Parents of students at Creekside Elementary School in Sammamish have been advised of a suspicious man talking to children.

According to an email sent on Friday, Oct. 4, the man, driving a white van, approaches children on the street and even ringing doorbells, inviting children to see the chickens he is selling from his van. When adults have approached, he has hurried off.

While school officials say the situation may or may not be an innocent incident, they say it does raise concerns and have offered some general safety reminders and from the Issaquah School District website

Things to discuss and ways to help safeguard your family:

• Talk about family safety rules.

• Make sure children are well supervised. Know where your children are and check on them periodically.

• Teach children not to go anywhere with strangers. If strangers approach in a threatening manner, children should loudly yell for help and make certain that onlookers know the stranger is not a parent. Run to the nearest home of a trusted person.

• Give children the skills to distinguish between good touch and bad touch.

• Teach children to be assertive – to say no to a touch that doesn’t feel right and talk to someone they trust about the situation. Children who know they have the right to say no to behavior they don’t like possess valuable skills which can help them avoid exploitation and danger.

• It is better for children to play and walk to school in groups than alone. Schools are one of the safest places for children to be because of the large group situation and the many adults around.

• Make sure young children know their names, parents’ names, addresses and phone numbers

Creekside is located at 20777 SE 16th St.