Student And School Safety
From Police and Safety Services, Lubbock ISD

They're back. Thirty thousand children, three thousand employees, and thousands of cars, trucks, and buses and everyone's in a hurry. Some people are lost while others, with their noses deep in the latest Harry Potter novel, are unaware of the rush of traffic coming and going. Some are looking for old friends and others new to the district are looking for any friendly face.

The start of a new school year can be an exciting time for children and their teachers, but it also is a time that we should pause for a moment to think about our campus and personal safety. Just like having good eating, sleeping, and study habits, safety, too, is a habit that each of us should develop -- not just for ourselves, but also for those children and employees for whom we are responsible.

A safe school day begins with a careful and safe trip to school, whether it is in a car, on a bike, or on foot. Remember to cross the street at the crosswalk. Walk, ride, and drive defensively. Watch out for the other guy. Don't try to beat the red light. Always wear a seat belt.

Surely, it is appropriate to remind parents that small children must always be safely secured in a safety seat before the car leaves home. These little ones are our future. Infants should ride in rear-facing seats until they are at least one year of age and weigh at least twenty pounds. Children weighing between twenty and forty pounds and at least one year of age should ride facing forward in a safety seat. Pre-schoolers between forty and eighty pounds should be restrained by a belt-positioning booster seat.

Traffic is always congested around the schools, and parents and students alike are encouraged to take a few extra minutes and leave home early. Give yourself plenty of time to find a parking spot. Don't allow someone to get out of the car in the middle of the street and have him or her dodge between cars to get to school. Remember, those bus parking zones are just that -- parking spots for buses, not for us to rush into "for just a minute or two" while we run inside to see a teacher.

Let's all work together to have a safe and enjoyable school year. School should be a warm and nurturing place where children can enjoy the learning environment, while at the same time enjoy the friendship of fellow students. If, or when, students become aware of something or somebody that makes them feel insecure about that environment, they should bring it to the attention of a teacher or school administrator.

The LISD Police and Safety Services will present student safety programs throughout the coming school year. However, parent-student discussions at home regarding LISD safety procedures and rules are the best way for the family to be tuned into a safe school year.

2002-2003 LISD Calendar

August 2002
Aug. 7 Districtwide Registration
Aug. 8 Staff Development
Aug. 9 Convocation at Civic Center/Campus Day
Aug. 12-15 Staff Development
Aug. 16 Campus Day
Aug. 19 First Class Day / First Semester Begins
Aug. 26 GOALS Day - Junior High/Elementary

September 2002
Sept. 2 Labor Day Holiday
Sept. 9 GOALS Day - High School / Elementary
Sept. 27 First Six-Weeks Ends
Sept. 30 Second Six-Weeks Begins

October 2002
Oct. 11 Staff Development / Student Holiday

November 2002
Nov. 8 Second Six-Weeks Ends
Nov. 11 Third Six-Weeks Begins
Nov. 27-29 Thanksgiving Holiday

December 2002
Dec. 20 Third Six-Weeks Ends / Semester Ends
Dec. 23 Christmas Holidays begin for staff and students

January 2003
Jan. 6 Resume classes / Begin Second Semester
Fourth Six-Weeks Begins
Jan. 20 Staff Development / Student Holiday

February 2003
Feb. 14 Fourth Six-Weeks Ends
Feb. 17 Fifth Six-Weeks Begins

March 2003
March 17-21 LISD Spring Break

April 2003
Apr. 4 Fifth Six-Weeks Ends
Apr. 7 Sixth Six-Weeks Begins
Apr. 18 Staff / Student Holiday / Snow Make Up Day

May 2003
May 22 End of semester and school year
May 23 Campus Day / Snow Make Up Day

GOALS Days 2002 Parents Meet Teachers
GOALS Days, which are special activities involving parents and school personnel, will be held August 26 and September 9. GOALS stands for GO for Academic Learning Success.

Individual parent-teacher conferences will be scheduled for parents of elementary students. This helps parents and teachers develop a partnership for the coming school year.

Elementary schools will dismiss at noon on August 26 and September 9 to permit the scheduling of the conferences. The pre-kindergarten students will also dismiss early on these dates.

Elementary schools in recent years have had a high percentage of parents attending GOALS conferences. "Each year we strive for 100% completion of GOALS conferences. These conferences help us focus on the needs of the individual child. GOALS conferences are a beginning "link" between the child, parent, and teacher," says Ann Graves, assistant superintendent for elementary operations.

For secondary schools, junior highs will dismiss at 2 P.M., August 26 and senior highs will dismiss at 2 P.M., September 9. The early dismissal allows teachers to prepare for the evening's experience of meeting students' parents as they attend their child's abbreviated class schedule.

Fred Hardin, assistant superintendent for secondary operations, encourages secondary parents to remain involved in their child's education. "Parents get the attitude from their children that they are no longer needed at school, when in fact the opposite is true." Hardin stresses that if there is a time in their child's life when educational success is important, it is at the secondary level, particularly for students wishing to advance to higher education.

We invite and welcome all secondary parents to GOALS Days so they can assist their child and the school in making the new school year successful.

(Parents should check with the school their child will attend for orientation schedules.)