Earlier this week, two children on their way to Westerly Creek Elementary School in Denver's Stapleton neighborhood reported being approached by a stranger who invited them to come to his car. Fortunately, these children knew about Stranger Danger and acted appropriately.

Unfortunately, not all children know how to respond to strangers. To make sure all our kids know what to do, Venture Martial Arts (a.k.a. Stapleton Family Karate) is offering free Stranger Danger classes for children ages 4+ in the Denver metro area (not just Stapleton). Classes run 30-45 minutes.

Stranger Danger class will:

• Teach children the skills and confidence needed to safely handle dangerous situations involving strangers
   
• Teach self-awareness for life-long safety through learning about age-appropriate self-defense scenarios

What:  Free Stranger Danger Classes

For:  Ages 4+

When:  Sunday, September 30 at 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. or Saturday, October 6 at 4:00 p.m.

Where:  Stapleton Family Karate (Venture Martial Arts), 8270 E Northfield Blvd, # 1450, Denver CO 80238

RSVP:  Sign up at https://www.venturemartialarts.com/stranger-danger-event-rsvp/, email micah@stapletonfamilykarate.com, or call 303.928.0043

---

Here is Westerly Creek Elementary's letter to families about the incident:

Dear Westerly Creek Families,

It is a priority at our school to make sure you are aware of safety incidents in our community. This morning, Monday, September 17, 2018 sometime between 8:10 to 8:30 a.m. two students from our school were approached in separate incidents by a man in a white, mid-size vehicle on their way to school. The students both reported that the car was parked around 29th and Beeler street during both encounters. During the first encounter, the man remained in his car, but beckoned for the student to come over to the car saying, "Hey kid come here." During the second encounter, the student reported that the man got out of his car and beckoned for the student to come over to the car saying, "Hey, I have some cool stuff in my car, wanna see?" Both students describe the man as having tan colored skin, a greyish colored beard.

A report was filed with the Denver Police Department and the Denver Public School's Department of Safety and Security. Both departments will monitor the situation and communicate with our school should any additional information arise. We will be asking Denver Public Schools Department of Safety and Security to provide patrols throughout the remainder of the school day, after school, and at the start of the school day the remainder of the week as their availability allows. We will continue to work with DPS Safety and Security and DPD to ensure the safety of all students and staff the remainder of the week.

WCE staff will continue conducting strong rituals and routines throughout each day that help to ensure the safety of all of our students. We encourage you to take this chance to reinforce your safety messages with your students, and to remind them to immediately notify an adult if they ever feel unsafe.

Here are additional safety tips:

• For every students' safety, no students should be unsupervised or alone on school property before 8:40 a.m. School staff begin supervision on the playground at 8:45 a.m. each day.
   
• Teach your children to use the buddy system.
   
• Know where they are at all times. Establish good communication with children to ensure they readily will report to you any unusual occurrences.
    
• If they are approached by strangers, they should take several steps backward, stay out of arm's reach and run to a safe area. If they are confronted, they should be taught to scream, "I'm not your child" or "You're not my parent." Many times, children forget to scream.

Make sure children learn to identify safe people such as policemen and firemen. Show them where safe homes or buildings are in the neighborhood in case they need to run to them. Identify which neighbors are available to help when you are not at home. In an emergency situation, children should run to the nearest house for assistance. They should avoid alleys and empty lots, houses or garages.

Parents and children should establish a password known only by the immediate family. Children should be told not to go with an unfamiliar person without using the password.

Parents should notify both the school and the police if an incident occurs anywhere or anytime.

As always, feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns. Thank you for your support in keeping our students safe.

Sincerely,

The WCE Administration Team