A Firefighting Drill

When parents talk about school safety these days, they’re usually referring to the increase in violence at schools. But research shows that school-age children are actually nine times more likely to suffer an injury while doing sports than to be the victim of violence while at school. Accidents can be prevented if parents are on the lookout for potential dangers. To help you keep your kids free from harm, here are some safety tips:

*Teach your child never to talk to strangers or accept rides or gifts from strangers. Remember, a stranger is anyone you or your child doesn’t know well or trust.

*Be sure that your child walks to and from school with a sibling, friend or neighbor.

*Teach your kid, whether walking, biking or riding a bus to school, to obey all traffic signals, signs and traffic officers. Remind him to be extra careful in bad weather.

*When driving your kid, deliver and pick them up as close to the school as possible. Don’t leave until they are in the schoolyard or building.

*If your child rides a bike to school, make sure he wears a standard helmet. Research shows that a helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by 85%.

*Teach your kid to arrive at the bus stop earlier, stay off the street, and wait for the bus to come to a complete stop.

*Be sure that your kid knows his or her home phone number and address, your work number, the number of another trusted adult and how to call for emergencies.

5 . Last August, Joe and Mary Mahoney began looking at colleges for their 17-year-old daughter, Maureen. With a checklist of criteria in hand, the Dallas family looked around the country visiting half a dozen _________ . They sought a university that _________ the teenager’s intended major, one located near a large city and a campus where their daughter would be _________ .

“The safety issue is a big one,” says Joe Mahoney, who quickly discovered he wasn’t _________ in his worries. On campus tours other parents _________ similar concerns, and the same question was _________ asked: “What about crime?“ But when college officials always gave the same _________ —“That’s not a problem here,”—Mahoney began to feel unsettled.

“No crime whatsoever?” _________ Mahoney today. “I just don’t buy it.” Nor should he. In 1999 the U.S. Department of Education had _________ of nearly 400,000 serious __________ on or around our campuses. That includes 754 homicides(自杀案), almost 6,500 sexual assaults and some 175,000 incidents of theft. “Parents need to understand that times have changed since they went to college,” says David Nichols, the author of Creating a Safe Campus. “Campus crime __________ the rest of the nation.”

But getting __________ information isn’t easy. Colleges must report crime statistics by law, but some hold them back for fear of bad publicity, leaving the honest ones looking __________ . “The truth may not always be serious,” warns S. Daniel Carter of Security on Campus, Inc., the nation’s leading campus safety watchdog group.

To help __________ parents, Carter promised to visit campuses and talk to experts around the country to find out major crime issues and effective __________ .

Last Wednesday, the teachers and students in Senior Three attended the grown-up ceremony holding in our school hall, which theme was “Growth and Responsibility”. First, a student representing all of us made an one-minute speech. He showed our sincerely thanks to our parents and teachers and talked about our dreams. Then, some teachers and parents offered to us their congratulations and expressed their expectations for ours future. Afterwards, wonderful performances were put on by students from a couple of class. Though the ceremony over now, it has made me realize clearly that I have grow up. I should be responsible to myself now. I will never forget this experience.

Saturday February 26

9 . Ways to Be Safe in School

School safety problems involve more than violence. It may also include such concern as natural disasters, illness, fire and local emergencies (紧急情况).     1    

Have a plan

Teachers and students should know where to go and what to do in case of a school safety problem.     2     Schools can also post instructions in each classroom with simple pictures pointing out emergency exits, fire extinguishers (灭火器), and other emergency equipment.

Screen visitors

    3     Give school visitors temporary badges (证章) to identify them. Fit cameras at all entrances and limit access as much as possible. Ask teachers and hall monitors to stop anyone in the halls without appropriate identification.

Panic buttons

Provide teachers with panic buttons in classrooms so they can ask for help immediately. Provide clear and brief instructions about use and immediate response when started.     4    

Establish a hotline

Establish a hotline so students can report crimes and dangers. Post the number in obvious locations so students can often see it.     5     Establish a student discipline committee, and develop programs for newcomers and victims of bullying (欺凌).