Weather safety for your kids as they head back to school

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Courtesy: University of Washington / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

As students near the return to the classroom, safety is a main priority for students and staff this school year, not only inside the classroom but outside on the playground as well.

Bad weather and heat exhaustion are being closely monitored by staff when students are enjoying outside activities.

“It can be really dangerous, especially the younger ones. I feel like the kindergartners, like they’re not used to the heat at all,” Wendy Hearyman, a P.E. teacher at Christa McAuliffe Charter School said.

Hearyman told WINK News that health and safety of all their students are paramount, especially during the hot summer months.

“The beginning of the class, beginning of the year, it’s really hot outside. So we stay underneath the airnasium, and if the heat index is too much we go inside,” Hearymen said.

In class, she tries to avoid cardio early in the year and instead focuses on hand-eye coordination techniques and team sports that don’t require much running.

Lee Goss’s child attends Christa McAuliffe Charter School, she says she’s confident her kids are safe at school when their outdoors.

“There’s usually shade or they give them enough water, and they’re normally not out too long if it’s hot and make sure they bring them in if they need to,” Lee said.

Heat isn’t the only issue, storms are also a concern.

Lee’s son, Jude, told WINK News his school just installed new lightning detectors and makes them go inside if a strike is within 20 miles.

“The lightning detector just goes off and makes a really loud sound and they announce it on the speakers,” Jude said.

Lee County School District says the decision to have recess outside or not is a school by school basis. But if the weather is severe enough, like a hurricane, the decision of what to do can be made by the school district.

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