Aleinu Julis Child Safety Program
a.k.a. Safety Kid
The Aleinu Safety Kid model is a coordinated effort between schools, parents and children to establish a secure environment for a child’s physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. The model includes a comprehensive training program for schools, parents and children based on the ABC’s of Safety: Ask for Help, Bring a Friend, Check First, Do Tell and Explore the Internet Safely.
ABC’S OF SAFETY
Schools: Protecting children and staff
Training is provided for all school employees, including administration, teachers and support staff. Training consists of two major components:
Aleinu School Conduct Policy and Behavioral Standards documents a commitment to provide a safe school atmosphere with written policies of conduct and behavioral standards. Special emphasis is placed on appropriate touch and inappropriately exerting any form of verbal, physical or psychological influence or control over students.
Mandated Reporting Guidelines helps staff to recognize signs and behavioral symptoms of child abuse, identify who is a mandated reporter and create a system for submitting a therapeutic report within the school setting given Halachic and legal considerations.
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Parents: Communicating safety skills to our children
Parent education workshops include discussions on parental role and responsibilities regarding the ABC’S OF SAFETY. Parents acquire tools to help their children apply the lessons for safe behavior that they have learned, encouraging open communication and demonstrating role play about appropriate behavior and touch “rules of conduct”:
- Touching, looking at or talking about private parts is NEVER A GAME!
- A child can say “NO” even if to an adult, another child, a brother or a sister
- Touching, seeing or talking about private parts is NEVER A SECRET!
Parents learn to facilitate prevention through education and communication by using active listening skills, identifying Safe Helpers and Trusted Adults and helping children to know what to do in at-risk or uncomfortable situations. They learn attributes that will help them identify potential perpetrators and what to do if child abuse is suspected.
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Children: Empowering our children
Based on a nationally acclaimed model, SAFETY KID is committed to raising awareness, teaching practical skills, providing information and empowering children to protect themselves from becoming victims of abuse, abduction or molestation. Highly trained educators use culturally sensitive teaching cards, role play and state-of-the-art DVD’s to introduce Safety Kid and assist children in learning how to deal with real life situations that could challenge their personal safety. Teachers receive ABC’S OF SAFETY posters, follow-up lesson plans and safety tips throughout the year to share with their students
Classroom presentations are cutting-edge, interactive and developmentally appropriate:
- Early Childhood: Puppet play engages young children in learning how to keep themselves safe in potential at-risk situations with adults and other children. SAFETY KID and his friends, Pinny the Pirate, Momo the Monkey, Tully the Toucan and Lizzy the Lizard teach preschool and kindergarten children the ABC’S OF SAFETY with humor and sensitivity in an island adventure. Educators engage children in a follow-up interactive SAFETY KID SAYS game and art project. Exciting supporting materials include a SAFETY KID DVD and CD.
- Elementary School Grades 1st – 4th: SAFETY KID speaks to the children through beautiful, contemporary large teaching card visuals that demonstrate the ABC’S OF SAFETY in an interactive and educational manner. Presentations are enhanced with thought provoking discussions and exciting materials that encourage children to become participants in the process of learning to keep themselves safe. Summer Safety Tips in the form of fun activities help children to remember the ABC’S OF SAFETY throughout the entire year.
- Middle School Grades 5th – 8th: Cutting-edge power point presentation engages children in age-appropriate discussions that are both practical and informative. With the educator’s guidance, video clips, role play and real-life scenarios allow children to form constructive solutions to identified challenges they face on a daily basis.
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Is Your Child's School SAFETY KID Trained?
The impact of this revolutionary and progressive initiative is literally life saving. The Safety Kid program educates students, parents, and schools to anticipate these dangers and take proactive precautions. - Rabbi Moshe Dear, Headmaster. Yavneh Hebrew Academy.
An Aleinu SAFETY KID Certificate is issued to schools that have completed all three SAFETY KID components:
- 100% of staff have been trained and signed the Aleinu School Conduct Policy and Behavioral Standards and the Mandated Reporting forms.
- Parent Workshop has been provided. Parents have been given information on their supporting role and responsibility in helping to keep their children safe.
- Students have participated in the classroom presentations.
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Aleinu SAFETY KID Trained Schools
2007/2008
- Conejo Jewish Day School
- Emek Hebrew Academy
- Epstein Hebrew Academy, St. Louis, MO
- Gan Camarillo Preschool
- Happy Campers Learning Center
- Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy
- Kehillat Israel Early Childhood Center
- Maimonides Academy
- Manhattan Day School, New York, NY
- Netan Eli Elementary School
- Or Hachaim Academy
- Perutz Etz Jacob Hebrew Academy
- Phoenix Hebrew Academy, Phoenix, AZ
- Torat Hayim Hebrew Academy
- Yavneh Hebrew Academy
- Yeshiva Rav Isacsohn/Toras Emes Academy – Girls Yeshiva Rav Isacsohn/Toras Emes Academy – Boys