What can families do?

Principal's be visible greeting students and parents when entering

the building.
Have one entrance to the school and
the rest of the doors be locked from
the exterior. A key or scan card to
open other entrances.

What can schools do?

.

Have a written plan of action.

Provide training for all employees, bus drivers, custodians,

substitutes, parent volunteers,
and students.

Update plan every six months.

Practice different procedures

every six weeks.

Monitor parking lot (s)

Have an officer or security guard(s)
on premises.
All school guest, including volunteers
wear a badge from the main office.
Security camera's inside and outside
of school.
Have emergency materials needed
in a storage container with a lid in
every classroom and office as needed, (water, first aid kit, toilet paper,
large container for waste, students
personal information, cards, books,
snack food).

Practice specific drills for different situations.

Teach students and school representatives the proper way of

following the different procedures.

Post procedures in classrooms,

hallways, cafeteria, and offices.

Send out a letter to parents

what to do if an emergency
rises.

Communicate to parents about

the conversations that have taken place with students by
school staff members.

Read the letter sent home

about school safety at the
beginning of the year.

Review the letter with your

child throughout the year.

Keep a good line of communication between you and

the school.

Always be prepared for any

type of emergency.

Talk with your child about

how to stay safe at home.

Have a prepared list of

numbers in case of an
emergency.

Elbhart Independent School District. (2012).

Emergency operations plan. Elbhart:

Elbhart Independent School District.

Tips for school administrators for reinforcing
school safety. (2006, January 1). NASP
Resources. Retrieved April 14, 2014, from
http://www.nasponline.org/resources/
crisissafety/schoolsafetyadmin.aspx

Types of Emergencies

Evacuations
.
.
.
.

Fire
Hazardous waste or
material (internal)
Internal threats
External threats
(bomb threats)

Weather
.
.
.

Tornadoes
Hurricanes
Earthquakes

Catastrophic Episodes
.

School stabbing at
Franklin Regional High
School in Murrysville,
PA. April 9, 2014.
22 stabbed.

Bomb threat forces 2

elementary schools in
Atlantic County to evacuate February 4, 2014.

F-5 Tornado hits Moore,

Oklahoma severally
damaging two elementary schools in 2013.

School shooting at
Sandy Hook elementary
school December 14,
2012 in Newton, Connecticut where 20 year
old Adam Lanza shot
and killed 20 children
and 6 adults.

School shooting at Columbine high School Littleton, Colorado April

20, 1999 12 students
and 1 teacher were fatally shot by 18 year old
Eric Harris and 17 year
old Dylan Kleboid.

Lock Down
.
.

Outside threats
(terrorists)
School shootings

Generated by SFA
teacher candidates:
Kalli Kellum, Kim Johnston,
and
Stacie Nix

Mission Statement
TO ENSURE SAFETY WITHIN
ALL SCHOOLS BY BETTER
PREPARING OUR STAFF,
PERSONNEL, STUDENTS,
PARENTS, AND COMMUNIPT OF
SAFETY PROCEDURES.

Proposal
We will work together to raise
awareness about what to do in
case of an emergency within a
school environment. We will work
to provide the most up-to-date information to better ensure safety
within the school system. We will
also work together to better educate our parents, bus drivers, custodians, substitutes, and parent
volunteers about safety procedures
and how they are used and implemented within a school setting.

S a f e t y Advocacy

School

Plan

Frojec-t

Kalli Kellum
D i s t r i c t Name
March 5 . 2 0 1 4 -

Elkhart ISD

Plan

Who Is t r a i n e d ?

All s t a f f on c a m p u s .

T e a c h e r s/Ad m i n i s t r a t i on

Cafeteria Employees

Janitors
3us

Y
N o t s u r e of t h e i r involvement
b u t t h e y will t r a n s p o r t t h e m t o
a d i f f e r e n t c a m p u s if needed.
N/A

Drivers
Y

Why aren't all e m p l o y e e s

trained?

V a r i o u s drills e a c h month.
D e t a i l e d training i s o n c e a y e a r .

How o f t e n d o e s training
take place?
Is t h e r e a n y l i t e r a t u r e f r o m
the district?

Y
N/A

E s t i m a t e how much
training c o s t .

