
It is vital that genuine substantial threats are taken seriously, but a suspicious and fearful school culture that overestimates the likelihood and normalcy of rampage violence threats, and encourages students and teachers to come forward with even minor concerns about students’ dangerous thoughts, questionable actions, and overall violence potential, amounts to a rather unwelcoming learning environment.-- Dr. Eric Madfis, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, University of Washington TacomaPhysical security measures and harsh punishments aren’t the only way to promote school safety. School leaders should create well-rounded safety plans to protect students’ well-being while fostering a positive learning environment. Tragedies like those aren’t the only concern, either. Physical injuries, mental health, food allergies and bullying are just a few of the many safety issues you should work to combat throughout the year.The following guide will outline tips for maintaining school safety in 2019, moving from general guidelines to specific safety concerns -- available in a condensed and printable list for your desk!
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Top 5 school safety tips |
Specific school safety tips |
Top 5 school safety tips
It’s hard to know where to begin with school safety measures, especially considering their importance. Use these five suggestions to give teachers, parents and students confidence in your school’s safety.1. Regularly update school safety plans
Maybe you worked tirelessly to create a school safety plan at the beginning of the school year, and haven’t made any changes since. This scenario is extremely common, but you’ll see far more benefit when you review your safety plan often, making any changes or additions as necessary. New incidents and considerations will likely come up during the school year, and updating your plan to reflect this information ensures you’re considering the best safety measures for your school. Careful review will help you avoid contradictory policies and will remind yourself and your staff to commit to school safety at all times. You should also consider which concerns are most relevant to your school or community, so you can put more time and resources into these issues.2. Make staff, students and parents aware of all safety policies
School safety rules should be readily available to every person who enters your building. Teachers must be aware of all policies so they can use this knowledge to be good teachers for their students. They’re also responsible for communicating any student requirements back to you.Distribute clearly written safety rules to every classroom. Encourage teachers to send them home to parents and display them in class for reference at all times. In addition to rules, offer some tips and resources for what to do in certain situations.Use a combination of written rules, pictures, videos, staff meetings and assemblies to share policies. The more avenues for communication, the better. When teachers are made aware of all policies, they can pass on the information in fun, creative ways that capture students’ attention. [caption id="attachment_3528" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
3. Provide teacher safety training
Offer school-provided safety training sessions to help teachers effectively manage their classrooms and keep the school environment as safe as possible. Safety training is a great professional development opportunity that gives students and parents confidence in their teachers’ preparation against safety threats. There are many training programs you can offer to teachers or other staff members. For example:- The Crisis Prevention Institute trains teachers to identify warning signs of crisis and apply techniques to prevent it.
- Nonviolent Crisis Intervention training builds behavior management skills, helping teachers diffuse situations before they become too difficult.
- SafeSchools offers sessions on bullying prevention, GHS compliance, active shooters and more.
- ALICE Training Program prepares organizations for responding to an active shooter threat.
4. Organize a school safety team
School leaders shouldn’t have to plan safety strategies alone. Put together a school safety team, assigning individual roles so every problem can be managed. You might designate emergency planners, logistics officers, communications coordinators or safety response managers. The school safety team will work together to conduct regular assessments, prepare for safety responses, assist in updating the safety plan and anything else needed. Staff members can join the school safety team on a volunteer basis. You can also hire an outside safety officer, social worker or counselor to offer more expertise to the team.5. Create a complete emergency response plan
The numbers show that students are generally safe at school, but preparation against potential emergencies is still an essential addition to your school safety plan. Any emergency response plan should include the following components:

Specific school safety tips
There are many school safety issues you should address during the year. We’ve included tips for you, along with extra advice for your teachers and students.Explore the categories below for inspiration, and pass along any relevant tips to your staff.School bus safety
School buses are the safest way for children to travel to school. Despite this fact, they can still present safety concerns. In 2017, school bus-related crashes killed 95 people in the U.S., according to the National Safety Council. School bus safety rules are necessary to protect your students from potential harm. [caption id="attachment_3527" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
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Outdoor activity safety
Heading outside and getting active is great for children’s physical and social development -- as long as it’s done safely!There are a few things to watch out for when students take part in outdoor activities. Over 2.6 million children are treated for for sports and recreation injuries every year. These often occur from outdoor sports and activities or playground falls. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) such as concussions account for many of these, and can have a severe impact on child development. Weather-related illnesses are another major consequence of outdoor physical activity. Heat stroke, for example, can lead to organ damage and death if not treated properly.Take steps to prevent and prepare for any of the above issues. [caption id="attachment_3526" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
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Emergency preparedness
Active shootings and intruders are likely the first examples of emergency situations that come to mind, but these aren’t the only possibilities. Other examples include medical emergencies, illness outbreaks and severe weather events. According to Injury Facts, weather events resulted in 592 deaths nationwide in 2017. [caption id="attachment_3529" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
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Physical and mental health
The American Chiropractic Association recommends a backpack weight no more than 10% of a child’s weight. So if a child weighs 70 lbs, their backpack should be 7 lbs at most. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case. [caption id="attachment_3531" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
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Bullying and violence
The National Center for Education Statistics found students aged 12-18 experienced nearly 750,000 victimizations at school in 2016. Bullying situations are most likely to occur in hallways or stairwells, where supervision is limited. [caption id="attachment_3530" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
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Downloadable list of school safety tips
Fill out the form below to download and print a simplified list of school safety tips to keep at your desk!Final thoughts on school safety
Creating a safe school environment is one of the most important parts of your job. It might feel like an overwhelming responsibility, but a good school safety plan will make you feel ready to take on the task. Use the above tips to make a plan that works for your school, and share your pledge to make school safety a priority.Once you've made your school safety plan, you can focus on creating a positive learning environment for your students. Try Prodigy — the free, curriculum-aligned math platform used by more than a million teachers and school leaders across 90,000 schools.

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