ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BEING
THE…
The Association of Catholic Student Councils
6550 Waverly Road
Martinez, CA 94553
SAFETY & ECOLOGY
AND Learn about the Main duty of the…
Safety Commissioner
- To make things safe, and free from harm. Their job is to
prevent injury and accidents at school.
Responsibilities:
 Keep a safe atmosphere at school by creating a checklist
for safety hazards that includes:
-Leaky faucets, faulty athletic equipment,
damaged furniture, extinguishers, earthquake
emergency
 Plan safety assemblies, demonstrations, and class visits
by safety professionals
 Organize bike safety programs and registration
 Organize safety patrol with crossing guard or patrol
advisor
 Organize hall, bathroom, and playground monitors if the
school has a monitor program
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SAFETY & ECOLOGY
 Publicize safety with bulletin boards and posters
 Set up safety cones for pickup/drop-off
 Put up and takes down the flag
 Hygiene Awareness Day
 Fire, animal control, health officials and police talk about
safety
 Sponsor First AID/ CPR classes
 Bring the DARE program to your school to keep students
off drugs
 Reinstall or provide secure bike racks
 Have students tested for scoleosis and lice
 Fire and earthquake drills and food
 School Pride Week – Plant new flowers, scrub desks and
windows, repair benches clean the equipment
 Sponsor field trips to doctor or dentist office for the
students with good grades
 Provide nutritional snacks in the cafeteria and vending
machines
 Develop a plan to keep the restrooms clean and orderly
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SAFETY & ECOLOGY
 Have an assembly to show students the proper use of
equipment
 Demonstrate and give out awards for good sportsmanship
of the week
Have a safety activity/assembly for each
day of the month:
Sept: Bike Safety
Oct: Halloween Safety
November: School Safety
December: Christmas Tree Safety
January: Winter Sports Safety
February: Fire Prevention
March: Public Awareness (police)
April: Poison Control
May: Playground Safety
June: Vacation Safety
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SAFETY & ECOLOGY
Even More Safety Ideas:
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Make an emergency telephone directory
Teach students the proper use of fire extinguishers
Safety rules for equipment
Make up accident report forms
Write and give students safety tests
Use bulletin boards and slides to promote school safety
Designate lunch tables by class so you know which class
leaves the mess behind
 Halloween Safety Program: Get the school safety
committee to produce a skit for the primary grades that
make the children aware of the safety procedures they
should take during Halloween.
 Health Fair: Bring in guest and set up station where
students could read more about how to take care of their
bodies, get their blood pressure taken, have their vision
checked, etc.
 Musical Trash: Put the names of songs on trash cans
and the can that has the most trash, wins and that song
is played over the P.A.
 Litter Campaign: Members of the student council
take turns patrolling the campus grounds in search of
litterers. The member would write down the name of the
student and send it to their moderator. The violators
would be notified that because they littered, they would
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SAFETY & ECOLOGY
have to eat lunch in the principal’s office for 10 minutes
the next day. This will increase student’s awareness of
keeping the schoolyard clean.
 SODA Campaign: (Stamp Out Destructive Apathy)
This is conducting a vandalism campaign, to raise
awareness of the ongoing problem. Point out the costs of
vandalism and the losses to students as a result.
- The relation of living things to their environment
and each other
Responsibilities:
 Maintain a wholesome atmosphere in relation to school
grounds and students; increase awareness of world
environmental issues.
