Health & Safety
IMPORTANT CHANGES TO CALIFORNIA'S CHILD SAFETY SEAT LAWS!
Senate Bill 929 requires that children riding in any vehicle must be restrained in the back seat in a child restraint until their 8th birthday.
After January 1, 2012 children will be required to remain in their car seats or boosters until they reach the age of 8 years old. After January 1, 2012, non-compliance will result in a fine of nearly $500.00 and a point on your driver’s record.
Four Key Safety Points
1. Restrain your child on every trip, every time!
2. Keep your child in the back seat!
3. Use the best safety restraint for your child’s size.
4. Use the child safety seat and belts correctly.
5-Step Test….Can your child…
1. sit with their back flat up against the vehicle seat
2. while their knees are bent naturally over the seat cushion edge
3. with the lap belt across their hip or thigh bones
4. and the shoulder belt across their shoulder (not crossing over their face or under their arm or behind their back)
5. and, can they stay seated in that position the entire trip?
If your child is over 8 years old but cannot achieve all 5 steps listed above, they need to remain in a booster seat!
For more information regarding these changes, please contact the Danville or San Ramon Police Department.
SAFETY REMINDERS
As we return to school it is important to remember these safety rules as you travel around Montair:
In the Neighborhood:
- Monitor your speed (the school zone is 25mph)
- No Cell Phones while driving (this is the law!)
- Please keep the cross walks accessible to pedestrians do not block them with your car as you wait in the queue
- Be respectful of our neighbors, do not park in, or block driveways or sidewalks with your car.
- Do not park in front of fire hydrants
- Neighborhood streets are narrow, please park close to the edge of the street so you do not impede the flow of traffic.
On Campus:
- Do not park in the red zones anywhere on campus
- If you are using the loading zone, children need to be able to enter and exit the car independently- adults should not be getting out of the car to assist children (please park and assist if needed, this can really bog down the drive through)
- Loading Zones are white, please do not leave cars in the white zone, even for a minute
- Allow for busses to pass when you are in the loading zone
- Students will not be allowed to leave campus unless they are walking home. Picking students up from the sidewalk will not be allowed
Make time for drop off and pick up - Patience is key, if we work together everything will go more smoothly and ick up and drop off will go more quickly as a result!
Thank you for your cooperation!
SAFETY TIPS
STOP AT ALL STOP SIGNS AND RED LIGHTS: Often, kids break this rule when riding with friends or when they are distracted. This is another major cause of bike/car collisions involving children.
Stopping for traffic control devices should be stressed so it becomes a reflex.
WHEN DROPPING OFF YOUR CHILDREN: Avoid loading or unloading children at locations across the street from the school. This forces youngsters to unnecessarily cross busy streets—often mid-block rather than at a crosswalk.
WEAR A HELMET: We also talked to your child about bicycle helmets. Helmets save lives. Seventy-five percent of all serious bicycle injuries involve a head injury that might have been prevented, if the bicyclist was wearing a helmet. It is highly recommended that bicyclist of all ages wear a CPSC approved helmet while bicycling, especially parents and other adults who set an example for others.
LEARN TO SCAN-LOOK BEHIND FOR TRAFFIC: Many kids have been taught to signal before turning, but not enough attention has been placed on looking behind them first. Explain to your child that there is nothing magical about signaling; it won’t make a car stop for you. You have to make sure nobody is coming from behind. If there are lots of cars behind, the rider should get off the bike and walk across the intersection using the crosswalks, if available.
STOP AND LOOK BEFORE ENTERING A STREET: Riding into the street from a driveway without stopping is the cause of half the bike fatalities of kids eight and under. It accounts for about one-third of serious crashes involving children eight to twelve. Explain to your children that they should use caution when entering the street.
SIX STEPS TO FOLLOW IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING A DISASTER AT HOME
Step 1:Take care of your loved ones
Step 2:Dress for safety
Step 3:Check the natural gas
Step 4:Shut off water
Step 5: Place the Help or OK sign on your front door or window
Step 6:Check for electrical wire damage
Be sure to read about how to deal with a disaster at home with details for each of the important 6 steps!
