Safety Tips to Make The New School Year Great
Starting a new school year can be incredibly exciting, between beginning new classes and reuniting with old friends; however, it’s essential to remember safety when caught up in all the fun! Incorporating safety into your back-to-school planning is necessary and can be easy with information from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. Parents and guardians, we encourage you to review these tips with your kids so that we can all start this school year confidently and safely.
As we start a new school year, more traffic will be on the roads and sidewalks. PSO reminds all drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to avoid distractions such as cellphones while traveling. Please reduce your speed when driving through school zones, follow all traffic laws, and obey the instructions of Traffic Control Officers and School Crossing Guards. If you’re walking to school, use crosswalks and look in all directions for traffic before crossing. If you ride a bicycle, skateboard, or scooter, remember to wear a helmet and always walk instead of riding across the street. It’s important to be familiar with Florida’s school bus laws, whether you’re a student or live near a school zone. When a school bus’s lights and signals are on, never pass it. We can all work together to make our school zones safer by following these safety tips.
Maintaining a safe learning environment is a collective responsibility; students, parents, and guardians all play a part in this. Parents and guardians, PSO urges you to talk with your children about the serious consequences of making any fake threat, including those made as a joke. Students can help by reporting any unsafe behavior or suspicious incidents. PSO thoroughly investigates all reported threats. If you know a potential danger, please refrain from sharing it on social media. Instead, report any tips regarding threats by calling the Pasco Sheriff’s Crime Tips Line at 1-800-706-2488 or online at PascoSheriff.com/Tips. Additionally, students can report suspicious activity or threats to a School Resource Officer or school official.
Returning to school is the perfect time to talk about safe, appropriate online behavior with your kids. Apps and the internet can be used in harmful ways, such as committing crimes or exploiting children. It’s crucial to monitor who your kids talk to online and know the apps they use. Consider downloading the same apps to understand how they work and explore parental controls. It’s important for kids to be cautious about who they talk to online because not everyone is trustworthy. Open conversations about online dangers will give kids the information they need to stay safe. Developing these safe habits can help protect our students throughout the school year.
PSO school-based members, such as School Resource Officers, School Crossing Guards, and Traffic Control Officers, are excited to welcome students back to school. Their dedication to ensuring the safety of our students and school staff goes beyond providing campus security. SROs, in their roles as mentors, coaches, and teachers, provide support to students and their communities. SCGs and TCOs, employed by the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, guide students, families, bicyclists, and pedestrians across busy streets in school zones and regulate traffic to prevent incidents. These members undergo extensive training and are certified by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). SCGs and TCOs are part-time positions, and openings are available throughout Pasco County. Visit JoinPSO.com for more information or to apply.
School safety is always a priority for PSO, but protecting students, families, and schools is a shared responsibility. By following these essential safety tips, we can all contribute to keeping our community safe. Wishing all students, school staff, and families a safe and great school year ahead!
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