SubscribeLate summer/early fall is a very special time of year. As kids are preparing for the first day of school by choosing out new clothes and backpacks, parents usually tackle the more practical matters of bus schedules, carpool groups, and school supplies. Amidst your thoughts of #2 pencils, washable markers, notebooks, and all the rest, you’ll probably want to give some thought to how prepared your kids will be if something unexpected happens while they’re in their classrooms. Are the emergency numbers in their school files up-to-date? Check out this article from the Shelf Reliance library for ideas. Do they have emergency supplies that can help them feel comforted and confident? This article gives some helpful tips to consider.
To celebrate the beginning of a new year of school, we’re excited to offer a Vigilance Basic School 72-Hour Kit for this week’s Free on Friday giveaway.
The kit includes supplies like a poncho, a whistle, a flashlight, and a deluxe first aid kit. The kit would be a great resource for any classroom teacher, as well as for an individual child. It can be easily stowed in classroom cabinets or near the door, and it also provides a great teaching opportunity. Instructors can educate their students on how to use different emergency supplies and tools, as well as on the importance of preparedness in general.
This great prize will be awarded on Friday, August 21st. All entries must be submitted before 12:00 pm MST on that day to be eligible. Want to win? Keep reading to learn how.
Two entries are available to each person for this week’s giveaway. You’ll want to leave a separate comment for each entry.
Entry #1 – Leave a comment on the official blog post and tell us how you like to prepare for a new school year. Not in school? Don’t have any kids attending public school this year? No problem! You’re welcome to draw from your experiences as a child, from neighbors’ experiences, or from ideas you haven’t yet tested but would like to someday. We’d love to hear responses from everyone.
Entry #2 – Visit the Shelf Reliance channel on YouTube (which you can do by clicking here) and leave a comment on the channel. You can do this by scrolling to the bottom of the page until you see the section that says “Channel Comments” and clicking on “Add Comment.” We’d love to get your suggestions on new videos you’d like to see or questions you have about food storage or emergency preparedness. Once you’ve left your comment on the Shelf Reliance Channel, remember to visit the Shelf Reliance Blog and make your entry official by commenting on the giveaway blog post.
The giveaway will be closed and the winner will be chosen at noon (12 pm) MST on Friday, August 21st. We will contact the winner via e-mail; he or she will have a week to respond to the e-mail and accept the prize. If the first winner does not accept the prize, a new winner will be chosen.
Only those in the continental U.S. are eligible to win the prize with free shipping; those outside of the continental U.S. are free to enter if they agree to pay for the cost of shipping (should they win). Offer excludes dealers and Shelf Reliance employees. The winner will be chosen randomly. Entries will be checked and verified; any entries that aren’t in accordance with the giveaway rules will be disqualified and removed.
As always, we wish the best of luck to everyone! Remember that our emergency kits are available at www.shelfreliance.com, ready to be customized for your family’s specific needs. We also have a wide variety of smaller supplies that you can use to supplement the kits you’ve made yourself. However you choose to do it, make sure you’re ready for the possibility of an emergency or even a minor inconvenience. Have a great time during these back-to-school days, and thanks for reading!
August 17th, 2009 at 11:10 AM
To prepare myself for school I would try on every outfit I had to make sure that I had “the one” picked out and ready to impress everyone. I would go over my class schedule at least fifty times and make sure I knew where my classes were so I wouldn’t be the guy in the halls constantly looking at a map and wandering aimlessly. Basically I spent all my getting ready for school time trying not to look like an idiot. Unfortunately, it didn’t work ;p
August 17th, 2009 at 11:18 AM
While I do not have any children of my own, I would love to win the emergency kit. I work for a social services agency that provides afterschool tutoring for children. We also work with low income families and refugees. The families most in need of such a kit are the ones least likely to afford it. So if I win, I will donate the kit so it can be passed on to a deserving family.
August 17th, 2009 at 3:35 PM
I don’t have school age kids but we still like to get prepared. We shop the ads and get stocked up on good deals. Just because my kids aren’t in school doesn’t mean we can’t participate in good deals. We like to stock up on off season clearanced clothes and anything else we find on sale.
As a kid, we would buy outfits throughout the summer and start laying out our first week’s wardrobe. It always made school more exciting as we anticipated getting to wear our new clothes. We also go our backpacks ready with new supplies and my mom always wrote our names all over the supplies even though the teachers collected them. :0
August 17th, 2009 at 5:01 PM
For school I would make sure I had my backpack was all ready with notebooks, pencils and a good cd player.
