Dear Quaker Valley Families:
The district was informed of an incident that occurred yesterday
involving a student who was approached by an adult in a vehicle. The student is
safe and the incident was reported to the police, who are investigating. It is
unknown whether the individual posed a threat to our student. Regardless, this
is an opportunity to remind our parents and students about personal safety.
I strongly urge you to talk with your child about this important
topic. Allegheny County's Safe Start
program offers the following tips for staying aware and safe:
- Always "CHECK FIRST" before you go anywhere with anyone
at any time for any reason. This includes going with relatives and people
you know. You should always check first with the person who is caring for
you at that time. If it is impossible to check with your caregiver, then the
answer is "NO! You may not go."
- Always have at least one other person with you when you are out
walking. If you are in a group, make sure everyone stays with the group
and no one is left behind.
- When outside your house, do not wear clothing or a backpack or
other articles with your name visible on it. A person could read it and
call you by name, hoping you'll believe that they are to be trusted.
- If someone tries to talk to you from inside his/her car, stay more
than an adult arm's length away from a car so that you cannot be reached
by the person inside the car.
- If someone encourages you to get into a car to help find a lost
pet, or to leave with them for any reason, you should yell "NO"
as loudly as possible and run to the closest adult whom you know and
trust. Yelling "No," also called the POWER NO, indicates you are
prepared for the situation.
- Run in the opposite direction from the one that the car is facing.
It is harder to drive in reverse than straight ahead.
- If an adult tries to convince you he/she is not a stranger and
that you can trust her/him, do not be fooled if you are not sure. You are
right to yell "NO" and run away.
- Learn your full address and, if possible, your primary caregiver's
"best" phone number.
- Once you are in a safe place, write down as much as you remember
about the car. What color was it? Was it a car, truck or van? How many
doors did it have? Do you remember the license plate? Also, write down
what you remember about how the person in the car looked and where you
were when this happened.
- Remember you can call 911 for help or to report any attempted
luring.
For more tips and helpful safety information, contact Safe Start
at safestart@alleghenycounty.us or visit www.safetykids.org. As
always, please report any safety concerns to the local police and/or to the
school district.
Please help us reinforce the philosophy that school safety is
everyone's business by talking with your child about the importance of
informing an adult anytime something is said or done that makes him/her feel
unsafe - this includes verbal and physical threats as well as bullying. If you
or your child are not comfortable talking with a teacher or other staff member,
reports may be made anonymously on the district's tip-line 412-749-3633 or from
our district website (look for
QV Tipline under the Quick Links drop down menu). I assure you that each report
is investigated fully.
Thank you in advance for your assistance in keeping our schools,
our students and our community safe.
Sincerely yours,
Dr. Joseph H. Clapper
Superintendent
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