Friday, April 12, 2013

5 ways to help parents with prom safety

Spring brings all kinds of excitement for high school students, especially seniors...awards ceremonies! college decisions! graduation! But perhaps nothing about this time of year is more anticipated by students than the prom.

And while parents flash photos and help pin on boutonnieres, they also feel concern about their child's safety. I know. I'll be sending my son off for his magical night next week.

Many prom-safety-tip resources are available on line. We encourage high schools to share these with their parents. Meanwhile, here are five tips we've found most helpful:

1. Get a complete itinerary of the big night. You'll want address and phone number for the prom location as well as any after-prom parties. Also make sure you have phone numbers for your son/daughter's date and friends that he/she'll be partying with. (Bancorp Insurance)

2. Before your teen takes off in his tux (or your daughter in her gown), make sure his/her phone is charged. You want your child to be able to call if there are any late night emergencies. (State Farm)

3.  Stress that your son/daughter should never ride with a driver who has been drinking, and to call to be picked up instead. (Working Mother)

4.  Establish a no-questions-asked policy in the case that you do get a call to pick your child up from a situation or party that's grown out of control. (Working Mother)

5. Set a reasonable curfew. Prom night is traditionally later, but it doesn't have to be all night long. (Child Injury Lawyer Network)

Here's to a great prom night for all our high school students!

Friday, April 5, 2013

Are you ready?

We've heard lots and lots of talk of late about how to respond to violent crises in schools. Most of it centers around things like letting teachers carry guns and locking all exterior doors.

No doubt, it's important to be ready to react. But don't forget the communication component.

Do you have a plan for for letting each segment of your school community know if something goes horribly awry? Who's the crisis team manager? Who deals with the media? What do you tell them? How do you tell them?

If you haven't thought through all these and have a plan of action at your ready, give us a call at 501.626.6960 or email us at info@firstclasscommunication.com.

First Class Communication would love to assist with this extremely important part of your crisis-response plan.