Tips to Practice Student Safety Every Day

Practice Student Safety Every Day

Student safety requires effective thought leadership to make a difference in the approach to manage the day-day challenges. 2015-16 safety statistics show 865,000 violent incidents. Most schools have security cameras, visitor management tools, and regular safety drills yet safety is compromised! Practicing simple safety tips every day should help students, staff, and parents enjoy a secure environment at schools.

Photo by Celia Ortega on Unsplash

“Student safety and academic success go hand and hand, and that success starts every day with a safe commute to and from school,”- CPS Acting CEO Dr.Janice K. Jackson said in a statement for CBS Chicago news.

Simple Tips to Practice Student Safety Every Day:

• Safety and Integrity during dismissal – Real-Time alerts to parents when the student arrives or leaves the campus.
• Authenticate visitors & vehicles on campus – Online pickup and delegation management help schools plan for visitors and pickup vehicles expected on campus during dismissal.
• Check-In and Checkout records – Digital records with the timestamp for all arrivals, early dismissal, and dismissals in a day.
• Smart safety management – Virtual panic button in school staff mobile app to raise an alarm when suspicious events happen in the classroom, field trips, playgrounds & give more lead time to first responders.

Parents and Teachers Should Continuously Educate Students About Safety:

• Do not take rides without parent permission* – Teach the students to check in with parents first if it was not the planned ride for the day.
• Use safe routes suggested by the school or parent* – Use sidewalks, walk in groups and stick to the regular route.
• Look left, right and left again* – Watch your surroundings when you cross the roads as a walker, car rider or bus rider.
• Have landmark and codes* – Teach them safe places to go and “right strangers” to talk to. Use some code words that students can use to communicate their situation to you.
• Pay attention* – It is important to pay attention to your students’ behavior changes and be their best friend at all times to share their fears.

*Credits to Huffington post edition in Dec 2017 about Tips to keep your children safe.

Conclusion

In the wake of the school shooting, most of the school districts have been reviewing their safety procedures and appending best options for the student safety.  One simple yet powerful idea shared by Santa Fe Public Schools Superintendent Veronica García among other ideas during a public event was

“Limiting parental access to schools during drop-off and pick-up times to decrease the chance of an assailant slipping into a facility during those busy times” – sources The NewMexican.

Adopting some of the techniques above is the first step towards creating a safe environment for the students. Student safety is a never-ending challenge and we all are painfully aware of the consequences when something goes wrong. We at PikMyKid and Kidio spend every waking moment applying simple technology-based procedures to minimize the outcome of such tragedies. There are options available today to mitigate events like we recently saw in South Florida through effective use of available technologies. But before any of that can happen, a thought leadership to effect change is critical.