In light
of worldwide incidents of violence in schools, and realizing the need
to be prepared in the event of any critical incident, the Gateway
Regional School District has developed a Safe Schools Plan. The plan
not only outlines appropriate responses to a crisis, but also supports
all of our schools in creating and maintaining a safe environment, so
that the likelihood of a crisis event is greatly reduced.
The plan begins with a philosophy
about school safety and our shared responsibility to monitor and assess
the needs of students. The Safe Schools
Plan outlines steps that staff should take in the event of things like
an accident, bomb threat, violent incident, or evacuation due to a
problem with the school building itself. School
and district Response Teams have been created and trained to manage a
range of emergencies. Through
several federal grants, the district has been able to work with area and
national experts on school safety in developing our plan and practicing
its implementation.
All staff are trained and receive a
copy of the Safe Schools Plan, along with a classroom or office
emergency backpack containing supplies and paperwork that might be
needed. The plan also provides guidance to staff in offering emotional
first aid to students, and leading classroom discussions following a
serious event in the school, community or larger world.
While our schools
welcome parent and community involvement, Gateway’s Safe Schools Plan
helps improve school safety by requiring a single point of entry to all
school buildings, and specific steps that school
visitors are asked to follow.
Parents also play a special
role in supporting their children through any tragic situation, and the
plan offers information
for parents. Parents should also take note of the information at
the top of this webpage on what to do if an emergency takes place at any
Gateway school.
Those seeking more information on school safety should consult
our additional
weblinks. |