August 17th, 2009 at 6:14 PM
This was our first year dealing with school. About a month before we started the rule that everyone had to be dressed and have eaten breakfast before they could watch a show. This way we would never have that last minute panic and rush.
August 17th, 2009 at 8:06 PM
Well, I graduated both of my kids from homeschooling, so preparing for school meant I was out buying books, and setting up lesson plans. I always liked that time of year; everything was fresh and new, with renewed vigor and excitement for the year ahead! Thanks for another fun giveaway!
August 18th, 2009 at 6:16 AM
The first thing I do, as a parent of school-aged children, is to start getting my kids back into their school bedtime routine. During the summer our bedtime routine is sorely lacking. So that means starting to get them to bed at a decent hour, about a week, before school starts.
August 18th, 2009 at 10:19 AM
Shopping and bedtimes!!!
I love this time of year!
August 18th, 2009 at 1:03 PM
I was that kid that others hated,I LOVED going back to school,loved learning,etc.,one of my favorite things was getting all the new stuff,clothes and school supplies and I have tried to do the same things for my kids even though the times are different they are still the same in so many ways!
August 18th, 2009 at 1:43 PM
I just love all of the stuff here.
August 18th, 2009 at 1:44 PM
We go shopping for clothes and supplies a few weeks before. The backpacks are filled and ready to go. THe week before we start going to bed earlier and getting up at the time we would be be ready for the bus.
August 18th, 2009 at 1:50 PM
For school emergency preparedness, when my kids are old enough to go, I’ll make sure we have a meeting-place plan in case of an emergency. Equipping my kids with cell phones that just call Mom or Dad and 911 is in the plan as well. As for general preparation, there’s nothing better than new notebooks just begging to be written in and freshly sharpened pencils ready for the job.
August 18th, 2009 at 2:06 PM
this was my first year getting kids ready for school – I didn’t do a very good job preparing them or me, I am still in shock they are in school!
August 18th, 2009 at 2:19 PM
watched the youtube channel – username cnfowers
August 18th, 2009 at 2:26 PM
I try to prepare for sending my kids to school by stocking up on school supplies and lunch items, and I try to start getting my kids back on a school schedule about a week before school starts.
August 18th, 2009 at 3:14 PM
About a month before school starts I pull out all the fall/winter clothes. The kids try stuff on to see what does or doesn’t fit. This way I know what needs to be bought for the upcoming season. Then we wait for the school supplies to go on sale before stocking up.
August 18th, 2009 at 3:19 PM
checked out your YouTube channel and left a message under ZularisNaturals
August 18th, 2009 at 4:03 PM
We homeschool and slowly immerse the kids into all their subjects.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:38 PM
Since I am a mom who schools her children at home, I like to get all the school books organized. I assign a shelf to each child (I have four that are in school) and I make sure we have each subject covered. Organization is the name of the game.. even if it only lasts a moment or two!! LOL
August 18th, 2009 at 7:20 PM
My granddaughter is so excited to start school and I am anxious to have her happy, prepared, and safe. She only lives a short didtance from school but is being educated about all scenarios without taking her happy youthfulness and thrill of starting school from her. She has watched both familys work on preparedness with hurricanes and storms and has asked to have her necessary items with her in het special drawer, “if” she mightneed them.
August 18th, 2009 at 7:20 PM
We buy a new backpack and hope for the best!
August 18th, 2009 at 7:41 PM
Though I’m no longer a student, I still always get excited about the back to school sales!
As a school teacher, we often talk about the way people of the past survived in difficult situations. Although we often do fire drills, earthquake drills, lockdown drills, etc., I have sometimes wondered what would actually happen if a catastrophic event occurred at school. I always remind my students that the amazing thing about people, is that they are often very creative and resilient and find a way to survive.
August 18th, 2009 at 7:44 PM
I like to prepare all year long. I watch for deals and stock up on school supplies and clothing. I try not to buy all new clothes at the first of school as the kids grow too fast. A new outfit here and there over time is exciting for the kids and the budget.
August 18th, 2009 at 8:18 PM
Working for a public school board I see the struggle that the administrators have with trying to ensure that students are prepared in the event of a lock down, or other emergency. It is important for each parent to ensure that there child has these important supplies, as there is no warning an emergency.