 Organize ecological committee/program for the school
that includes plans for recycling and conservation of
energy and natural resources
 Compile a checklist for school cleanliness and organize
activities to keep them clean
 Plan ecological assemblies and class visits by ecological
professionals
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SAFETY & ECOLOGY
 Plan ecology week – though ecology should be a year
round activity, this can promote student awareness
 Plan activities to encourage recycling and school
cleanliness
 Organize and chair the campus clean up committee,
they might work with or be a part of the responsibilites
of the monitor program
Recycling/ Conservation Ideas: “Think Globally – Act
Locally”
- Increase awareness by posting stickers by water faucets
and light fixtures
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- Recycle paper from classrooms and cafeteria, contact
local disposal company
- Have trash cans for mixed paper, glass bottles, cans and
trash, around school
- Plant trees, shrubs, and flowers on campus
- Sponsor a poster or essay contest
- Publicize with bulletin boards, displays and posters and
all proceeds should go to the school’s ecology program
or to a national ecology foundation
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SAFETY & ECOLOGY
School Cleanliness
- Create a checklist for each lunch area, playground,
hallways, gym, cafeteria, and fields
- Activities include: trash picking up contests, trash
sculptures, clean up campaign
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Assembly Ideas
- Science Fair on environmental issues
- Field trips to museums
- Join Environmental groups: Adopt a Beach, Sierra Club,
Green Peace
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Ecology Fair/Week
- Make exhibits and demonstrations of good ecological
practices. Invite the community. Ask local residents to
donate money to the school based on the number of
pounds of recyclable trash each class collects.
- ***Most importantly, educate the students on the world’s
environmental problems and offer solutions. By
celebrating Earth Day it encourages students and others
to recycle, reduce, and reuse to help save the air we
breath, the rainforests, and endangered animals.
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SAFETY & ECOLOGY
~ Sponsor Earth Day and Earth week projects
~ Have the Student Council give out tickets to students
who pick up trash. (1 ticket for 10 pieces) Students turn in
their tickets for a drawing and prizes.
~ Trashcan painting contest
~ Newspaper and aluminum can drive
~ Poetry Contest: Students submit poems written about
the environment
~ Special Assembly with Guest Speakers and films
concerned with ecology (someone from the gas
company or fire department)
~ Cleanest Homeroom Award
~ Sponsor a battery drive to promote recycling of
batteries.
~ Encourage students to reuse paper bags instead of
throwing them away every lunch
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SAFETY & ECOLOGY
How to Plan an Activity
To ensure that your student council plans a successful, organized event, follow these
nine steps:
1. GOAL: What is the reason for this activity?
 What do you want to accomplish?
 Examine your present position in relation to your goal
2. IDEAS: How will you carry out your purpose? What will the project be?
 Brainstorm – The more ideas the better. No idea is a bad idea.
 Establish guidelines for selecting the project. List ALL of the factors
that must be considered (money, facilities, time, people)
 Narrow down ideas – keep in mind the goals as well as the guidelines.
BE REALISTIC!
3. COUNCIL APPROVAL: Vote on what to do from your brainstorming.
4. ADMINISTRATION & MODERATOR APPROVAL: This is necessary
for proper initiation. In some cases the moderator may be able to speak for the
principal/administration. Nonetheless, good public relations dictate that the
principal/administration should be aware of what is happening.
5. ORGANIZATION: Plan the details.
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The date, time and materials needed
Committees
Publicity
Secure the necessary facilities
6. ACTIVITY: Make sure everyone is doing their job!
 REMEMBER! Check in advance to make sure that everything is ready and all
assignments are completed.
7. THANK YOU: Thank everyone involved in the project.
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Faculty members
Parents
Principal
Student body
 Custodial staff
8. EVALUATION: How did you do? What went right/wrong and why?
9. FILE: Complete a report in the student council records.
As you come along or think of “better ways” to do it next time, write them down and add them
to your file for future reference.
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SAFETY & ECOLOGY
SAFETY ACTIVITY IDEAS
CAMPUS FIRST AID
Description: Invite parents involved in the medical professions
to present a program on safety and First Aid.
Teach students CPR and Basic First Aid. You might also want
to contact your local Red Cross Chapter to see if they will
provide additional instructions and resources for your event.
SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK
Description: Organize a week to promote students’ awareness of
safety at school, home and in the community.
Invite the local fire department to lead a fire prevention assembly
including what to do in an emergency and local emergency
contact numbers.
You should also invite your local police department to come and
speak about neighborhood safety precautions.
SAFETY POSTER CONTEST
Description: Teachers act as judges and gift certificates can be
given as prizes.
Slogans should be gathered by the student council from literature
sent out to the school by the Department of Motor Vehicles.
