JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is home to 1,600 students from kindergarten through sixth grade. With five schools in session starting Aug. 20, residents should prepare for the changeover.
To aid in this annual transition, safety and school liaison officers are available to provide information to parents, and numerous back-to-school events are scheduled for August.
“Our main job is to help families as they transition around with school-age children,” said Adele Daniels, a school liaison officer with the 673d Force Support Squadron. “We also help by keeping continuity with relationships between school districts and the schools on our base. This helps with the transition for new students, especially since they have to adapt and overcome feeling like the new kid. If they can participate in activities prior to starting school, they get the chance to meet other students.”
The JBER Library hosts Back-to-School Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic daily events Aug. 6 through 10. Kennecott Youth Center, Ketchikan and Illa School Age Programs are offering Back-to-School bashes Aug. 17. Other activities are published in the monthly JBER Life guide and online at jberlife.com.
“We want our kids to have the best opportunities to start off the school year, so I would strongly recommend getting back into normal school routines,” Daniels said. “Parents should start by getting back into bedtime routines, and having conversations with their children about personal safety and responsibility.”
Alaska has its own safety issues to keep in mind. Parents and students should be aware of wildlife, extreme weather, and road conditions.
“Safety is everybody’s responsibility,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jon Reed, a 673d Air Base Wing occupational safety technician. “One of our biggest concerns when it comes to safety awareness is speed limits in the school-zone areas and parking lots.”
Although traffic is not a major issue at JBER, it can sometimes increase in the school-zone areas when parents are dropping off and picking up children at school.
“As a parent, I witnessed first-hand cars not following the five miles-per-hour speed limit when I took my child to school,” Reed said. “Sometimes people are in a hurry to get to their destination and they don’t realize the consequences that may come from it. Drivers need to be mindful and slow down.”
As a reminder speed limits in school-zone areas are 15 miles per hour and 5 mph in parking lot areas.
Parents should talk with their children about route safety and situational awareness.
“Parents should get out there and walk the routes with their kids; let them lead you so you can know with confidence they know where they are going,” said Reed. “During this time parents can also provide them with an emergency contact list and teach them to avoid taking shortcuts to reach destinations, making sure they are aware of wildlife they may encounter.”
Because of the dangers associated with wildlife and traffic, the use of cellphones and earbuds while walking is not allowed.
“Besides the child’s situational awareness, it is also important for children to be seen,” said Reed. “For those children who ride bicycles, wearing the appropriate reflective gear during the day is required during hours of darkness, especially during our long winter days.”
Several additional resources are available throughout the year at either of the Military and Family Readiness Center locations.
To contact a School Liaison Officer, call 384-1505 or 384-7500
For more information about safety, contact the safety office at 552-6850.