Kentucky Center for School Safety

Cabinet for Health and Family Services: www.kycovid19.ky.gov

Kentucky Department of Education: https://education.ky.gov/comm/Pages/COVID-19-Updates.aspx ***Graduation Guidelines: COVID-19 Emergency Guidelines for End-of-School Procedures, COVID-19 Emergency Guidelines for Graduation Ceremonies and Related Year-End Activities

Plan, prepare, and respond to coronavirus disease

• Interim Guidance for Administrators
• Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations
• FAQs for Administrators
• Checklist for Teachers, Parents, and Administrators
• Talking With Children About Coronavirus Disease
• EPA’s Registered Antimicrobial Products for Use Against Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the Cause of COVID-19
• Helping Children Cope with Changes Resulting from COVID-19

The twenty-first annual report of the Kentucky Center for School Safety has recently been published. For more detailed information about KCSS and the annual report, please click here.

Congratulations to all the award and scholarship winners!

In this week's Education Update, KY eases the certification process for Nurse's Aides and
@KCSSnews releases their Annual School Safety Pledge. You can sign the pledge at http://kycss.org. #TeamKentucky #HealthyAtHome

Take the PLEDGE!!! During this time of transition, school safety has morphed into safety in other environments. The COVID-19 Safety Pledge includes safety steps for students whether they are at home, grandma's or elsewhere. Our precious students need to think smart and know the healthy practices that will keep them safe and others. Our schools and students across Kentucky have participated and supported our Ky Safe Schools Week Pledges in the past. Now we bring you a COVID-19 Safety Pledge for school, home or anywhere. #TogetherKY #TeamKentucky    COVID-19 Safety Pledge Handout

KCSS thanks all who are participating in our COVID-19 Safety Pledge:
View Statistics

>1,000 Pledges: Floyd County, Johnson County/ Paintsville Independent

500-999 Pledges: Bullitt County

250-499 Pledges: Russell County, Knox County/ Barbourville Independent, Marshall County, Jefferson County/ Anchorage Independent/ Kentucky School for the Blind

50-249 Pledges: Cumberland County, McCracken County /Paducah Independent, Graves County/ Mayfield Independent, Clinton County, Robertson County, Muhlenberg County, McCreary County, Hart County, Pike County/ Pikeville Independent, Union County, Webster County, Franklin County/Frankfort Independent, Hardin County/ West Point Independent/ Elizabethtown Independent, Barren County/ Glasgow Independent/ Caverna Independent, Harlan County/ Harlan Independent, Knott County, Nelson County/ Bardstown Independent, Estill County, Pendleton County

The Kentucky Department of Education has a web page devoted to guidance for Non-Traditional Instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Emergency Non-Traditional Instruction Guidance and Resource website provides guidance documents and resources districts can utilize during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis requiring districts to implement Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI) statewide.

Google Resources: DISTANCE LEARNING STRATEGIES
Save time and engage students with ideas and resources for remote teaching. It also supports teachers, students, and guardians during school closures with distance learning resources.

REMS: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)1: Key Preparedness And Response Considerations:

The Kentucky Attorney General Office offers this Internet Safety Toolkit as a guide to help keep children safe online. The internet and other technologies have drastically changed the way children interact with their world; the internet has become a major part of nearly every aspect of our lives. Today’s children have access to the internet at very young ages; they are comfortable with it and able to interact with it easily.

Bark for Schools - Providing the Tools That Schools Need — Free trial for parents and free all public and private K-12 schools, Bark for Schools includes G Suite and Office 365 student account monitoring, Chrome/Chromebook monitoring, and web content filtering.

FBI Safe Online Surfing - FBI-SOS is a free, fun, and informative program that promotes cyber citizenship by educating students in third to eighth grades on the essentials of online security. Students will learn skills to keep them cyber safe in a game format.

Cyber-Bullying: Suggestions for Parents - (KCSS) Cyber-bullying can range from rude comments to lies, impersonations, and threats, therefore your responses may depend on the nature and severity of the cyber-bullying.

