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Overview

​​​​​​​Prevention skills established in kindergarten provide a foundation for safety practices a child can incorporate into time spent at school, home, and in the community. Pedestrian and bike safety are important skills introduced in kindergarten to grade three that are ideally reinforced throughout the entire school year as well as in higher grade levels. The CA Health Education Content Standards include the important topic of firearm and weapon safety. Students learn about the dangers of weapons and the importance of telling a trusted adult if they see or hear about someone having a weapon. While discussing the danger of stranger interaction is important for young children, it is equally important to discuss their safety with anyone, including people that may be identified as trusted adults or family.​​​

The Orange County Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of this outside information. Further, the inclusion of links to particular items in hypertext are not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed or products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites.​​​​

Information and Resources

California Department of Public Health Ped Safe Program

​PedSafe aims to create environments where these activities can happen safely by implementing a multi-faceted approach of education, media outreach and messaging, technical assistance, and ​training and facilitation.​​​​

National Center for Safe Routes to School

The Safe Routes Partnership is a national nonprofit organization working to advance safe walking and rolling to and from schools and in everyday life, improving the health and well-being of people of all races, income levels, and abilities, and building healthy, thriving communities for everyone.​

GLSEN - No Name Calling Week

GLSEN’s No Name-Calling Week is a week organized by K-12 educators and students to end name-calling and bullying in schools.​

American Red Cross: How to make a family plan (disasters)

Make a Plan: Create and practice an emergency plan so your family will know what to do in a crisis.​​

Smokey Bear

Information and Resources on wildfire prevention​

Earthquake Safety - Great Shakeout

​Schools have many key roles during disasters, and when they are well prepared everyone benefits. This K-12 resource provides drill planning guidance, educational resources for teaching earthquake science and safety, and preparedness and safety resources for assessing and improving school earthquake safety.

Curriculum and Lessons

Walking Safely Near Traffic K-1 Lesson - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

The objective of this introductory lesson is to teach students the basic concepts of sharing spaces with cars and other motorized traffic.​

The Colorado Department of Transportation Pedestrian Safety Lesson Plans: Grades K-3

These lesson plans introduce a variety of skills that can help children stay safe while they walk by teaching them​ skills that will help them safely cross the street. ​

Virginia Board of Education Elementary School Gun Safety Guidelines and Curriculum

​Lessons for grades K-5 on gun safety created by the Virginia Department of Education.​​

National Fire Protection Association Lesson Plans

The National Fire Protection Association offers a variety of lessons on fire safety. They include multiple 10 minute, 30 minute, or 60 minute lessons. ​

Color Me Safe - CDC coloring book (English/Spanish)

Color Me Safe is a coloring book for children ages four to seven. The book follows the Safe Family as they take simple steps to prevent injuries, such as installing smoke alarms and using child safety seats.

Fire Prevention and Safety Elementary Resources - Smokey Bear

Share Smokey Bear’s Five Rules for Wildfire Prevention! It’s easy – simply integrate this exciting, hands-on program into your existing curriculum. ​

Book List

Kindergarten - Grade 3

Classroom Activities

  • Students learn about ‘No Touch’ zones, personal boundaries, and consent using role play with stuffed animals. 
  • Use a feelings chart to discuss facial expressions in understanding consent. 
  • Play a Safety Sign bingo game. 
  • Plan a Fire Safety scavenger hunt. 
  • Host a Bike Rodeo on campus​.

Partnerships

​Partnering with the Family​​

​​Partnering with your School​​​

  • Student Safety Award 
  • Invite Principal to guest speak on safety measures and have students create a list of additional measures they want to see implemented (e.g. first aid kits in all classrooms).
  • Student-led campus-wide No Name Calling Week.
  • Invite older students to assist younger students in learning proper lifting and carrying techniques for backpacks.
  • Create a fire safety Scavenger Hunt around the school. Locate items such as fire alarms, fire sprinklers, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and emergency exit signs. 
  • ​Show students where the automated external defibrillator (AED) is located and how it can be retrieved and accessed for someone who is having sudden cardiac arrest. ​

​​Partnering with your Community​​

  • ​​​Guest Speakers: Local fire department, emergency management services, local drug counselor or drug prevention agency, Local non-profits, emergency physician, cybercrimes unit, environmental health specialist, health inspector, local news station. 
  • Take a walk in the neighborhood around school and ask students to point out safety signs. 
  • Invite guest speakers from community organizations to talk about safe routes to school and bike safety. 
  • ​Invite local fire department or emergency management services to teach the importance of practicing emergency, fire, and safety plans at home. ​
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