Monthly Archives: July 2015

Back to School: Take Action Against Bullying! | SACK of Corona, Ca

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It’s that time of year, kids are heading back to school and with that comes a lot of relief from parents but our kids could be facing anxieties with heading back, such as being bullied. Seemingly bullying is prevalent wherever you go, work, school, playground, even online. Hopefully we’ll eventually put a stop to it but until that day comes, help your child adjust to back to school by getting informed with these anti-bullying tips.

Research shows that in a classroom of 35 between 4 to 6 children are bullying and/or being bullied. At some point a child will experience some form of bullying and some will experience frequent, long lasting bullying. If you suspect that a child is being bullied, you’re probably right. Children will often deny bullying out of shame or fear.

Bullying can threaten students’ physical and emotional safety at school and can negatively impact their ability to learn.

Below are some tips for bullying prevention at school:

Getting Started: Assess school prevention and intervention efforts around student behavior, including substance use and violence. You may be able to build upon them or integrate bullying prevention strategies. Many programs help address the same protective and risk factors that bullying programs do.

Assess Bullying in Your School: Conduct assessments in your school to determine how often bullying occurs, where it happens, how students and adults intervene, and whether your prevention efforts are working.

Engage Parents and Youth: It is important for everyone in the community to work together to send a unified message against bullying. Launch an awareness campaign to make the objectives known to the school, parents, and community members. Establish a school safety committee or task force to plan, implement, and evaluate your school’s bullying prevention program.

Create Policies and Rules: Create a mission statement, code of conduct, school-wide rules, and a bullying reporting system. These establish a climate in which bullying is not acceptable. Disseminate and communicate widely.

Build a Safe Environment: Establish a school culture of acceptance, tolerance and respect. Use staff meetings, assemblies, class and parent meetings, newsletters to families, the school website, and the student handbook to establish a positive climate at school. Reinforce positive social interactions and inclusiveness.

Educate Students and School Staff: Build bullying prevention material into the curriculum and school activities. Train teachers and staff on the school’s rules and policies. Give them the skills to intervene consistently and appropriately(http://www.stopbullying.gov).

Bullying is cruel and can be humiliating, making a child feel alone and helpless. If you suspect your child is a victim of bullying, talk with them first. Explain to them that bullying isn’t a natural part of being in school, and teach them how to be more assertive. Assure them that using resources such as the principal and other adults can be a good thing when bullying gets out of hand. Let them know that they are most likely not only victim of their bully, and that there are probably others who could band together against the bully.

Talking about anti-bullying is a good way to help prevent bullying. Even if your child isn’t involved with bullying, they should be aware of what’s going on and be taught to help when it happens. Even a simple thing such as standing by a victim can be enough to stop a bullying attack. If they see groups stand against them, they lose their power.

Together we can take the power away from bullies.

For more information about how you can help call us at 866-459-7225 or visit our website at http://simpleacts.org

Summer Pool Safety | SACK of Corona, Ca

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Head And Shoulders Portrait Of Chinese Girl

With summer here so many southern Californians seek refuge from the heat in their backyard or community pools. We all want a great experience at the pool and know pool safety is a concern on all of our minds, so we’ve put together an informative blog on the subject.

Pool and spa submersions and drownings happen quickly, especially when they involve children. A child can drown in the time it takes to answer a telephone. Be alert to the hazards of drownings, non-fatal submersion injuries and drain entrapments—and how to prevent them.

Adding as many water safety steps as possible is the best way to assure a safe and fun experience in a residential swimming pool or spa. Parents and families can build on their current safety practices by adopting water safety steps at home pools and spas.

An adult should actively watch children at all times while they are in a pool. For infants and toddlers, an adult should be in the water and within arm’s reach, providing “touch supervision.”  For older children, an adult should be paying constant attention and free from distractions, like talking on the phone, socializing, tending household chores, or drinking alcohol. The supervising adult must know how to swim.

If you have a pool, insist that the following rules are followed:

  • Keep toys away from the pool when the pool is not in use.
  • Empty blow-up pools after each use.
  • No tricycles or other riding toys at poolside.
  • No electrical appliances near the pool.
  • No diving in a pool that is not deep enough.
  • No running on the pool deck.
  • Always watch your children when they are in or near a pool or spa
  • Teach children basic water safety tips
  • Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings to avoid entrapments
  • Have a portable telephone close by at all times when you or your family are using a pool or spa
  • If a child is missing, look for him or her in the pool or spa first
  • Share safety instructions with family, friends and neighbors

Children can climb out a window, though a doggy door, or sneak out a door to get to the back yard and the pool. To prevent small children from entering the pool area on their own, there should be a fence that completely surrounds the pool or spa. Combined with the watchful eyes of an adult, a fence is the best way to protect your child and other children who may visit or live nearby.

Pool fences should also:

  • Be climb-resistant and should not have anything alongside it (such as lawn furniture) that can be used to climb it.
  • Be at least 4 feet high and have no footholds or handholds that could help a child climb it.
  • Have no more than 4 inches between vertical slats. Chain-link fences are very easy to climb and are not recommended as pool fences. If they must be used, the diamond shape should not be bigger than 1¾ inches.
  • Have a gate that is well maintained and is self-closing and self-latching. It should only open away from the pool. The latches should be higher than a child can reach – 54 inches from the bottom of the gate.
  • For above-ground pools always keep children away from steps or ladders. When the pool is not in use, lock or remove the ladders to prevent access by children(Source: healthy children.org).

Pool safely means adopting critical water safety steps to assure that a great afternoon at the pool doesn’t turn into a tragic one. Whether at a residential or public pool or spa, everyone can always take additional steps to be safe while having fun!