The back-to-school season has finally arrived! For many, it is a very exciting and nerve-wracking time of year. To help ensure a safe and easy transition, we recommend that parents talk to their children about safety precautions for the school year.

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 short cuts

·  To always walk on the pavement or away from the road

·  Remind children not 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

·  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 with your children about digital use

·  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