July 30, 2019
School is back in session. By mid- August, the majority of students in Georgia will be back in the classroom. Students attending Fulton County Schools begin on Monday, August 12. As children head back, here are a few tips to help keep them safe and ready to learn.
- If you walk to school, always walk on the sidewalk, if one is available; when on a street with no sidewalk, walk facing the traffic.
- If you ride your bike, ALWAYS wear a helmet, ride on the right side of the road, with traffic, and in a single file.
- If you ride the bus, always wait for the bus to come to a complete stop before approaching. Your bus driver will signal you when it is safe to cross to or board the bus.
- Ask your children to use both straps when wearing their backpack to evenly distribute the weight on their shoulders.
- Don't overstuff a backpack; it should weigh no more than 5% to 10% of your child's body weight.
- Never pass a bus from behind – or from either direction if you're on an undivided road – if it is stopped to load or unload children.
- If the yellow or red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended, traffic must stop.
- The area 10 feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children; stop far enough back to allow them space to safely enter and exit the bus.
- Don't block the crosswalk when stopped at a red light or waiting to make a turn, forcing pedestrians to go around you; this could put them in the path of moving traffic.
- Please watch for officer directing traffic.