Date: March 5 . 2 0 1 4
Phone number:

E-mail: therring@elkhartisci.org

Time:

N/A

903-704-2979

Who did you talk with:

Mre. Herring

W h o i s t h e a c t u a l con-tact,

person:

M r s . Herring?

N o t e s : S h e d i d n o t ^ive m e a n e s t i m a t e o f c o s t a n d I communicated

w i t h her

through
e-maW. s o I a m n o t s u r e o f w h o w o u l d be t h e p r i m a r y p e r s o n t o
contact
f o r t h i s information,
b u t s h e w a s a b l e t o gjive m e all o f t h e details. T h e l i t e r a t u r e
available

teachers

i s a c o p y of their

have

the Monday

posted

after

EOF

in their

spring,

( E m e r g e n c y O p e r a t i o n s Plan)

classrooms

break.

and what

the

for c^uick r e f e r e n c e . I will p i c k t h e s e u p

School

S a f e t y Advocacy
3-tac\e

Dis-trlct Name

Yee

Flan

Frojec-t

All straff

members

Nix

No

Hender&on
I S P - Wylie
F e b r u a r y 2 S , 2 0 1 4Plan
y
Who i s trained'?

Teachers/Adminis-tration
y
Cafeteria Employees

Janitors
Bus

Drivers

Most, of-the

bus drivers are

-teachers.

Why aren't all e m p l o y e e s

trained?

N/A

How o-ften does -training t a k e

place?

R o t a t e s campus. Average every 3

y e a r s f o r c a t a s t r o p h i c training.

Is t h e r e a n y l i t e r a t u r e
the district?

from

E s t i m a t e how much -training

cost,.

D a t e : F e b r u a r y 2 g . 2 0 1 4-

$ 3 0 0 0 . 0 0 e a c h y e a r plus t h e s c h o o l
d i s t r i c t k e e p s a police officer on duty.
Police officer g e t s paid $ 2 0 . 0 0 per
hour f r o m 7 : 3 0 - 3 : 3 0 .
Phone number: B0^-&53-32.00
Time: 1 : 5 g - 2 : 1 4-

Who did you t a l k with: Mr. C l a y

Freeman

Who is t h e a c t u a l c o n t a c t p e r s o n :
N o t e s : The Henderson
on all campuses

I S P schools

Mr. C l a y Freeman
do a rout-ine training for X^ornadoes and fire

Pre-K-3'"'^. 4-^^ & 5^*". middle school, and high school.

training is r o t a t e d y e a r l y b e t w e e n t h e f o u r campuses.
w i t h Mr. Freeman,

he informed

e l e m e n t a r y schools,

The c a t a s t r o p h i c

Discussing the procedures

me t h a t during an emergency

man help o u t w i t h t h e Life Skills classroom.

drills

he has t h e

main-tenance

There is only one way t o g e t into t h e

b u t multiple e n t r a n c e s t o t h e middle and high school.

In case of

a c a t a s t r o p h i c event, t h e main s t e p s t h a t a r e t o be -taken are: L i g h t s off. Lock

doors,

and everyone

classrooms

goes -to a corner.

are e m p t y . Mr. Freeman

Plan f o r 2 0 1 3 - 1 4 - school

year.

B y doing t h i s , i t will make i t look like t h e

gave me a copy of the Emergency

Management

S c h o o l S a f e t y Advocacy
John&-ton

Kim
P I s - t r l c t Name

Plan Fro'^ecX'

No

Yes

Prairie Valley I S P
March 3 , 2 0 1 4 Plan
y
All s t a f f m e m b e r s

Who i s - t r a i n e d ?

Teachers/Adminis-tration

Cafeteria Employees

Janitors

B u s Drivers

Why aren't all e m p l o y e e s

trained?

N/A

How o f t e n d o e s training t a k e
place?

O n c e a y e a r during in-service week.

Is t h e r e a n y l i t e r a t u r e f r o m
the district?
E s t i m a t e how much training
cost.
D a t e : M a r c h 5 . 2 0 1 4-

No c o s t .

