Talk to your children about their day. Sometimes children won’t tell you right away if they are having problems at school. Ask your children if they see anyone bullied, if they are bullied, or if anything else makes them feel uncomfortable. Look for warning signs, such as a sudden drop in grades, loss of friends, or torn clothing.

Teach children to resolve problems without fighting. Explain that fighting could lead to them getting hurt, hurting someone else, earning a reputation as a bully, or receiving consequences at school. Talk to them about other ways they can work out a problem, such as talking it out, walking away, sticking with friends, or telling a trusted adult.

Keep an eye on your children’s internet use. All AISD schools have computers with internet access. Students are monitored when they use the internet and a blocking device, Websense, has been installed to prevent children from accessing explicit websites. Talk to your children about what they do online – what sites they visit, who they email, and who they chat with. Let them know they can talk to you if anything they see online makes them uncomfortable, whether it’s an explicit website or a classmate bullying them, or someone else through email, chat, or websites.

Every Allen ISD campus has established a school safety plan specifically for that campus. Speak to your child’s campus administrator if you would like to see a copy of the school safety plan.

Map out with your children a safe way for them to walk to school or to the bus stop. Avoid busy roads and intersections. Do a trial run with them to point out places they should avoid along the way, such as vacant lots, construction areas, and parks where there aren’t many people.

Discourage your child from taking a different route home from school. This includes stopping to play or visit at a friend’s home without your knowledge or permission.

Teach children to follow traffic signals and rules when walking or biking. Stress that they should cross the street at crosswalks or intersections with crossing guards when they can.

Encourage children to walk to school or the bus stop with a sibling or friend, and to wait at bus stops with other children.

Teach children not to talk to strangers, go anywhere with them, or accept gifts from them without your permission. Tell them that if they see a suspicious stranger hanging around or in their school they should tell an adult.

If your child will be home alone after school, have your child call and check in as soon as they arrive home.

Help children memorize their phone number and full address, including area code and zip code. Write down other important phone numbers such as your work and cell phone on a card for your children to carry with them.

Have your children arrive at the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to pick them up.

Make sure children know to stand on the sidewalk or on the grass while waiting for the bus.

Teach children to make sure they can see the bus driver and the bus driver can see them before crossing in front of the bus. Tell them to never walk behind the bus.

Encourage your child to maintain good behavior while on the bus. This includes using soft voices, staying in his/her seat, and following additional rules established by the bus driver.

Be aware that often bullying takes place on the school bus. Ask children about their bus - who they sit with, who they talk to, and what the other kids do. Let them know that if they see someone being bullied, or are bullied themselves, they can talk to you, the bus driver, or another trusted adult.

It is important for safe adults to assist young children with both departures and arrivals and to teach children only to get into vehicles of known and trusted safe adults.

Parents should also review rules with their children such as not getting off of a bus at an unfamiliar place, not boarding an unfamiliar bus, going straight home when exiting the bus, and walking and waiting in a group if an adult is not present.