Each month, we have a fire drill. It is important for the children and staff to practice exiting the building safely. Some children don’t like the fire drill initially because of the volume of the smoke alarms. Practicing helps eliminate fear of what to do in case of a fire. I am very proud of our children as they are calm, follow their teachers and exit in a quick, safe manor.
Today was especially exciting as every three months we practice a severe weather drill. In the words of one kinder friend, it was a “severe wedding drill”. The children practice exiting their classrooms and move to the main floor and huddle in either the pantry closet or on the floor along the island and the kitchen sink. They are covered with nap mats and hunker down. There is much giggling, wiggling and general excitement. All silliness aside, it’s important practice.
If you have not practiced with your child at home, it’s a good idea to:
*have an evacuation route out of your house
*test your smoke alarms so that your child knows what it sounds like, smoke alarms/detectors may sound different than the ones at farm school
*practice getting down low to the floor and moving through your house
*practice going in to the inner most room of your home for severe weather
Talking about a plan within your home will help your child feel safe as they will know what to do as well as help them be less fearful in the event that your smoke detectors go off or you have to secure your family within your home for severe weather.
*I didn’t get to snap any pictures of the drill as I was the storm. It’s hard to be the storm and the photographer at the same time!
