Critical Updates
Partnering with our students, staff, families and community is essential to keeping our schools safe. Continually evaluating and enhancing our plans and procedures, practicing emergency drills, and communicating are key to helping keep our students safe.
COMMUNICATION
In a crisis, accurate information matters. We are in constant contact with the command staff of our local Police Departments, and we will relay that information directly to the families of our students. We will verify information from multiple sources and relay information as soon as we get it directly from our local police departments.
If a crisis occurs at your school, factual information will be delivered to you at the contact information you provided through Skyward/Gradebook. It's important that your cell phone is listed as your primary phone number, and it is up-to-date. It is our promise that whenever a safety situation arises, we will communicate with you as soon as facts are available. Additional updates are sent if new information is discovered.
You can play an important role to help stop misinformation. Focusing on facts and remaining calm will help us work through situations as quickly as possible. Embellishing and posting or reposting false information can have serious effects, create panic and anxiety for students and parents.
Let’s work together to prevent rumors – especially on social media – so fear and uncertainty do not gain power in stressful situations. The WSISD commitment is to keep our students safe, and our partnership with the community helps make this possible.
WHAT TYPE OF COMMUNICATION CAN YOU EXPECT IF A LOCKDOWN IS ISSUED?
WHAT TYPE OF COMMUNICATION CAN YOU EXPECT IF SHELTER IS ISSUED?
SHOULD I HEAD STRAIGHT TO THE SCHOOL IN AN EMERGENCY?
While we understand you feel your place is with your child/children, your presence at the school will only take resources away from protecting your student(s), or placing you in harm's way. Please allow first responders to handle the situation to restore safety as soon as possible and await confirmation on the reunification process from a safe distance away from the school.
WHAT KIND OF EMERGENCIES ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?
- Weather emergencies
- Potentially dangerous people in the vicinity of the school
- On-campus threat (i.e. active shooter, bomb threat, etc.)
BE INFORMED & PREPARED
it helps us to better prioritize our students' safety in the event of a crisis.
HOLD
During a Hold, students will remain in the classroom, and classroom doors will remain locked. A Hold could be used during a medical situation. Inside the classroom, it will be business as usual.
SECURE
Secure is called when there is something dangerous outside of the building. Students and staff are brought into the building,and the outside doors will be locked. Inside, it will be business as usual. This could be a police situation in the area such as a warrant being served or a police chase.
SHOULD PARENTS COME TO THE SCHOOL DURING A SECURE EVENT?
Probably not. Every effort is made to conduct classes as normal during a secure event. Additionally, parents may be asked to stay outside during a Secure event.
WHAT IF PARENTS NEED TO PICK UP THEIR STUDENT?
Depending on the situation, it may not be safe to release the student. As the situation evolves, Secure might change to a Monitored Entry and/or Controlled Release.
WILL PARENTS BE NOTIFIED WHEN A SCHOOL GOES INTO SECURE?
When a secure event is brief or the hazard is non-violent, like a wild animal on the playground, there may not be a need to notify parents while the Secure is in place.
With longer or more dangerous events, the school should notify parents that the school has increased their security.
LOCKDOWN
A Lockdown is called when there is something dangerous inside of the building. Students and staff are trained to enter or remain in a room that can be locked, and maintain silence. A Lockdown is only initiated when there is an active threat inside or very close to the building.
SHOULD PARENTS COME TO THE SCHOOL DURING A LOCKDOWN?
The natural inclination for parents is to go to the school during a Lockdown. If there is a threat inside the building, law enforcement will be responding. It is unlikely that parents will be granted access to the building or even the campus. If parents are already in the school, they will be instructed to Lockdown as well.
SHOULD PARENTS TEXT THEIR STUDENTS DURING A LOCKDOWN?
The school recognizes the importance of communication between parents and students during a Lockdown event. Parents should be aware though, during the initial period of a Lockdown, it may not be safe for students to text their parents. As the situation resolves, students may be asked to update their parents on a regular basis. In some cases, students may be evacuated and transported off-site for a student-parent reunification.
Any of the above types of emergencies could result in delays in the normal drop-off or release schedule for a campus.
We will provide frequent updates to families with schedule changes and drop-off or pick-up locations.
Because things move quickly during emergency events, we cannot share in advance where everyone should go after the emergency has passed. We know this information is critical so our only goal will be to communicate a meeting location to you as quickly as possible.
As soon as it's safe, we will do everything we can to get you and your child reunited quickly. We will communicate the location, what you need to bring, where to report and anything else you need to know so you and your loved one can be reunited. Follow all instructions from law enforcement.
