With the arrival of a new school year there are many new situations children may face. Educating your children about general safety rules can greatly add to their physical and mental well-being. Parents are the most important resource in the educational process which should begin at home. Please take advantage of any safety orientation programs offered by your school district.

Report Suspicious Activity

On occasion children see something that they consider odd or suspicious during the school day. Instruct your children to immediately inform school authorities of any criminal or suspicious activity they may witness. Informing your local police department or school about each incident can prove helpful in dealing with these situations, and may help resolve a potential problem. If you or your children see any suspicious activity while it is occurring, DIAL 911.

Safety at Home

It is important to have a plan in place for your children to follow if they get home from school and no adult is at home. You should have a list of emergency phone numbers available for your child. These should be numbers of people they know and can call either for advice, or during emergencies. You should also have a well-defined list of what your children can and cannot do when they are home alone. Some topics you should consider making rules about are:

• Are they allowed to leave the house? If so, where are they allowed to go?
• Are they allowed to have anyone come into the house? If so, whom?
• What cooking appliances or electrical equipment may they use?
• What should they say when they answer the phone and someone asks to speak to a parent who is not at home?

Reinforce Safety Rules

The Lawrence Police Department is dedicated to keeping our children safe, but we need your help. We encourage you to review these guidelines, and other general safety rules with your children.

Safety at School
Support your school's effort to enforce safety rules. As parents you should:

• Familiarize yourselves with school policies.
• Instruct your children not to leave school with anyone unless they check with the office first.
• Inform the school in writing if you are making any changes in your child's schedule, (e.g., taking your child out of school early, or having someone else pick up your child).
• Develop a secret password with your child to be used in emergencies.

Know your Children's Friends
Parents should become familiar with their children's acquaintances. This is a continuing process because children make new friends during each school year. Children should also be taught to keep parents informed about their whereabouts. They are often distracted on the way home from school and end up at a friend's house without telling a parent. Knowing your children's friends will help you know where to look for them in the event they fail to come home from school on time.

Bus Safety
Remind your children that riding the bus involves the safety of everyone on the bus. Children should:

• Remain seated while the bus is moving.
• Keep hands, arms and head inside the bus at all times.
• Talk quietly so they don't distract the driver.
• Keep hands, feet, and all other objects to themselves.
• Keep the aisles clear.

Walking to School or the Bus Stop
As a parent you should:

• Know the routes your children take.
• Instruct them to travel with others.
• Tell your children to stay away from strangers, and strange vehicles.
• Periodically review general pedestrian safety rules such as:
  • Walk on sidewalks.
  • If there are no sidewalks, walk in single file on the side of the road.
  • Cross the street at intersections only.
  • Follow instructions of school crossing guards.

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