Dear Families,
With the frigid winter weather approaching Friday through Saturday night it is a good idea to talk with your children about cold weather safety. Extra care is needed, especially in younger children to be sure that frostbite does not occur.
• Make sure all children including teenagers have appropriate outerwear every day. Warm jackets, hats, scarves, boots, and an extra pair of gloves in their pockets will protect them during extremely cold temperatures.
• Develop an emergency plan and review it with your children in case you are not home either before or after school. If a bus is delayed, they need to know where, when, and how to get help. Tell your child that if you are not home while they are waiting outside for the bus, how long they may wait outside, where to go in the event the bus is delayed, and what the dangers and risks of extreme weather are.
Advise your child to seek help if they have:
• Wet clothing boots or gloves, snow, or ice next to bare skin which cannot be removed.
• Pain or numbness or burning anywhere on their skin (especially hands, feet, ears, or nose).
• To wait longer than five minutes if temperatures have dipped into the teens, especially on a windy day.
Teach your child about:
• When to ask for help.
• Where to find safe shelter in an emergency
• Who is the designated adult to go to in your neighborhood
• How to protect themselves with proper winter clothing.
• The danger signs of frostbite.
Additional information is available:
• Centers for Disease Control website at: http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/
• National Weather Service http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/winter/index.shtml
• New York State Center for School Health https://www.schoolhealthny.com/