The Student Council should put together a set of rules and a
deadline schedule for distribution to the students.
Include suggestions for safety slogans to help get the students started. Some slogan
suggestions:
“The Price of An Accident is Always High”
“An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of a Cure”
“Pull the Plug Not the Chord”
“Safety is No Accident”
“Know Safety – No Accidents”
“Never Give Safety a Day Off”
“Safety is Success by Purpose – Not by Accident”
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SAFETY & ECOLOGY
SAFETY STRIPS
Description: Some of your fundraising could be used to
improve your school. For health and safety the student
council members could buy safety strips to put treads on all
the steps. If they are the type that requires white paint,
students could provide the paint.
The student council could arrange for the maintenance
staff to take care of actually painting the strips or, if
permission is granted, students could paint them on very
carefully!
SUMMER SAFETY ASSEMBLY
Description: A few weeks before school lets out, organize a Summer
Safety Assembly.
Invite representatives from local police and fire departments to
cover various safety topics that will educate students about various
Summertime dangers.
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SAFETY & ECOLOGY
Ecology & Environmental Activity Ideas
ADOPT-A-STREET
Description: Four to six times a year, students could work to
clean up a one-mile area near to school.
Coordinate such a project with your city Parks and Recreation
Department. Ask them to provide street signs that credit your
school: “Adopt-A-Street, Students of _______ School.”
CLEANEST YARD/LUNCH TABLES COMPETITION
Description: Have each class compete for the cleanest
yard/lunch area by having the faculty on duty judge who
has the cleanest area.
At the end of the week, the class who had the cleanest area the most times that week
will win a prize. This can also be done at the end of every month and the prizes could
differ from an ice cream party to a free dress day.
HAPPY DOORS
Description: Each class puts a calendar on its classroom door.
They receive a happy face sticker for the day if their part of
the yard was clean.
The class with the most happy faces at the end of the month
wins a free dress day.
MUSICAL TRASH
Description: Place 5-8 trash cans in the lunch area.
Each trash can is labeled with a popular song (pre-approved by
the principal). Students discard their trash in the trash can with
the song they like the most.
At the end of lunch, the can with the most trash in it wins.
The song written on the winning trash can is played over the
school PA during Friday lunch.
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SAFETY & ECOLOGY
RECYCLING PROGRAM
Description: Collect cans, bottles and newspapers for the school.
At the end of the week, take all recyclables to the recycling centers
near your school. This can be a class competition and the winner will
receive a pizza party.
TRASH CAN DECORATION CONTEST
Description: At the beginning of the year, each class will receive a
trash can which they will decorate.
Have a monthly contest to see which grade picks up the most trash.
Each month award the winning class with an extra recess or small gift.
VANDALISM PLEDGE CARDS
Description: Have each student fill out and sign a promise not to
vandalize the school and buildings in the community.
Encourage them to report any vandalism they see to their parents
and/or teachers.
ADOPT A HIGHWAY
Description: Contact your local highway superintendent to get
an application and to select a section of highway to keep cleanone that has not already been adopted by another group. Once
permission is granted, students should be required to clean the
highway area once each season, including summer.
Each cleaning usually takes about two hours. Participants must wear orange vests and
work behind a sign that reads “Litter Crew Ahead.” The highway department
provides the trash bags. The number of filled bags is reported to the state for its
records. At the end of a clean-up, students return to school for snacks.
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COMMUNITY CLEAN UP DAY
Description: Gather a group together on a Saturday and clean parts of the
local community. Area can include the Church, Rectory, local parks,
beaches, etc.
Wear school colors or shirts to generate awareness for the school.
EARTH DAY CELEBRATION
Description: Organize an Earth Day and educate the
student body on recycling, safety and taking care of the
Earth. Sponsor a contest for each class to design a float or
banner with recycled items. Then, have a parade!
PLANT A TREE ON ARBOR DAY
Description: Every year on the last Friday of April, it is National Arbor
Day. Organize a committee to plant trees or shrubs around the
playground, Church, or Rectory. This could also be done for senior
citizens in the neighborhood.
Learn more about this day at www.arborday.org
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