Phone number: 9 4 - 0 - 0 2 5 - 4 - 4 - 2 5

Time: 2 : 3 0 - 5 : 0 0

Who did you t a l k with: Mr. Tim W e s t

Who i s t h e a c t u a l c o n t a c t person:

Mr. Tim W e s t

N o t e s : The Prairie Valley I S D schools

do a rout-ine training f o r t o r n a d o e s , lockdowns

and fire drills for P r e K - 1 2^'' g r a d e s e v e r y other

drills there
rooms.

are certain

teachers

The only door that

lockdowns

teachers

that

assigned

s t a y s unlocked

cover their

six week. Mr. W e s t s a i d during

to check bathrooms

Is t h e entrance

door windows

and locker

door by t h e office.

cell phones and grade

books w i t h them

O u r school board has passed

that

those

no one knows who i s trained

certain

in defender

During

and slide a green card under door if

t h e y a r e s a f e a n d a r e d c a r d If t h e y a r e not. During fire drills teachers

their

fire

to account
employees
training

must

take

for s t u d e n t s in t h e i r c l a s s .
which remain anonymous

as well a s conceal

and

so

carrying

AppjrcJtx 10

APPENOa 10

SAMPLE SCHOOL'PAREMT LETTER

[Date]
Dear Parents:
Shoud an smergorkcy of disaster srtuatcn ever a'lse n cor area w^nle school m sess^xi- we >'anl /ot
lo be aware that the sc^oos have mace preparations to reKXjnc e'lectvey tc such sluations.
S^oukJ we hav^e a n-^ajor disaster di-nrkj school ho.trs_ your srjdentis) win be cared fcf at ths scrtcc*.
01. " Scnooi District has a detail&i errer^sncy cpcNJiorts plan wh;cfi nas been fcnnulated to respc<:d 10
a n^ajor catastroc^e.
Yojr coope^tior is necessa'y ir. a-iy cmerger>cy
1 Do not tdcpnorc bc school Tcicprtof* ine^ may tie n e e d e d 'a' frrergeicy cmm jnicahon.
2. i'l '.t-ie e.'ent or g se'ous emeige'-C}', sltce-ts wii t;*? k^-pj at tr^r !K;h3o:s k:r:i.:? *y a r e o ;:kea wp by
ar t s e m i t i e s . res:cnsiDe ad;,tt w h c ".as b e s r . icc.-' "-co -n? v-iK-t o's r h s : i s : ' c : ere';is^-iry c^rc y^hich
IS -equ r&3 to be iiiied ovi by pnrcnis .-it the t5egi--iirv;j o! ve-y s c s c j i j y^i.'.
-i^ase ^^ s . - j you
conr.k-jer i*ic foiicy^'ng criieria wner you' sjihorze A n o t h c oerson to pen J D V O U - r"
. ^' ; : s r n ^ c

Hfc'She is "! B yea'2 c( 3ge or Oder.

Hfe'She s usuaJly nome curing :ne day.

Hashecojid v^a < to schooi. if recessary.

"

He'she s

Hft'she is bo<h aware and ab<c to assume this respcnsibiiiy

to your cUkJ.

3. lurn your roflo tc KLIS 96 FV, KYYK S8.3 FW. KBHT S3.5 FV. KNET -450 AV tor efne'gency
announcements r" sJiideots are tc kept at school, radc sialKsns WJI oe notfited. ii electrical
serve s ret alfectod, inlormaton wi! be relayed on Channel KLTV 7 Tyle'. ar.3 C^anrei KEIK 56
TylG- In acJdlicM, rifcrmaticn f^arcing day to cay school opofal>ns wi. be available by ca:iing tie
strict Oflice.
4

Impress upon your (^ik^cn the rd 'o'' them to lolcw the oirectkjns of ar^f schoo: personnel ut
times of an errergericy.

Students wil be ^tiicased o-iy lo paror^ts ard persons ident'ted or. the Sc^oo District Emcrgcrcy Card.
During an extreme efrergency. siudente wll be reieased at aesianaiod rcynicn gates iocated on scHoo!
campuses. Parents shcuia oecone tanrsiiar wttn the Sct-ool Erreigency Dsas!e> Ran ana ise paimru
and undsfstar>ang wflh the s:udert r&eass cfooess. Please mstajct yow sludcni to reTiasn at schoo;
tnu yoj Of a designee arrives. Because 'ocal telephone servjce may be dsfuplod. also list an out-c*Staie contact on the efrerpency card, as cails ?ray still t made out ot tfe area i*4iile irco-nnQ cais are
afl acted.

