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Schools

Safety and Injury Prevention

Promoting personal safety and injury prevention in schools
Unintentional injuries are the number one cause of hospitalization and death for school aged children. Supervision, setting rules and recognizing children’s developmental stages are key to reducing common school injuries. 

Intentional injuries, such as self-injury or suicide, are the leading causes of hospitalization and death for 10-to-19-year old’s in Simcoe Muskoka. Schools are an ideal place for positive mental health promotion and suicide prevention.

Preventable injury kills more Canadian children than any disease, and more youth than all other causes combined (Parachute 2022). Children may not fully appreciate the immediate consequences of their actions due to limited experience and judgment. While the actions of children can be unpredictable, injuries do not have to be. By taking the time to learn how injuries occur, creating safer spaces, and creating clear safety rules, educators have the ability to significantly reduce childhood injuries. 

By the time children reach their teenage years, risk taking is inherent. Teenagers are more likely to act impulsively and on instinct when faced with stressful or emotional decisions resulting in risky behaviour, and . may not fully appreciate the immediate consequences of their actions. Educators play a key role in healthy student development.

Whole School Approaches 

To promote a safe and healthy school environment and prevent injury, consider the following activities as part of your health and well-being action plan:

  • Provide education and awareness around preventable injuries (e.g. road safety, water safety, concussion).
  • Take part in the Swim to Survive program (Gr. 3). 
  • Incorporate activities to promote positive mental health (Tier 1); increasing mental health literacy, promoting positive mental health for all students, and sharing resources for students in need of support 
  • Organize assemblies on cyber-bullying and cyber- awareness/digital/media literacy.

Educator and Classroom Resources

  • Ophea Teaching Tools – Grades 1 to 8. Includes lesson plans, supplements and activities designed to reflect the requirements of the Ontario Health and Physical Education curriculum. Talk to your school Health and Physical Education Lead or Curriculum Consultant to find out if your school board subscribes. 
  • Ontario Road Safety Resource – Kindergarten to Grade 12. This website houses Ontario’s road safety education resources developed in partnership between the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario and the OPHEA. Search these resources by grade level or topic to find division level information, cross-curricular lesson plans, and community engagement toolkits.
  • Parachute Canada Safety Programs – Offers many programs designed to raise awareness of safety risk to reduce childhood injury, such as Brain Day, Helmet Programs, Smart Hockey, Safe Crossing (railway).
  • Ophea: H&PE Secondary Resources – Grades 9 to 12. Available to support secondary educators with implementation of the Health and Physical Education curriculum.
  • Ontario Road Safety Resource – Grades 9 to 12. This website houses Ontario’s road safety education resource developed in partnership between the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario and the Ontario Physical and Health Education Association. Search these resources by grade level or topic to find division level information, cross-curricular lesson plans, and community engagement toolkits.
  • The High Way Home – An interactive website that takes an experiential learning approach to mobilizing knowledge. Its purpose is to increase the awareness of youth and young drivers with the risks and harms associated with drug-impaired driving. The site guides users through real-life scenarios where they must make decisions about cannabis use and driving. 
  • Parachute Canada Safety Programs – Parachute offers many programs designed to raise awareness of safety risk to reduce injury in youth

For Students, Parents and Families

There are many ways to engage students in safety and injury prevention, such as:

Resources to share with students include:

  • Young Cyclist's Guide (Elementary) and Cycling Skills (Secondary) resources include information for young cyclists about bicycle equipment, riding tips, and the rules of the road. Students can review this information on their own or as part of a classroom assignment.

There are many ways to engage parents, caregivers, and families in safety and injury prevention, such as:

  • Offer a parent education night to teach strategies for supporting youth with healthy decision-making. 
  • Raise awareness among parents/caregivers and staff about the importance of role-modeling (e.g. wearing a helmet and following traffic signals when riding a bike, not using cell-phones while driving, showing respect and empathy toward others, etc.).

Concussion – What Every Parent Needs to Know!

Concussions are invisible injuries. Any hit on the head can cause concussion and serious long-lasting symptoms if not treated carefully. It is important to treat every hit on the head with caution even if they do not lose consciousness.

When your child hits their head, watch for symptoms, such as: trouble remembering, low energy, headaches, sensitivity to light and noise, or being more emotional than usual. If you see any of these, stop play and take them to a doctor right away.

Remember to tell your child’s school principal, teacher, and coaches about any head injuries that happen outside of school. Depending on the injury, your child may need a personalized plan, time off from school, work, sports or other activities to help them fully recover.

