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.