Summer is almost over and the beginning of a new school year is fast approaching. It is time once again for the many hundreds of students attending various schools throughout the Los Alamitos School District to return and resume their studies. School can be a hectic time for us all, but the beginning of the year always seems to be the most confusing. Some students are attending school for the very first time, many are stepping onto a new campus, and for others navigating through traffic congestion as newly licensed drivers can be stressful.
We at the Los Alamitos Police Department want to welcome all of the school officials, students, and their parents back to school. We anticipate you will have a successful year discovering new things. It is our goal to keep you as safe as we possibly can, but we also hope you understand that being safe is a responsibility shared by everyone. To that goal, here are a few familiar reminders that will help. First, stay alert! Be aware there are plenty of kids traveling our streets. You will see them walking, bicycling, skateboarding, and driving. Make sure your kids are taking the safest possible route to school. Instruct your child to pay attention to the traffic control signals and exercise patience when crossing the street or stepping into traffic. Our crossing guards are here to help and their priority is to keep your child out of harm’s way. Many parents drive their children to school. If that is you, keep in mind you are responsible for obeying the rules of the road. The speed limit in a school zone is 25 MPH, and school buses will deploy stop signs when picking up or dropping off their passengers. Expect kids to do things that are unexpected like stepping into traffic without looking, crossing streets outside of crosswalks, or riding their bikes against the flow of traffic. Remember, other than during an emergency, there really is no excuse to use a mobile device that isn’t “hands free”!
Second, take the time to know your child’s schedule. Teacher training days, conferences, and field trips alter your child’s schedule. Since these events sometimes catch us by surprise, it is wise to plan ahead to avoid problematic child care issues. Third, make sure your child’s emergency contact information is current and stays up to date throughout the school year. Who are the people authorized to pick up your child from school in the event you are unable to? Is there someone who should not have access to your child? How can your child’s school verify that information? Knowing who should be notified during an emergency and making it easy for school officials to find you or your designee takes pressure off of their staff and helps the police mitigate issues that arise. Hopefully situations like this won’t occur, but remember an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Lastly, your child will no doubt make plenty of new friends during the school year and many of those friends will have social networking accounts like MySpace or Face Book. Under the right circumstances these social networking sites are fun, healthy, and keep us all connected like never before; however, where there are children, there are predators. Be aware of where your child goes on the internet. Take affirmative steps to respectfully monitor their actions and do not be hesitant in reporting unusual activity to the police or school officials.
In order for our children to learn, grow, and succeed, they must be safe on and off campus. We all have a stake in their success and safety. The Los Alamitos Police Department is committed to keeping our community safe for those who live, work, and play here. Parents, teachers, and students play an important role in accomplishing our goal. Let’s all have a safe and successful school year!
Sergeant Sharon Kerbow