Getting to and from school is the most dangerous part of a child's day. Take time to remind your child, again, of safety rules as they head back to school.

Bicycle Safety
• Wear a properly fitting bicycle helmet.
• Walk your bicycle through intersections.
• Wear a bright backpack or jacket to improve visibility.
• Ride with traffic and be aware of traffic around you.
• Know the traffic laws and signals.
• Always wear reflective tape and light colored clothes if night riding is required.

Walking to School
• Find a responsible person to walk with you to school (parents can help).
• Cross streets only at the corner, marked pedestrian crossings, or with a crossing guard.
• Stop and look carefully before crossing, even with the right-of-way.
• Find the safest route to walk to and from school.
• Set a designated time to return home.
• Know neighbors to run for help if there is an emergency while walking.

Bus Safety
• Stay seated while sitting on a moving bus.
• Never run alongside a bus to catch it or open the closed doors.
• Move far away from the bus after exiting.
• Watch for cars that do not stop for the flashing lights of a bus.
• Stay away from the kids on the bus who are mean or always in trouble.
• Report anything dangerous that has happened on the bus to your parents or teacher.

And a safety tip for children and parents--Be sure to set up a method whereby a child can reach a parent if the parent is not at home before and after school.

Six Steps to Safer Schools

Recent headlines exposed the frightening reality of violent episodes that children are exposed to in schools. Today, parents have to become more proactive in teaching our youngsters how to cope with frustration and hostility and how to resolve conflicts without fighting. We need early intervention programs that teach students how to solve interpersonal problems for themselves. The Safe America Foundation suggests the following six-step procedure to curb violent behavior:

1. Establish a neutral location where conflicting parties agree to meet with a mediator.
2. Allow conflicting parties to air their points of view without interruption or judgment.
3. Find their own common interests.
4. Facilitate win-win options so each participant can gain a positive point in the solution.
5. Have parties develop criteria that each will agree on as a basis for the solution.
6. Create an agreement, in writing, with signed copies for all.