Johnson City TN Council of PTAs

Environnent

Make the Safety Poster Contest Theme be your safety theme for that month. During the month, address the theme in a variety of ways.  Ask teachers to encourage the children to participate in the contest.  Provide teachers with written information to instruct the children on the issue.  Work with the school to provide special assemblies or other events involving people from the community who deal with the subject of the poster theme.  Obtain flyers, brochures, posters, etc. to display and/or to give to students.  Write a newsletter article and/or send a note home to parents telling them of the month’s emphasis and enlist their help in activities and in encouraging students to participate.   

Basic Aide Training (BAT)
Several schools provide this first aid training, sponsored by the American Red Cross to their fourth grade students.  Parents can be trained to be BAT instructors. Contact your local Red Cross for more information. 

Bicycle/Skateboard Safety
Bicycle Rodeos were hosted at several schools to emphasize to their students the importance of bike safety. Bicycle helmets were sold at $6.99.

Fire Safety

A Fire Safety House - A. L. Lotts Elementary set up a fire safety house at their school.  Fireman took the children through the house and talked about fire safety.  They also showed the children how to exit safely using a second story ladder.

 

Several PTAs celebrated Fire Prevention Week with visits from local firemen. 

 

Safety Programs for PTA Meetings
Macon-Hall Elementary addressed handgun safety by having an officer from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department speak with the children.  The officer had a lively and interactive presentation for the children.  They learned several chants and rhymes about gun safety.

Soddy Daisy High School introduced the Ribbon of Promise program.  Their purpose was to help their students and parents understand what they must do t help stop the violence in the schools.  They also discussed ideas on what to do to protect themselves should they encounter acts of violence.

In August, Cordova Optional conducted their Annual “Back to School” safety campaign.  It is designed to remind parents to set the right example for their children by following all the safety/traffic rules established by their school’s Leadership Council.

School Bus Safety
Several PTAs used the National PTA’s bus safety program “Be Cool. Follow the Rules,” showing the video and providing the children with coloring sheets and an information card printed with the bus safety rules.

 

School Traffic Safety
Several PTAs have spent time working with their school’s administration and parents to increase the children’s safety at school where their buses are loaded and unloaded and where their parents drop off and pick up students.  Some PTAs helped to direct traffic at crosswalks, and one PTA purchased radios to help with traffic coordination efforts.  Working with their school board, PTAs attempt to encourage seat belt usage on buses, reduction of speed in the school zones, etc.  Schools have helped the traffic to flow more smoothly and the children to be safer upon exiting their cars by posting signs in the school yard:  “Get Ready,”  “Give Hugs and Kisses,” “Unbuckle, Unlock, Unload,” “Have a Great Day!”  They also put up signs to separate the bus and car drop-off “safe areas.”

 

Violence Prevention
Bartlett Elementary offered a program for the parents on violence and gang indicators in their community.  While a police officer lectured to the parents, the students received fingerprint ID’s and information cards.