Basic Plan
Vf 10 05.05

10-1

Appendix 10

SAMPLE SCHOOL-PARENT LETTER

iCairuu^z)

The decision to keep students a: scnoo; wJ be based upon whether- Cf not streets in the area
a/e open If tnis occurs, rado stations wi ce notified, n tfw event that a natural diwtsler ta^cs
pfacc during ; r time that students are be-.r^ irarsponecj. stixlerts w l M k&p< on the bus and
the dn-^r w.i asK for as*islar>ce throjgn 'ado ocniact with tie scr-col and dslricf personne'
Any child who s home wating 'cr the cus wll not be acksd up (it reads are impassableS and
remains the responslbiiiy oi tl-fl parent cr guardian, 'n the e-.-enl a natLfal disaster occurs tne
alternocn, the dnvet wll nrake evtsry attenpi tc ccntnue celcve' ng tfe s*.uaents lo thir hemes.
SrcukJ road ccndtons Breven; tne d^'.ier from deivering students to tneir t-crr.e or to sch^c* in
the morning, iho students will be celi^'ertd lo tio nearest sch:x)l ste aid tiat schoo' will
communicate wiih tne home schoci :o jitor!n ticm ol tN students wnerealjouts.
In case ot a nazardous reeasp cw^it ichenca' spl) nea' the scho.-> .irc.3 SncMcr i Place
p<ocecjres wli be i-nc^enented tc pro^-KJo in p^ace pro:ect)0'^ A: sludsnis a-id stjs'f wi!i cica'
tr>e lieids. repon ?o thcsr nroxts a'-3 ali e?!or.s wil be macie to p'event outside ai: 'fc r ente-ing
classrooms dunng
tmcqr-.-zs
^"eite'-in-Piace* sigis wii oo pieced m cass'com endows
Cf hung ou:?de claSSf.>cm. ccc^ri..ri:j ,1 dr:! cr ene'gercy. Slu3sr:i:. .i.^-rwi-.r, c.' scnoOi d-ring
a She'.e--in-Place d'^n or eve: h&j!c rspc-t to iic scioo optica or t: a crevc..:;!;. ocsignatec
area at tie sc^co'i because c'eiifccrs w.ll be .-nccccvs-'e. Wne"- the c;.^r5i.-..-, i-cdcnt nas
subsdM. an ai-dcar siana
g
Picase oscwss nese mailt:, .vi >v;u' mT^d areta-ns v. pia-^nir.j .-i-^oad wi; ns'p sne-.-ate
concern duinj e^erjancies.
Sincrey,

Prinopal
School

ecPtan
Vf1 10 05^5

Tips for School Administrators for Reinforcing School Safety

For a PDF version of this handout, clicii here.

Violence such as the high profile school shootings in Colorado, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania can cause concern within
school communities, even if they are not directly affected by the event(s). Adults and students struggle to understand
why these events happen and, more importantly, how they can be prevented. School principals and superintendents
can provide leadership in reassuring students, staff, and parents that schools are generally very safe places for children
and youth and reiterating what safety measures and student supports are already in place in their school.

Suggested Steps to Reinforce School Safety

There are a number of steps that administrators can tal^e to reinforce the fact that schools are safe environments and
increase student/adult comfort level.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Write a letter to parents explaining the school safety policies and crisis prevention efforts and cite statistics
that less than one percent of violent deaths are "school associated."
Be a visible, welcoming presence at school, greeting students and parents and visiting classrooms.
Issue a press release about the school district efforts to maintain safe and caring schools through clear
behavioral expectations, positive behavior interventions and supports, and crisis planning and preparedness.
Conduct a formal review of all school safety policies and procedures to ensure that emerging school safety
issues are adequately covered in current school crisis plans and emergency response procedures. (Such reviews
should be conducted at least annually.)
Review communication systems within the school district and with community responders. This should also
address how and where parents will be informed in the event of an emergency.
Connect with community partners (emergency responders, area hospitals, victim's assistance, etc.) to review
emergency response plans and to discuss any short-term needs that may be obvious in response to the current
crisis.
Provide crisis training and professional development for staff based upon needs assessment.
Highlight violence prevention programs and curriculum currently being taught in school. Emphasize the efforts
of the school to teach students alternatives to violence including peaceful conflict resolution and positive
Interpersonal relationship skills. Cite specific examples such as Second Step Violence Prevention, bully
proofing, or other positive interventions and behavioral supports.

