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Quality Counts! Special Edition

 

Spring has sprung...and so has the tendency for tornadoes. An estimated 80 tornadoes ripped through the Midwest last week, killing 30 people. A stunned homeowner stated, "Tornadoes skip over us; we are by the mountains. We were not prepared for this."

 

Now is the time to prepare your staff and participants for weather emergencies. 

High-quality programs have safety practices in place that allow staff and students to feel secure and more in control should an emergency occur. Tips on emergency preparedness and links to weather science activities are included in this special edition of Quality Counts.

Free and Easy
Practices that increase the quality of your program immediately:
1. CONDUCT FIRE AND TORNADO DRILLS! Practice where to go and what to do should a fire alarm or tornado siren sound. These MONTHLY drills will reassure children somewhat should there be an emergency.

 

2. Monitor storm watches and warnings. Know if conditions lend themselves to tornadoes, strong winds, or thunderstorms. Be extra alert on these days.

 

3. Keep emergency information for program participants in handy location for quick access. (A plastic envelope with student emergency information by the exit door is a good idea.) A first aid kit should be within reach as well.

 

4. Find more information on preparing for tornadoes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, here and here, and for more hazards (including risk management best practices), click here.

As Seen in Our Programs

Quality Advisors share exemplary practices observed in our member programs:

A safety plan includes procedures for many types of emergency situations. The template and directions for creating this flip book can be found on the DASN website resources list.

Emergency Procedures Example   

Academically Speaking

Appropriate activities that support learning:

Want to know more about tornadoes and other weather-related events?

 

READ these titles:

early elementary: (click on titles to go to Amazon.com)

Tornadoes by Gail Gibbons

Tornadoes by Seymour Simon (may be appropriate for higher elementary)

Inside Tornadoes by Mary Kay Carson

Weather by Catriona Clarke

higher elementary:

Tornado Alert by Franklyn M. Branley

Surviving Tornadoes by Elizabeth Raum

The Kid's Book of Weather Forecasting by Breen, Mark, Friestad, Kathleen, Michael Kline

Weather by Brian Cosgrove

Weather by Seymour Simon (may be appropriate for early elementary)

older:

Adventures in Tornado Alley: The Storm Chasers by Mike Hollingshead, Eric Nguyen, and Chuck Doswell

Tornado Alley: Monster Storms of the Great Plains by Howard B. Bluestein

Weather: How it Works and Why it Matters by Arthur Upgren, Jurgen Stock

Outdoor Careers: Exploring Occupations in Outdoor Fields by Ellen Shenk

 

PLAY with science weather experiments:

Want to bring science into your program? Check this link to create a cloud in a bottle or lightening in your mouth!
For older children, check out this link to build weather monitoring equipment!
More, more, more about weather and meterology here!

**Language Learner Alert**
English speakers say "When the alarm goes OFF..." This is confusing to children learning English as OFF typically means to go away or stop. Explain to children that OFF means the alarm SOUNDS or they hear it when in this context. 
 
For archived copies of Quality Counts!, click here.

 

Dallas AfterSchool Network provides staff coaching, training and program resources to more than 100 free or low-cost afterschool sites in our community.

 
www.dasn.org
214-306-8400
2902 Swiss Avenue, Dallas, TX  75204