Chapter Eight - Health and Safety Discussion Activity

During the feast in the Great Hall, Dumbledore discusses the new safety precautions at Hogwarts and asks the students to conduct themselves “with the utmost regard for your own and others’ safety.” If you are at school, talk with your teacher and classmates about your school’s safety procedures and policies. Where do you go in the event of a fire alarm? What should you do if there is a tornado warning? What is the school’s policy for allowing visitors in the building? Do they have to sign in at the office? Are they required to stay with an escort while in the school? Do you have additional security at your school (metal detectors, guards, etc?). For each answer, discuss how this helps make your school safer.

If you are at home, talk with your family about safety and security in your house. Do you have an alarm system? Do your doors all have the same type of lock? Where are each of the smoke detectors in your house? How often do you replace the batteries? What should you do if a stranger comes to your door? Whom should you call in the event of an emergency at your house? If you’d like, write up a list of emergency telephone numbers with your parents and put it near a phone for future reference.