A FRIENDLY REMINDER FROM YOUR SCHOOL NURSE:
Sending your child to school when ill increases the risk for infecting other students and staff. Monitor your child for illness. A low-grade fever, complaints of sore throat or cough may be “viral” in nature but are still contagious. A child with a temperature (above 100 orally) will be sent home from school. If your child has been out ill with a fever, please adhere to the following guidelines when deciding if your child is well enough to return to school.
A fever is defined as an oral temperature above 100 degrees or an axillary (armpit) temperature of 99 degrees. In most mild illnesses (2-5 days in duration), the fever is lowest in the morning hours, begins to increase in the afternoon, and is at its highest in the evening. When the child begins to recover, the temperature could be normal in the morning, but the fever may be present in the afternoon. As a result, please do not send your child to school if he/she has not been fever-free for 24 hours WITHOUT the use of medication such as Tylenol or Advil (Ibuprofen Motrin).
The presence of other symptoms, to a significant degree, warrants keeping your child home an additional day. These include: cough, nasal congestion, vomiting, stomach ache, and diarrhea.
Please note that the single most important act of prevention of colds/flu-like symptoms is good hand-washing. Please help and encourage your child to practice good hand-washing skills both at home and at school.
The instructions given by your child’s MD, even when in conflict with the above guidelines, should be followed.
Thank you for your support in keeping all our kids healthy,
Alyson Campbell
School Nurse/Health Educator
A NOTE FROM THE SRVUSD HEALTH EDUCATORS
Concerns about the flu this season may be heightened due to the influenza virus identified as H1N1. This strain of the influenza virus was first identified in people in April of this year. The flu, whether identified as H1N1 or not, is an illness we can take measures to prevent spreading. The H1N1 virus is spread the same way seasonal flu is spread. Viruses are spread mainly from person to person by coughing or sneezing by people who are sick. Sometimes people can be infected by touching something, such as a surface or object with flu virus on it, then touching their mouth or nose.
Your student may have another illness with symptoms such as a low-grade fever, complaints of sore throat, congestion or cough, or stomach symptoms. These may be viral in nature, but are still contagious. Sending your child to school when ill increases the risk of spreading the infection to other students and staff. If your child becomes ill at school, we will check his/her temperature. A child with a temperature of 100 degrees or higher orally will be sent home.
If your child has been out ill with a fever, please adhere to the following guidelines when deciding if your child is well enough to return to school:
- A fever is defined as an oral temperature of 100 degrees or an axillary (armpit) temperature of 99 degrees. A fever is lowest in the morning hours, begins to increase in the afternoon, and is at its highest in the evening. When a child begins to recover, the temperature could be normal in the morning, but may still be present in the afternoon.
- The presence of other symptoms warrants keeping your child home an additional day. These include: coughing, nasal congestion, low energy level, vomiting, diarrhea or stomachache.
Preventative measures we can take to minimize the transmission of germs are:
- Handwashing- Use soap and water and wash for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol based hand sanitizer.
- Cover your mouth and nose with tissues (or into the crook of your elbow) when coughing or sneezing.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Avoid sharing drinks, water bottles, silverware, and pencils.
- If you are sick, stay home!
If you become sick, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever has gone. This means you should be fever-free without the use of fever reducing medicines such as Tylenol or Advil/Motrin/ Ibuprofen for 24 hours before you return to school.
If you see your doctor for flu symptoms, an antiviral medication may be prescribed (TAMIFLU); however this must be taken within the first 24-48 of the onset of illness. Another preventative measure against the flu is getting a flu vaccine. Maintain good hygiene practices as noted above. Rest and drink plenty of fluids.
In our busy and sometimes stressful lives, remember the benefits of a good night’s sleep and healthy meals!
Keep washing your hands and stay well.