School Violence Prevention Measures to Highlight

All schools work to prevent school violence and schools are very safe places. This can be a good time to remind
students, staff, and parents of their important role in promoting school safety by following procedures and reporting
unusual or concerning individuals or behavior. It also may be helpful to address the important balance between
sufficient building security and providing students a healthy, nurturing, normal school environment. Administrators can
reinforce the importance to school safety of creating a caring school community in which adults and students respect
and trust each other and all students feel connected, understand expectations, and receive the behavioral and mental
health support they need.
Below is a list of possible school prevention activities that principals may want to reference in letters home or
statements to community members about school safety.
1.
2.

Limited access to school building (designated entrance with all other access points locked from the exterior).
Monitoring of the school parking lot (parking lot monitors who oversee, people entering and leaving the
campus).
3. Monitoring and supervision of student common areas such as hallways, cafeterias, and playgrounds.
4. School-community partnerships to enhance safety measures for students beyond school property (Block
Parents, police surveillance. Community Watch programs).
5. Presence of school resource officers, local police partnerships, or security guards.
6. Monitoring of school guests (report to main office, sign in, wear badges, report unfamiliar people to school
office).

7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

Crisis plans and preparedness training (building level teams; regular review of plans and simulation drills;
training teachers and other staff in how to respond to students' questions, crisis awareness).
Creating a safe, supportive school climate that provides school-wide behavioral expectations, caring school
climate programs, positive interventions and supports, psychological and counseling services, and violence
prevention programs (bully-proofing, social skill development, conflict mediation).
Encourage students to take responsibility for their part in maintaining safe school environments, including
student participation in safety planning. They, better than adults, know the hidden or less trafficked areas of
the school that are more likely to be dangerous.
Promote compliance with school rules, reporting potential problems to school officials, and resisting peer
pressure to act irresponsibly.
Anonymous reporting systems (student hot lines, "suggestion" boxes, "tell an adult" campaigns).
Threat assessment and risk-assessment procedures and teams for conducting the assessments.
School preparedness drills (intruder alerts, weather and fire).
Citing school safety incident data. Recent trends have found that school violence nationwide is declining. Many
school districts have local data that support this trend. When possible, citing local data helps families and
students feel more at ease.
Presence of security systems (metal detectors, video monitoring, exit door alarm systems).

What to Say to Students

information for students should be based entirely on their need, developmental age, and relationship/proximity to the
event. The goal is to reassure students that although there is always a possibility of violence occurring in a school, the
probability of a school experiencing a high profile violent act is extremely low. Following are some suggested general
key points that can be adapted to your school(s):

General Points/Key Messages

Schools are safe places. Our school staff works with your parents and public safety providers (local police and
fire departments, emergency responders, hospitals, etc.) to keep you safe.
Our building is safe because....
We all play a role in the school safety. Be observant and let an adult know if you see or hear something that
makes you feel uncomfortable, nervous or frightened.
There is a difference between reporting, tattling or gossiping. You can provide important information that may
prevent harm either directly or anonymously by telling a trusted adult what you know or hear.
Although there is no absolute guarantee that something bad will never happen, it is important to understand
the difference between the possibility of something happening and probability that it will affect you (our
school community).
Senseless violence is hard for everyone to understand. Doing things that you enjoy, sticking to your normal
routine, and being with friends and family help make us feel better and keep us from worrying about the
event.
Sometimes people do bad things that hurt others. They may be unable to handle their anger, under the
influence of drugs or alcohol, or suffering from mental illness. Adults (parents, teachers, police officers,
doctors, faith leaders) work very hard to get those people help and keep them from hurting others. It is
important for all of us to know how to get help if we feel really upset or angry and to stay away from drugs and
alcohol.
Stay away from guns and other weapons. Tell an adult if you know someone has a gun. Access to guns is one of
the leading risk factors for deadly violence.
Violence is never a solution to personal problems. Students can be part of the positive solution by participating
in anti-violence programs at school, learning conflict mediation skills, and seeking help from an adult if they or
a peer is struggling with anger, depression, or other emotions they cannot control.
For Parents: Open communication between home and school is critical to the safety and well-being of our
students and your children. Let us know if you have a concern or question about school policies or your child's
safety. Know if your child's friends have access to guns. Keep any guns in your house locked up and away from
children of all ages.