Rowans Law Day occurs every September.

For more information on concussion prevention and management visit http://www.parachutecanada.org/injury-topics/item/concussion.

Water Safety: Drowning Prevention

Did you know 90% of shallow water drownings occur when an adult is not watching.

Keep your child safe around water with these tips:

  • Stay within sight and arm’s reach when a child is near water, bathtubs, pools, lakes, rivers and streams.
  • Put down electronic devices; most drownings are silent and happen in just a few seconds.
  • Register your child in swimming lessons.
  • Make sure young children or children who have trouble swimming for a long time on their own wear a life jacket when in or around the water and in boats.
  • Fence your pool –drowning’s can be prevented with four-sided pool fencing.
  • Be Prepared: learn to swim and get trained in CPR and first aid.

For more information visit: www.parachutecanada.org and click on Injury Topics and Drowning Prevention or http://www.lifesavingsociety.com/swim-to-survive.aspx.

Safety on Wheels

Biking before and after school? Teach your child to be safe with these simple safety rules:

  • Always wear a helmet – teach them to fit it properly each time they ride.
  • Before the age of 10 years children can’t judge the speed of oncoming traffic and should not ride alone.
  • Identify areas that are safe to ride and make sure your child knows them.
  • Obey the rules of the road – teach them how to use hand signals, watch for traffic and how to cross safely.
  • Be aware of roads in your neighbourhood where vehicle speed or traffic volume is an issue. Teach your child to avoid or be wary of these areas.

Before they ride, check their bike to make sure it’s the right size. Together check that the brakes and bell work, and that the tires have good pressure. Set a good example by wearing a helmet when you bike with your child. For more safety tips, visit cycling Ontario and look for the Young Cyclists Guide.

Self-Injury and Suicide

Self-injuring behaviour, like cutting or burning skin, may be a sign that a child or youth is experiencing poor mental health. Self-injury is not always a suicide attempt, but self-injury does increase the risk of suicide. Asking about suicidal thoughts, offering a safe space to talk about emotions and connecting students to mental health professionals are some key ways to provide support. For more on this topic, visit Canadian Mental Health Association. If you are thinking of suicide or are worried about someone you know, call or text 9-8-8, toll-free, anytime, for support.

Concussions can happen anywhere, not only during sports!

Concussions are invisible injuries. Any impact or fall involving jarring of the brain can cause concussion and serious long lasting symptoms if left undiagnosed or untreated.

It is important to be aware of signs and symptoms. If your child hits their head, watch for symptoms such as: trouble remembering, low energy, headaches, sensitivity to light and noise, or being more emotional than usual. If you see any of these, stop play and take them to a doctor right away.

Remember to inform your teen’s principal, teacher and coaches about any head injuries that happen outside of school. Depending on the injury, your student may need a personalized plan, time off from school/work, return to school sports or other activities to help them fully recover.

For athletes and more information on concussion prevention and management visit http://www.parachutecanada.org/injury-topics/item/concussion.

Has your Teen Started Driving?

Getting a driver’s license and riding as a passenger with friends is an exciting milestone for many teens, but it can also be a stressful and challenging stage for parents. Balancing new freedoms and giving them their independence while teaching them to be safe is challenging. Be patient and look for opportunities to help your teen be safe behind the wheel or as a passenger travelling with friends. They need to navigate learning driving laws, plus develop important skills related to peer pressure, substance use and speeding/stunt driving.

For more information, visit the health unit’s website Road Safety for Young Drivers, Parachute Canada Safety Programsor call Health Connection at 721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520.

Self-Injury and Suicide

Self-injuring behaviour, like cutting or burning skin, may be a sign that a child or youth is experiencing poor mental health. Self-injury is not always a suicide attempt, but self-injury does increase the risk of suicide. Asking about suicidal thoughts, offering a safe space to talk about emotions and connecting students to mental health professionals are some key ways to provide support. For more on this topic, visit Canadian Mental Health Association. If you are thinking of suicide or are worried about someone you know, call or text 9-8-8, toll-free, anytime, for support.

For More information

  • Ophea Safety Guidelines (English / French) – This resource outlines the minimum standards for risk management practice and outlines the safe practices for activities in schools, in order to minimize the element of risk. Useful tool for teachers, intramural supervisors, and coaches.
  • Parachute Canada: Concussion Resources (English / French) –This includes information about concussions and concussion guidelines. 
  • Parachute Canada: Cycling Skills (English / French)
  • SMDHU Health Stats
For more information, call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520 or email [email protected]. 
 
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