PAGF rR THE..JASPER- -NEWS,- ---1p--, F-TUSDY AGST4 20 Safety rules for parents to teach their children Provided by the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office School can be fun and exciting with every day bringing new experiences, but it can also be difficult and even frightening for children. Kids today are faced not only with the challenges of learning new material and interacting with other students, but also an increased threat of bullying and physical vio- lence in schools. You can help prepare your children for the expe- riences they will face at school each year and help create safer school envi- ronment. Follow these tips for advice on how to pro- tect your children, and how to teach them to pro- tect themselves. Map out with your chil- dren a safe way for them to walk to school or to the bus stop. Avoid busy roads and intersections. Do a trial run with them to point out places they should avoid along the way, such as vacant lots, construction areas, and parks where there aren't many people. Teach children to follow traffic signals and rules when walking or biking. Stress that they should cross the street at cross- walks or intersections. Encourage children to walk to school or the bus stop with a sibling or friend, and to wait at bus stops with other children. Teach children not to talk to strangers, go any- where with them, or ac- cept gifts from them with- out your permission. Tell them that if they see a sus- picious stranger hanging around or in their school they should tell an adult. Help children memorize their phone number and full address, including area code and zip code. Write down other important phone numbers such as your work and cell phone on a card for your children to carry with them. Have children arrive at the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to pick them up. Make sure children know to stand on the sidewalk or on the grass while waiting for the bus. Teach children to make sure they can see the bus dri- ver and the bus driver can see them before crossing in front of the bus. Tell them to never walk behind the bus. Be aware that often bul- lying takes place on the school bus. Ask children about their bus who they sit with, who they talk to, and what the other kids do. Let them know that if they see someone being bullied, or are bullied themselves, they can talk to you, the bus driver, or another trusted adult. Talk to your children about their day. Some- times children won't tell you right away if they are having problems at school. Teach children to resolve problems without fighting. Explain that fighting could lead to them getting hurt, hurting someone else, or earning a reputation as a bully. Talk to them about other ways they can work out a problem, such as talking it out, walking away, sticking with friends, or telling a trusted adult. Keep an eye on your children's Internet use. Talk to your children (f y ' about what they do online ____ what sites they visit, who .. Chelsea Smith was named the - what sites they visit, who f they e-mail, and who they .. Dance Works 2005 Dancer of the Schat with. Let them know Year. She has been dancing for th ca them kno / to"you if/- four years and has studied Ballet, they can talk to you if any- . thing they see online, Tap, Jazz, and will be adding thing they see online -MO makes them uncomfort- .Pointe classes to her schedule makes them un o fo t -,/ this year. She is a student assis- able, whether it's an ex-/ .t year. assis- plicit website or a class- .: tant and member of the dance plicit website or a class team. Chelsea is the 14-year-old mate bullying them or somatne bully thr he- or i daughter of Mark and Joclyn someone else through e- omeo, es to w t e. | Smith of Jasper. (Photo Submitted) mail, chat or websites. insurance tips for college- bound students and parents In a few weeks, nearly 40,000 high school gradu- ates in Florida will head off to college for the first time. Between deciding where to live and what classes to take, one important aspect of life after high school is regularly overlooked by college-bound students and their parents: insur- ance. According to the Florida Association of Insurance Agents (FAIA), more than 80 percent of students who rent during the school year might not have enough in- surance to protect their personal property, such as computers and stereos. "Parents and students of- ten don't think about get- ting insurance until after the first loss," said Scott Johnson, executive vice president of FAIA. "A good computer and pe- ripherals can costs thou- sands of dollars, and for a college student, that's an investment worth insur- ing." The following tips will help protect college-bound students and their parents. Consider renters insur- ance. Contrary to popular belief, renters insurance can be very affordable. A typical policy, providing $15,000 in personal proper- ty coverage and about $100,000 in liability protec- tion, costs about $100 to $150 a year. The liability coverage is for negligence that injures someone else and similar lawsuits should someone get hurt in the student's apartment. Be sure to know what health insurance covers. Health insurance is a tricky issue for college-bound stu- dents and their parents. Many parents and students are not always aware that once students are older than age 18, they can often be covered by a parent's health insurance only if the stu- dents are in school full-time. And once a student reaches age 23, that student will usually lose coverage under a parent's policy, regardless of enrollment status. Inventory belongings. Students should make a list of personal belongings they are taking to school and keep that list in a safe place in case of theft or damage. The list should in- clude "insurable" items such as electronics, jewelry and other items of value. Parents should have an off- site copy of the list. Website teaches children how to manage money Designed to teach math and personal financial planning skills to students in grades six through eight, Moneyopolis is a free Web site, created by professional services firm Ernst & Young LLP. The site features a space alien who navigates visitors through the game in the quest to fix his broken spaceship and return home. It can be used by in- dividual schoolchildren at home with their parents or as part of an education program with specially de- signed tools for teachers to further the cause of finan- cial responsibility. The comprehensive site includes lesson plans for teachers as well as offsite activities, and a section for parents to use to educate their children about the ba- sics of good money man- agement. A pop-up glos- sary helps kids master the terms of mathematics and finance, and a "Budget Gadget" helps them with their own financial plan. According to a 2002 sur- vey by the JumpStart Coalition, only 51.9 percent of U.S. high school seniors were able to correctly an- swer questions about per- sonal finance. The game was created as a way to ad- dress the lack of financial literacy in this country. To learn more, or to play the online game, visit the Web site at www.money- opolis.org. A uburn/Opelika, home of THE ROBERT TRENT JONES GOLF TRAIL AT GRAND NATIONAL, is the best place in America for golf. GolfDigest ranked 330 cities in the US and Auburn/Opelika ranked number one in the best cities for golf. Ten other Trail cities made the list. An RTJ Trail city,. Gadsden, ranked number nine in the country. Gadsden/Anniston is the home to SILVER LAKES GOLF COURSE. Auburn/Opelika is also home to the Auburn Marriott Opelika Hotel and Conference Center at Grand National, a luxury 129-room hotel, part of the Resort Division of the Trail. The Auburn Marriott Opelika hotel offers elegant on-site lodging for golfers and other guests. Call 800 949 4444 or visit us at www.rtjgolf.com to book your trip to the best spot in the country for golf. ALABAMA'S ROBERT kENT ONES Aarriott AUBURN OPELIKA HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTER AT GRAND NATIONAL THURSDAY, AUGUST 4,2005 THE JASPER NEWS, Jasper, FL PAGE 6BR