posted speed limits and parking only in designated areas.

Classroom Safety for the Students

The classroom is a great place to learn and be educated. However, with bullying issues on the rise, many students consider classrooms prisons where they have to endure torture at the hands of bullies. Since students spend most of their time inside the classroom, rules must be arranged for the kids to follow equally. Ensuring back to school safety, teachers should maintain the following in the classroom:

1. Promote order and discipline.
2. Students take turns when they want to talk or comment on the lesson. They shouldn’t speak before raising their hands first.
3. Place a mirror next to the board so that you can still watch what they are doing when you turn your back to the kids.
4. Encourage active participation and asking questions.
5. Laugh with your students often and be close to their problems and learning struggles.

Playground Safety for Younger Kids

The playground is both a fun and dangerous place for kids. During back to school season, kids invade playgrounds, endangering themselves from playground-related injuries, which might lead to death in some cases. To guarantee your kids’ safety in playgrounds, you can start by following a simple set of rules:

1. Be cautious around swings, seesaws and other equipment with moving parts.
2. Be careful when your kids run if they play tag or other physical games. Always supervise them from afar and ensure their safety and that of the other kids’.
3. Remove any sharp objects, broken glass or twisted metal.
4. Ensure that the ground is neither slippery nor sticky so that kids won’t trip and fall.
5. Teach your kids to act safely and responsibly while playing with friends.

Back to School Safety in the Hallway

Hallways are crowded places making them the perfect fight arenas, with chances of many kids getting hurt or ran over. However, by following a few simple rules while walking down the halls, kids won’t have to worry about school time spent out of the classroom.

1. Ensure that all students maintain appropriate behavior in the hallways. If a student gets caught bullying a colleague, the former should be punished as deemed fit.
2. Students shouldn’t linger in the hallways for too long. Teachers must usher them into classes as soon as the break period ends.
3. Students without a pass who are standing in the hallway during class time should be given a notice.
4. The hallway walls should be covered with large, easy-to-read signs and posters directing students to central areas and their respective classes.
5. Always keep classroom doors locked to avoid interruptions from the hallway.