Safe School Days

>School Bus Safety Quiz
>Family Traffic Safety Pledge
>School Lunch Safety Tips
>Healthy School Lunch Suggestions

>Making the Move to College:
Tips fromPenske

>Customers at eBags Voted…
These School Packs are Best

>School Bus Safety Quiz Answers

 


School Bus Safety Quiz –Test Your Child’s Knowledge of School Bus Do’s & Don’ts.

Take our quiz. The answers are below.

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Family Traffic Safety Pledge

Hey, kids!
Make the AAA Auto Club South Family Traffic Safety Pledge. Click here for a printer friendly page, print it out, read it and talk about it with your family. Sign it with your parent/guardian and place it where you can see it every morning when you’re getting ready for school. It could help keep you safe!

A message to parents:
Did you know pedestrian injuries are one of the leading causes of death for kids under age 15?

Children are particularly vulnerable to pedestrian injuries because….

• They are smaller and therefore harder to see.

• They fail to recognize the danger involved with moving vehicles.

• They assume that because they can see the driver, the driver can see them.

• They misjudge distance and speed.

• They are impulsive and forget about surrounding traffic.

Take a moment to talk about some simple traffic safety tips and sign the attached pledge with your child. You'll be glad you did! 

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School Lunch Safety Tips

  • Explain to your children that food does spoil from time to time and that they can tell by the smell and the taste.
  • Always wash your hands before you prepare your child’s lunch and tell your children to wash their hands before they eat, if possible.
  • Be sure to properly store your child’s lunch during and after preparation.
  • Make sure that cold foods in your child's lunch can stay cold. If not,.consider packing foods that don't require refrigeration such as canned fish or meat ..(unopened), bread, crackers, dried fruits, vegetables, cereal, chips/cookies, etc.
  • Also, make sure that lunches are not in direct sunlight or next to heat sources, but rather in a cool, dry place.
  • Cold foods are safe to eat at temperatures below 40º F and hot foods at temperatures above 140º F.
  • Insulated lunch boxes tend to store food better than brown paper bags or plastic lunch bags.
  • For beverages, consider packing 100 percent fruit juices, water or milk, instead of soda and sugary juice drinks.
  • Offer a variety of foods from all the food groups, including foods with different textures and shapes.
  • Invite your child to help you prepare his/her lunch to create enthusiasm about eating healthfully and safely.

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Healthy School Lunch Suggestions

Pita pizza
Pinwheel wraps (cold cuts and cheese rolled in a tortilla wrap and sliced)
Ham rolls and other finger foods
Celery and peanut butter or baby carrots with dressing
Yogurt
Smoothies (you can put in a Thermos)
Nuts (almonds, cashews, etc.)
Peanut butter coated pretzels
Whole wheat bagel with cream cheese or nut butter
Peanut butter and banana (or honey) on whole wheat bread
Fruit, vegetable or cheese kabobs
Fruit salad
Muffins
Cheese cubes, string cheese or cottage cheese
Whole fruits like apples, peaches, bananas, etc.
Egg salad
Salads (toss your child's favorite veggies together and add a dressing)
Guacamole with chips
Quesadillas (melted cheese on a tortilla—add veggies or meat to this)
Turkey and cheese in a pita pocket
Baked or refried beans
Homemade soups, stews or chili
Homemade fruit crisp
Chocolate-covered almonds
Fruit gelatin
Rice cakes

Some of the previous food tips and recipes are reprinted from The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, CA, and written by Jill Nussinow, MS, RD.

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Making the Move to College: Tips from Penske

If your child is one of the more than 15 million students entering college this fall, Penske Truck Rental, one of the nation's leading truck rental companies, offers the following tips to help make the move hassle-free. (Not to mention you’ll save as a AAA member!)

  • Use the Truck Wizard to calculate the right truck size for your moving needs.

  • Get together with a couple of fellow students to share costs and take turns with driving on long trips.

  • Make sure the rental company you choose has 24-hour emergency road service along your route, seven days a week. (Penske does!)

  • Reserve your truck and moving supplies as soon as possible to assure availability. Pick up your supplies in advance to avoid a last-minute packing frenzy.

  • Pack stereo equipment, TVs and computers in original cartons, or use strong packing paper or bubble wrap.

  • When loading the truck, put the heaviest items on first. Be sure to bend your knees and lift with your legs, not your back.

  • Take some time to familiarize yourself with the operation and handling of the vehicle before the move.


Customers at eBags Voted…
These School Packs are Best

At the AAA Travel Store, you can shop for back-to-school packs and bags quickly and easily with our partner eBags. Customers of eBags vote on their favorites, so you’re sure to get a great bag while saving 15% as a AAA member. School packs are ideal for carrying books, school supplies, clothing and lunches to and from school every day. They tend to be more simple than a hiking daypack in terms of features, but many hiking daypacks also perform well as school packs. Key features to look for include a large main compartment, plus smaller compartments, accessory pockets, and an organizer panel for cell phones keys, etc. Water bottle holders are a plus, as well as laptop sleeves and CD/MP3 player pockets.

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School Bus Safety Quiz Answers

The answers to our Trivia Quiz are:

1. All of the above
2. 5 minutes before
3. Before and after riding the bus
4. 10 feet
5. TRUE
6. TRUE
7. FALSE, stay seated until the bus driver gives you directions.
8. TRUE
9. FALSE, tell the bus driver first and he/she will let you know when it is safe to pick it up.
10. FALSE, cross at least five giant steps in front of the bus so that the driver can see you.


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