August 18th, 2009 at 8:40 PM
Viewed and left comment at YouTube… I also think this is an excellent idea for our children to have and place in their school locker. As an elected government official, I think it’s important for everyone to be prepared and knowing my children had something like this at their disposal would certainly provide some additional relief that they could sustain themselves with some basics until the appropriate help arrived. Additional peace of mind, in this current environment, is priceless.
August 18th, 2009 at 9:31 PM
I like to make schedules and lists for my kids, go through their closets and I love to go supply shopping!
August 18th, 2009 at 10:36 PM
We prepare for back to school by watching sales and stocking up on folders, notebooks, crayons (my kids insist that they never have enough but we have a million of them), and more. We browse grocery ads for what would be good for in their lunchbox, and of course find some cute clothes for some fabulous back to school fashion.
August 19th, 2009 at 7:23 AM
I work at a college library, so we are in essence “back to school” 3 or 4 times a year, with new students. I’m trying to get websites and links updated and am getting prepared for student orientation.
THis kit would be great for my son, who’s off to college for the first time! He’s been getting ready for a new environment.
August 19th, 2009 at 7:56 AM
My favorite thing is gathering all the school supplies, and writing your childs name on them. My mom use to write our initials and then draw something too. Like I was RC * just incase someone else in the class had my same initials…
August 19th, 2009 at 8:04 AM
I dont have any school age kids yet, but I am still going to college and before school starts I am always in a panic wondering do I have everything I need? (including aspirin!) I have to try on everything in my closet and usually end up buying a new outfit because I don’t like what I have already. All so I can look and feel my best for the semester ahead. I would love to add some emergency prepardness to my bag so I will be prepared (or even for in my car!).
August 19th, 2009 at 10:07 AM
Getting ready for school – new pencils, notebooks, books, etc. Lesson planning time for mom!
August 19th, 2009 at 12:14 PM
I sent my college kids back to school with their 72 hour kits! When storms happen they get moved to the basement of their dorms and can be there for up to 2 days! They have learned to grab their 72 hour kits & their blankets before going down! Food, water, change of clothes along with the book or game they packed comes in very nicely!
August 19th, 2009 at 1:46 PM
New shoes, my mom gets all the grandkids new school shoes. They love this! Then we have to get backpacks, clothes, lunch boxes, school supplies etc. Our family likes to start the school year out with a father’s blessing for everyone. It makes for a great year =)
August 19th, 2009 at 1:59 PM
I work IN a school, so getting ready for the beginning of a new year is CRAZY! Personally, I just try to stay calm and figure out “okay, what’s the NEXT project” to work on. Currently – Getting all the students’ emergency kits updated
We start in a week and I just keep reminding myself that as crazy as it is getting ready for the year, it’s totally worth it once those kids are back in the halls and in the office everyday. Summer gets lonely!
August 19th, 2009 at 2:41 PM
Going back to school means university, and that means enough water and food bars in my bag for the day, including treks across campus and the commute to and from campus.
August 19th, 2009 at 4:24 PM
I’m a teacher and try to organize a safe and healthy learning environment. I’d love to add the school pack to the classroom.
August 19th, 2009 at 4:25 PM
New clothes, new shoes, new pencils, and new friends. Ah memories!
August 19th, 2009 at 8:02 PM
I start by seeing what left over school supplies we have on hand and what uniforms we have from the previous year that can be used again. Then we figure out how much of each thing we need and go shopping!
August 19th, 2009 at 8:17 PM
I do not have any children-even though I would love them-always mother-other peoples children. Getting ready for school we used to go shopping for 2 new outfits to start the year out.
This kit would be great to carry in the car for emergencies.
Saving up to get a shelf.
August 19th, 2009 at 11:57 PM
Back to school clothes shopping of course! You had to wear the BEST outfit on the first day.
August 20th, 2009 at 2:01 PM
Back to school is an exciting time out our house. We let our boys pick out an new outfit to wear to school, and search for the best deals on back to school supplies.
August 20th, 2009 at 3:44 PM
I homeschool and we just started school this week. We get our books as early as we can so that I can be prepared. The kids are excited about new notebooks and can’t wait to write in them.
August 20th, 2009 at 3:53 PM
Not in school…no kids in school. So I don’t prepare. But back in the day, I would prepare by buying the notebooks and laying out the clothes the night before. Simple, I know.
August 20th, 2009 at 10:04 PM
I like to buy the grandchildren a new school outfit and their school supplies. I can remember how excited I was to get new school supplies each year and still feel that.
August 21st, 2009 at 10:18 AM
Don’t have children in school for the first time, but do have 16 grandchildren now getting ready:)