It used to be a parent could put their child on the school bus and not worry a lick about what would happen during the day. As the headlines become more horrifying from one day to the next in regard to school-related tragedy, this is no longer the case.

There are things parents can do to help ensure children's safety at school. The Top 6 things parents can do to help with children's safety at school in all regards are:

Make sure the school can contact you. This can help with children's safety at school in the event of a very big campus-wide occurrence as much as it can if a child gets sick or injured. Yes, your child is in the school's hands while class is in session, but you are still ultimately responsible. Make yourself available while the books are cracked to help ensure children's safety at school.

Make it your business to understand the school's disaster plans. This goes for fire drills as much as it does for a lockdown situation. Find out the plan and preach it at home for extra reinforcement in regard to children's safety at school.

Support teacher and administrator authority in the event of an emergency. Whether it's walking calmly in a line to clear a school that has received a bomb threat or it's hiding under a desk while a teacher barricades a door, one of the best ways to ensure children's safety at school is to reinforce who is in charge if something goes wrong.

Make sure they feel comfortable coming to you with concerns. Ensuring children's safety at school goes beyond fire and gunman safety. It also involves keeping them out of the hands of predators. While most schools do an incredibly good job of pre-screening visitors, faculty and staff to keep children out of harm's way, sometimes the wrong kind of people slip through the cracks. To ensure children's safety at school, it is imperative children feel comfortable enough with their parents to tell them if someone has discussed or done something inappropriate to them or one of their friends.

Stranger danger. This goes as much for teens in high school as it does for the little ones. Children's safety at school can depend on their ability to spot and avoid strangers. They should be familiar with their campus and the people who should be on it.

Cell phones. Although some schools and parents refuse to allow these, they can be an incredible way to help ensure children's safety at school. When they are programmed to only call mom and dad, a few select friends and 911, cell phones in students' hands can actually be valuable protection tools.

It is impossible to fully ensure children's safety at school or anywhere, but there are things parents can do to prepare them for the worst. Preparation leads to an understanding of what to do if an emergency does arise. This understanding can keep children out of harm's way and might even save lives.

Resource Box

I have started an online community where parents can come together and talk to one another about anything related to their children. Anything from their child's safety to their child's safety at school we are always discussing.