NCSD and Casper Police Offer 'Back to School Safety Reminders'

The Natrona County School District has partnered with the Casper Police Department to release a series of 'Back to School Safety Reminders,' in order to keep Natrona County students and community members safe.

Per a release from Tanya Southerland, the NCSD Director of Public Relations, the first day of school for Natrona County School District students is on September 1st and there are multiple ways to be safe, efficient, and kind to each other as the new school year begins.

Per the release:

Know the Signs

Motorists should be aware of school zones and always obey all traffic laws.
Now is a great time to spend time familiarizing yourself with important traffic signs, crosswalks, and school zones that you may come across not only in your daily commute but throughout your neighborhood and the entire community.
Pay careful attention to school zones, bus stops, stop signs, and other important traffic elements put in place to keep students walking, riding, bussing, or biking to and from school safely.
School Bus Stop Sign awareness. Red means stop, both flashing lights and/or the stop sign.
“Whether you are in front of or behind a school bus if the red flashing lights are on or the stop sign is out, you must stop,” Southerland stated. “We encourage all drivers to be aware and diligent while driving at all times, but especially pay attention to school zones and school busses. You must stop when the stop sign is out, or the red lights are flashing. These laws are in place to protect our children. Let’s keep them safe, together.

Ready, Set, Go! Planning with a Purpose

Now is a great time to have proactive conversations with your children regarding their daily walk or ride to and from school and discuss simple safety measures to keep them safe.
Talk to your children about recognizing and obeying traffic signals, signs, and pavement markings.
Always look both ways before crossing the street and only cross the street using a crosswalk. Never enter streets from parked cars, shrubbery, signs, etc., that may block your view or the view of motorists.
Walk and never run across intersections.
"Taking some time prior to school starting to walk with your child to and from school or the bus stop is a great opportunity to have targeted conversations with your children about paying attention to crosswalks, stop signs, and other traffic signals,” suggested Casper Police Public Information Officer Rebekah Ladd.
“It is also a great time to have early conversations with your student about being aware of their surroundings and avoiding distractions, such as texting or playing games on their phone while walking or biking to and from school.” shared Tanya Southerland, NCSD PR Director.

Digital Safety Reminders

The start of a new school year is a great opportunity to open a conversation with your child about being safe online.
Talk with your student about what type of online access they need for school and what inappropriate usage may look like.
“Parents and guardians should create a safe plan of action with their children regarding transparent phone usage,” advised Casper Police Public Information Officer Rebekah Ladd. “At the least, know who your kids are talking to and what apps they use to communicate. Search for hidden apps or those made to look like different apps. Most importantly, encourage your children to speak with a trusted adult anytime they encounter an uncomfortable situation online.”
For more information on this subject nationally, and tips on how to keep your children safe, please visit missingkids.org.
For resources on teaching kids about online safety and what to look for on devices, please visit casperpolice.org/keepkidssafeonline

The release notes that the Casper Police Department and the Natrona County School District "are dedicated to working together with our community to ensure all students have an exceptional and safe school year!"

Both the NCSD and the CPD encourage parents to follow their social media accounts as they continue to share Back to School tips.