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.

Well today it happened. A day we never want to happen, but continually prepare for throughout the school year. We had a tornado (龙卷风) touch down near the school, and as expected, went into our emergency tornado procedures. I wasn’t even in the classroom when it happened. I had taken a student with me to the workroom to help gather items for a project. When the alarm went off, I immediately took my student’s hand and ran as fast as I could back to the classroom.

Never did I imagine needing to put our tornado drills (演习) to use. I never imagined actually needing to line my students up on the wall, have them crouch (蹲) down with their knees and heads touching the ground, hands on the backs of their heads. Their hearts beat so fast that they couldn’t catch their breath, or the fear filled eyes looking up at me as they asked if their mothers, fathers, grandmothers and friends were going to be okay. Never did I imagine the terrible silence that would come over the whole school, with hundreds of students lining up against the walls of one building. Never did I imagine the way I would feel, and other teachers along with me, as we tried our best to comfort our students, assure them of their safety, and promise them everything would be alright when we truly didn’t know what the outcome would be.

Today has taken a negative influence on me, as I am sure it has on the hundreds and thousands of teachers in the local areas and surrounding areas. But at the same time, I am beyond proud, surprised, and excited at how my students handled themselves today.

In the very scary, emotional and dangerous situation, my students handled themselves with the attitude and mindset of children much older than them. Never in my life have I seen my students follow directions so quickly, exactly, and without hesitation. Even though some tears were flowing, and some hearts were beating fast, my students were brave. They had such great trust in my assistant and me that they were able to be 100%calm.

The children looked at me with fear and hope.

Finally, when the tornado struck, each of us safely went through that terrible period of time.

6 . In the hallways between classes, on the playground, or on the school bus, bullying (欺凌) can happen anywhere.     1    . If you are being bullied, here are some tips to help you defend yourself.

Make a parent aware of the situation. Your parents can often speak out for you to the teachers and school leaders, and they may be able to have a talk with the parents of the aggressor (好斗者),     2    . Many kids, especially those who are not very popular, may have a few teachers they really like. If you have someone like this at the school, talk to this person about the bullying incidents.

Stop being a victim (受害者). You don’t have to act like a victim just because you have been the victim of bullying. This gives the aggressor more power over you and the situation. Walk with your head held high, your chin up and your back straight.     3    ; this makes it harder for someone to think of you as weak.

    4    . Be aware of your surroundings (周围环境) and the people around you. Stay away from students who seem to be trouble-makers. When a bully goes near to you, it’s a good idea to stand near a teacher or any adult to prevent them from laughing at or making fun of you.

Learn to protect yourself.     5    . These types of skill-based training courses not only help you defend yourself physically against aggressors, but they also teach you to avoid harmful environments, how to read unsafe people and how to prevent a fight before it starts.

Saturday February 26

9 . What should you do if there’s an earthquake at school? How can you protect yourself when you are caught in a stampede(踩踏)? March 25th this year provides you with a good chance to learn about safety.

This day is called the National Day of Education on the Safety of Elementary and Middle School Students(NDESEMSS). The theme of the day this year is to give students more knowledge about safety and make sure their lives safe.

A survey done by the China Youth and Children Research Center showed that school accidents kill more elementary and middle school students than anything else. The main accidents come from stampedes, earthquakes, fires and sports injuries(伤害).

What can we do to keep ourselves safe? Staying calm(镇静) is the first and most important rule when facing accidents. But different accidents have different self-protection advice.

A stampede is possible anywhere. The larger a human crowd gets, the more likely stampedes become. When students around you begin to push, stand still and try to hold onto something, or stay in a corner until the crowd leaves. If you fall down in a moving crowd, cover your head with both hands.

Lean to one side, curl up your body and bend your legs.

Earthquakes are common natural disasters(灾难). When you feel the ground shake, drop down, take cover under a desk and hold on. You should stay indoors until the shaking stops. If you are outdoors, don’t stay near buildings, trees or power lines.

When there’s a fire, follow the teachers’ instructions, leave the classroom quickly and use a piece of cloth to cover your mouth and nose so that you don’t breathe in smoke.

According to a recent survey, violence exists in schools in a great many     1    (variety). Students show their fear, and parents and teachers also express their great concern about it. Experts hope the whole society pay     2     (much) attention to the mental health of adolescents.

Nowadays, school violence is     3     hot issue. I think this is a common phenomenon,     4     calls for our great concern. We should make every effort to stop violence     5     (happen) at school, for more and more students would drop out of school     6     their personal safety could not be guaranteed (保证). In fact, violence can     7     (copy). Children copy violent behavior from adults or from     8    they see on television or on the Internet.

If I meet with school violence, I will not answer violence with violence, for it will result     9     more fighting. I will tell my teachers or parents about it. I think they will help me deal with it well and protect myself from the bad guys, which enables me     10    (gain) a sense of security.

All in all, every student should behave himself and keep away from violence.