SAFETY NEWSLETTER #1

1/20/10

This is the first in a series of newsletters that will be devoted to issues of school safety.   During the past few months, Cheryl Schurz, our Director of Finance and Administration, has chaired a School Safety Committee. The committee recognizes that we are a “safe school” internally, but we are no safer from the influences and threats of the world outside the school than any other institution.  As a result, during the next 6-12 months, we will be implementing procedures designed to provide greater safety for our students and staff.   Some of these procedures will require a change in past practice.  In all of our thinking about change, we recognize the importance of preserving our positive school culture. 

The initiation of our new procedures will begin on February 1, 2010.  It is not unusual for us to have 50-60 students in the building after the official school day ends.  One of the problems we have continually faced is that students have propped open the back door to the school after school hours.  Although this provides access to our students who may need to go to their cars, it also permits unauthorized individuals with the ability to enter the building at will.  As a result, the back door to the school will be alarmed at 7:50 a.m. through dismissal time, and again at 3:30 p.m.  The door will be unalarmed during lunch.  

The second procedure is related to student accountability during an emergency.  Whether a fire or lockdown situation, it is of the utmost importance that we can account for the whereabouts of each of our students.   Since our juniors and seniors are permitted to leave campus for lunch, this presents us with a particular challenge.  Toward this end, beginning February 1, 2010, students who wish to leave the building for lunch must have their student I.D scanned as they leave the building and as they re-enter the building.  This procedure will allow us to immediately determine who is “missing” and who should be either in the parking lot or in a classroom during an emergency.

I will be meeting with our students this week to explain these new procedures.  Although we may experience some inconvenience as a result of these new procedures, we believe that our student’s and staff’s safety far outweigh the inconvenience.

As always, if you have any questions regarding the information in this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Michael F. Platt

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