Preparations for the opening of the 2009-2009 school year. The Israel Police – Jerusalem District has completed preparations for the start of the school year, which will begin on Sunday, 22 Elul.

On Sunday, the 2018-2019 school year will begin in hundreds of educational institutions throughout Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh and the Mate Yehuda communities.

As part of preparations for the start of the school year, the Israel Police will be deployed with reinforced forces throughout Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh and the the Mate Yehuda areas. Hundreds of policemen, border police and volunteers will deploy near educational institutions to ensure safety and well-being of children and youth who will return to school and will work to protect students and parents and maintain public order.

Following are instructions from Jerusalem Police:
• Explain to your children that it is forbidden to speak with strangers and certainly not to go with them.
• Emphasize to children that attention should be paid to suspicious people near the educational institution. Parents, teachers and children, please report to the Israel Police regarding any suspicious person.
• For any encounter or identification of a suspicious object, move away immediately, call the adult and notify police.
• Together with your children, select the safe route for walking to and from school. It is recommended to practice walking along the route, explaining the dangers on the way and safety rules such as: not talking to strangers, walking away from the curb, not darting into the road, choosing a crosswalk with a traffic signal or an authorized crosswalk where the Zahav [school crossing guard volunteer] patrols are located.
• Do not let children under the age of 9 cross streets without supervision and explain crossing rules to them.
• It is important to emphasize to the children that the instructions of the Zahav crossing guards must be obeyed.
• Close to the educational institutions, pay attention to traffic volume and make sure to travel cautiously: travel slowly near the crossing points and educational institutions, give the right of way for pedestrians, avoid distractions while driving.
• After driving, make sure you have not forgotten anyone in the backseat. It is recommended to use the available means to prevent the child from being forgotten by car.
• Make sure children restraints are age appropriate and properly adjusted.
• Exiting with children via sidewalk side doors only and not the side opening to traffic.
• Explain to children traveling in a vehicle that no hands or head outside a vehicle window and to enter a vehicle in an orderly manner without any urgency, as well as to carefully exit from the vehicle on the side of the sidewalk and to avoid distracting the driver.

Special recommendations regarding bicycles / electric bicycles / Hoverboards / scooters and etc:
• Riding on an electric bicycle is permitted only over the age of 16.
• Drivers should be especially vigilant about the issue.
• Explain to children about the dangers, and make sure they wear a certified helmet and it is advisable to also wear knees and elbow pads.
• Emphasize to children that they do not SMS while riding.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem/Photo: Police Spokesman Unit)