By Betsy Coogan Miller
Illustrated by Cleonique Hilsaca
© 2026 The I Love U Guys Foundation All rights reserved. The Standard Response Protocol (SRP) and associated logos are trademarks of The I Love U Guys Foundation and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. This material may be duplicated and distributed according to the SRP Terms of Use. For more information, visit: The I Love U Guys Foundation iloveuguys.org ISBN: 978-1-95-126045-3 First Edition Hardcover, English Contributors Original Content: Betsy Coogan Miller Illustration: Cleonique Hilsaca - cleonique.com Manuscript Editor: Amy Betz - tinytalesediting.com Graphic Design: Kevin McGuinness - kmcguinness.com Spanish Translation: Mariana Llanos - marianallanos.com
The world is so full of fun things to do— The park and the playground, and even the zoo! But no matter the place, home or out and about, Keeping safe is important, without a doubt!
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There are steps we can take, most every day, To stay safer at home, at school, or at play. So put on your helmet when you bike or skate. And beware of the stove when helping Mom bake. Don’t cross the street ‘til you’ve looked left and right, And buckle your seatbelts, but never too tight.
If there’s a time when you don’t know what to do, Look for the helpers to help see you through. 2
A helper could be a teacher or someone at the store, A nurse, a firefighter, or the neighbor next door. If you’re ever in trouble or feeling some fear, Just look for a helper—there’s always one near!
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At school, we have friends, we laugh, and have fun. We learn reading and math. We skip, hop, and run. Sometimes there are problems, both inside and out. The adults know what to do; it’s all figured out.
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All the helpers at school have practiced and trained Five special actions to help you stay safe. Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, or Shelter. 5
In your classroom or area, clear the halls.
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It’s time for our class to have storytime, But Benny gets sick—he’s not feeling fine! Then, when Zoe sees Benny, she gets sick too! “Don’t worry, kids, I know what to do.”
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“This calls for a Hold!” says Principal Mack. “Stay in your room or area. Clear the halls.” So we listen, stay calm, and get out of the way. We’ll still have storytime at the end of the day!
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Get inside. Lock outside doors.
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It’s time for recess! “Hooray! Hooray!” We all run outside for the best part of the day! We slide, climb, and swing underneath the blue sky, But the whistle blows early, there’s a problem nearby!
“It’s time to Secure!” says Ms. Mazy. “Students, get inside. Lock outside doors.”
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We all line up quietly, and quickly we walk. Once we’re inside, they make sure the door’s locked. The loudspeaker beeps. It’s Principal Mack. “Kids, you’re all safe. A hiker got off track.”
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Locks, lights, out of sight.
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One afternoon, we’re studying math When all of a sudden, we hear a loud CRASH! Something broke a window. It’s inside our school. But they didn’t check in—that’s breaking the rule!
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It’s not safe for us kids 'til they see who’s around. Ms. Mazy helps our class stay safe and sound. “Lockdown! Locks, lights, out of sight.”
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“It’s time to stay quiet and get out of sight.” Ms. Mazy locks the door and turns off the light. We dash to the corner, quiet and small. Here, the outsider can’t see us at all. We stay snug and hidden, and don’t make a peep. We all wonder who or what it could be.
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In a few minutes, we hear Officer Omar say, “Kids, you’re all safe. We had a surprise visitor today. That crash that you heard was caused by a moose!” We laugh and call out, “A moose on the loose!”
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To a Location
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We’re learning patterns, when snap! The lights go out! We can’t see anything. What’s this all about? It’s so dark in the school, we can’t stay here long. We know we must listen and try to stay calm. 22
Ms. Mazy says, “We need to Evacuate. Let’s go to the park.” We quickly and quietly line up by the door. Ms. Mazy leads us out—we’ve done this before! 23
She calls out our names to make sure we are safe. Then we sing songs and talk while we patiently wait.
Brrrrring! The signal goes off. It is safe to return. The lights are back on. Let’s continue to learn!
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Using a Safety Strategy
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Crash, boom, bang! Thunder and lightning roar. The wind is howling, and rain starts to pour. Ms. West calls out, “Time to take Shelter!” 28
She leads us to safety, where we cover and stay. We listen to teachers and do as they say. The sun starts to shine as the storm quickly passes. We all stayed safe. Let’s go back to our classes! 29
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Most days at school are sunny and bright. But we have to be prepared when something’s not right. There are people to help us, there are people who care! When we practice these actions, there is nothing to fear. So many ways to stay safe, let’s say all five together: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter!
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About this book
This book, Learn From the Helpers: 5 Actions That Keep Us Safe, is designed to help educators introduce school safety concepts to young students in calm, age-appropriate ways. By using simple language, modeling calm behavior, and giving students opportunities to practice safety actions, children can learn what to do without feeling afraid. The “I Love U Guys” Foundation develops programs that help schools and communities respond to emergencies with clear, consistent actions. Many schools use the Foundation’s Standard Response Protocol (SRP), which includes five key actions: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter. Available in English and Spanish. Learn more at iloveuguys.org