Helpful Guidelines to Keep in Mind

1. Any conversation
appropriate.

with a student must be

developmentally

Young children are not able to process the complexities of violence in the same way that adolescents and young adults
are prepared to discuss the issue. Young children often gauge how threatening an event is by adult reactions (i.e., if
caregivers act scared and frightened, young children will view the event as scary and frightening). They may be
confused by what they hear and may have basic fear responses such as bad dreams, resistance to separate from their
parent, and/or crying and clinginess. They respond well to basic assurances by adults and simple examples of school
safety lil<e reminding children about exterior doors being loGl<ed, child monitoring efforts on the playground, and
emergency drills practiced during the school day.
Older children and teenagers may have more information about an event as they are commonly able to access
information independent of adults via the Internet and television. For these youth, it is important to discuss issues
openly emphasizing the efforts of school and community leaders to provide safe schools. It is also important to
emphasize the role that students have in maintaining safe schools by following school safety guidelines (e.g. not
providing building access to strangers, reporting strangers on campus, reporting threats to the school safety made by
students or community members, etc.), communicating any personal safety concerns to school administrators, and
accessing support for emotional needs.

2. Communicate to parents about the conversations

personnel have had with students.

that school

Schools need to l<eep parents informed about how they are responding to student questions and any type of support
that has been made available for students struggling with the crisis. Copies of announcements or formal statements
should be available to parents. Additionally, if teachers worthing with older students choose to have classroom
discussions about the event linked to their instructional activities, parents should be made aware of these activities
and any suggestions for following up at home should be offered.

3. Provide parents (and teachers) with guidelines for talking with

children about violence.
Encourage parents to talk with their children and validate their feelings. They should children's questions guide what
and how much information to provide, be open to opportunities to talk when children are ready, honest about their
own feelings related to violence, and emphasize the positive things that child/family/school can do to stay safe. They
should be aware of signs that their child might be in distress, e.g., changes in behavior, anxiety, sleep problems, acting
out, problems at school or with academic work. Remind parents and teachers to be conscious of media exposure and
what they say about the event. Limit television viewing, (be aware if the television is on in common areas).
Developmentally inappropriate information can cause anxiety or confusion, particularly in young children. Adults also
need to be mindful of the content of conversations that they have with each other in front of children, even teenagers,
and limit their exposure to vengeful, hateful, and angry comments that might be misunderstood.

4. Reinforce student strengths and focus on normal routines and

activities.
Most high profile school tragedies will prompt schools to have some type of public response depending upon the
developmental levels of the students, the school's history of related events, or the proximity of the crisis to a
community. Only the local school administrators and community leaders who are aware of the school and student's
history can judge the extent to which a response is warranted. Where schools do choose to alter their daily routines to
address students concerns, large or small, i t is important to know that one of the best ways for students to recover
from the effects of a tragedy is to maintain or return to their normal school routines. Normal routines help establish a
sense of calm and predictability important to maintaining effective learning environments. Schools should recognize
that depending on the impact of the event on individuals, not all students will quickly be able to make these

transitions bacl< to tlie normal routine and that counseling and psychological services should be available for those
continuing to require some support and guidance

5. Consider the cultures^ traditionSy religions and

values of students in any school response.

family/community

It is important that schools respect the values, traditions, beliefs and customs of the students and their families
impacted by the crisis. !f outside crisis responders are called in it is important that they learn about cultural issues,
usually through partnerships and consultation v/ith community members who can share fundamental guidelines for
appropriate interactions. Remember not everyone processes strong emotions through conversation. Some children and
adults may need to respond through art, poetry, prayer, or activity.
NASP has additional information for parents and educators on school safety, violence prevention, children's
trauma reactions, and crisis response at www.nasponIine.org.
2006, National Association of School Psychologists, 4340 East West Highway
#402, Bethesda, MD 20814.www.nasponline.org

http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/schoolsafety_admin.aspx