Be Weather-Ready
“Jay, why were you late this morning?” Carla asked her best friend at recess.
“I got caught in the rain. I didn’t want my things to get wet so I had to wait until it stopped,” Jay answered.
“Don’t you have an umbrella or a raincoat? I thought I saw you wearing a blue one the last time it rained…”
“Don’t worry too much about it, Jay. I think Ms. Ara understood why you didn’t come on time,” Virgil joined in.
“Yes, I know but I think it’s better if it doesn’t happen again. The sun was shining bright when I left the house. Who would think it was going to rain?”
“He’s right. I think we should be ready for any changes in the weather,” Carla approached and tapped Jay’s arm. “Hey, why don’t we make a list of things that we can do about it?”
“Oh sure, I’d be glad to write them down.” Virgil took out a piece of paper from his bag and uncapped his pen.
1. Always bring a raincoat or an umbrella when you go out of the house. Place it inside a plastic bag before you put it in your school bag. When you’re done using the raincoat or umbrella, the plastic bag will protect your other things from getting wet. It is really useful when there is no place for you to hang it to dry.
2. Pack a pair of rubber slippers. It might flood on the streets when it rains so hard. It is a no-no to go barefoot. It will be difficult for your school shoes to dry before the next day if it gets wet, so you can put your shoes in your bag and use your rubber slippers.
3. Have a cap or hat ready. On a hot day, opening and closing an umbrella is not very easy for small hands, especially when walking around the school campus. Wearing a cap is so easy. It will also be a good cover if ever it suddenly rains.
4. Always carry a face towel or handkerchief. This is very useful on a humid day. You can either wipe your face with it or you can place it on your back to absorb the sweat. You can also use it to cover your head when you have to walk on an open area.
5. Drink lots of water. Whatever the weather is, you need to keep hydrated. Water helps regulate your body temperature on rainy days. It cools you down on a hot day.
Carla showed the list to Ms. Ara. “This is great! If you’d like, I can type this list on the computer and print some copies.”
“Oh, sure! We’d like everyone in the school to be weather-ready!” Carla clapped her hands excitedly.