We have provided back-to-school safety tips below to consider:

• Establish the safest route to school or the bus stop

• Encourage children to stick to the route and avoid shortcuts

• Always walk on the sidewalk or away from the roadway

• Remind children not to talk to people they don’t know

• Wear a properly fitted helmet if riding a bike or scooter to school

• When walking to school, put devices away and be alert

• Always cross at street-marked crossings or crosswalks and obey the crossing guard

• On the bus, face forward and follow the bus driver’s rules

For those learning from home, there are still safety tips to keep in mind. While the internet can be an informative and entertaining tool, without supervision, there are potential dangers online. In order to stay safe online while learning at home, we recommend parents:

• Have age-appropriate conversations about digital use with children

• Establish your household expectations about things like text messages, location information sharing, etc.

• Explore parental controls to monitor what children can access through device management programs such as parental controls

• Secure your Wi-Fi connection and keep your passwords private

• Remind your child not to share their passwords with anyone except you. You should know the passwords for their email, social media, and apps

• Establish boundaries. Inform your child to never agree to send their picture or to meet up with someone online that they don’t know.

• Create a safe space. Encourage your child to be open and tell you if they encounter anything online that makes them feel uncomfortable. Let them know there will be no ramifications for this.

We are reminding all motorists to slow down and be alert for children heading to school. There will be an increased police presence on the roads for back-to-school to ensure community safety.