Cyber-Bullying: Suggestions for Students - (KCSS) What to do if you are Cyber-bullied, How to Prevent being Cyber-bullied, and How to Prevent being a Cyber-bully.

 Cyber-Bullying: Writing Prompts - (KCSS) (From the Ad Council-YouTube videos. Titles hyperlinked below)
- The Kitchen (video) Writing Prompt (handout)
- Talent Show (video) Writing Prompt (handout)
- Bulletin Board (video) Writing Prompt (handout)
- Everyone Knows Your Name (video) Writing Prompt (handout)
- General Writing Prompt (handout)

Digital Awareness for Parents – StopBullying.gov - The digital world is constantly evolving with new social media platforms, apps, and devices, and children and teens are often the first to use them. Some negative things that may occur include cyberbullying, sexting, posting hateful messages or content, and participating in negative group conversations.

Cyberbullying Fact Sheet: Identification, Prevention, and Response – Cyberbullying Research Center - Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. W. (2020). A guide to help educators/parents/guardians spot cyberbullying. This fact sheet also addresses how to respond appropriately.

Coronavirus, Online Learning, Social Isolation, and Cyberbullying: How To Support Our Students – Cyberbullying Research Center - The coronavirus (COVID-19) has taken the world by storm and disrupted so many aspects of our lives. Here are three important considerations… (Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. W.)

Social Networking - Netsmartz - This site provides age-appropriate videos and activities to help teach students to be safer online with the goal of helping them become more aware of potential online risks. NSTeens.org - Videos and resources specifically for teens and tweens.

Smart Social Networking - Cyberbullying Research Center - Fifteen Tips for Teens - Don't let your social media use negatively affect your life, now or in the future. Use these 15 simple steps to safeguard your online reputation.

Facebook, Instagram, and Social - Common Sense Media - Use our social media guide for parents: tips, advice, and the latest research to ... the social media landscape and help keep your kids' online interactions safe. Social Media Rules for Teens and Tweens Video -  Here are five rules to share with kids before they start sharing online.

Snap Chat Handout - (KCSS) This addresses the SnapChat app where messages, photos and videos disappear. It can be fun for teens but there are some pointers and tips to make this app safe for everyone. That Little Ghost Can Haunt You! Be careful... It might seem fun. Easy for anyone to save your snaps and forward them on without you knowing.

Helping Children Cope with Changes Resulting from COVID-19 (NASP) Families across the country are adapting to the evolving changes in daily life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most schools and nonessential businesses are closed, and parents and other caregivers are faced with helping their families adjust to the new normal.

Talking With Children About Coronavirus Disease (CDC) Messages for parents, school staff, and others working with children. As public conversations around coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) increase, children may worry about themselves, their family, and friends getting ill with COVID-19.

FREE Hotline...National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Together, we can create awareness and give emotional support to those who may be contemplating suicide. If you or someone you know is in an emotional distress or suicidal crisis, please call the Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

S.T.O.P.! Tipline - Safe School Reporting Tool (Kentucky Office of Homeland Security) - Use this tip line (or call 1-866-393-6659) to report concerns of any kind, whether it be at home or at school. You may report anonymously, or choose to be contacted. This is a free service for all Kentuckians.

Disaster Distress Helpline - SAMHSA. The Disaster Distress Helpline,   1-800-985-5990 (text Talk WithUs to 66746), is a 24/7, 365-day-a-year, national hotline dedicated to providing immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster. This hotline is toll-free and multilingual.

Eddie Eagle: Parents play a key role in developing safe practices and are ultimately responsible for the behavior and safety of their children.  The goal of the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® program is to help you bring up an important safety issue with your child. Available videos, video 1, video 2, video 3

The Be SMART campaign to raise awareness that responsible gun storage – storing guns locked, unloaded and separate from ammunition – can save children’s lives. Be SMART emphasizes that it’s an adult responsibility to keep kids from accessing guns, and that every adult can play a role in keeping kids and communities safer. Resources available. Video available

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