Last week we began the Keeping Ourselves Safe programme.

We had two main areas of discussion last week:
- Knowing we are special.
- Learning our address and phone number.
Knowing that we are special is important. Being aware of who we are and why we are special is important because it creates confident children. Confident children are less likely to be bullied or seen as victims.
It always helps that as parents we remind them that they are special on a regular basis.
It is very important that all children know their full names, including being able to spell their surnames. As I have said to the students I consider my surname to be fairly easy to spell - Haste. Among the many spellings I have (regularly) received are Hast, Haast, Hastie, Hase and Hastey.
Knowing their full address and phone number means that they can seek help if they are lost or, in the case of an emergency, give the correct contact details.