As part of September’s National Preparedness Month, help your child create a snack packet to keep in the classroom, in case students need to stay at school for several hours after a disaster or other emergency. Write your child’s name on a 1-gallon Ziploc bag, fill it with 5-7 of the following non-perishable items, and take it to your child’s teacher. We suggest packing the following:

• Commercially packaged dried fruit, fruit rolls, fruit snacks, granola bars, cereal, cereal bars, protein bars, crackers
• A comforting item, such as a family photo or small toy

Do not include drinks, try to avoid high-sodium foods, and pack unopened items that will be likely to last for the entire school year.

— Kathy Lee & Linda McDaniel, Sandpiper Elementary School