December
17, 2012
To all
parents of Stewartsville C-2 Students:
In light
of the recent events we want to take a few minutes to assure you that we take
student safety very seriously. We have
plans in place for various emergency situations, including fire, tornado, and
intruder, and have periodic drills for different emergencies. It is our goal to have the students and staff
prepared to act accordingly should an emergency situation arise. We have been in contact with a trained law enforcement
professional who will add to the training already in place regarding an Active
Shooter on Campus. We will also provide
this training to any of our substitute teachers wishing to be involved.
While we
have not had any issues regarding student safety at Stewartsville C-2, we want
to be proactive and do as much as we can to create a safe learning environment
for all the students. As a part of our
ongoing efforts to maintain student safety we continue to expect all visitors
to the building stop and sign in at the Superintendent’s Office as a visitor
and receive a visitor badge. This allows
us to quickly identify any person in the building that has not been given visitor
clearance.
All
exterior doors of the building will be locked throughout the day with the
exception of the main entry on the south side of the building. All of our primary exit doors are equipped
with crash bars which will allow us to lock the doors from the outside but exit
the building should an emergency arise.
Parents picking up their children at the end of the day will be required
to remain in the cafeteria until their children come to them.
Student
drop off and pick up should be done at the main entrance on the south side of
the school building. The circle drive on
the north side of the building is for bus loading and unloading only and will
be marked with signs indicating the bus loading and unloading. The door on the north side of the building
will be locked as soon as the last bus arrives and unloads each morning.
Talking
to your children about what happened on Friday is difficult for all
parents. Below there are some resources
that have been provided to the school that we would like to share with you. If you do not have internet access and would
like printouts of these documents please contact the school. Mrs. Whitmer is also prepared to help
students who may have questions about Friday’s tragedy.
·
Talking to
Children about School Shootings: http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/qf/crisis_qt/APAshooting.pdf
From the American Psychological Association
·
The National Center
for School Crisis and Bereavement: A
Parent Guide http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/service/n/school-crisis/resources/parent-guide/
·
The National
Child Traumatic Stress Network resources for crisis situations: for schools:
http://www.nctsn.org/resources/audiences/school-personnel
·
Psychological
First Aid: Parent Tips for Helping School
Aged Children after Disasters provides information about reactions, responses
and examples of things to do and say: http://www.nctsn.org/content/psychological-first-aid
·
The Missouri Department
of Mental Health Fact Sheets for Coping for schools, adults and children: http://dmh.mo.gov/disaster/factsheets.htm
We want
all parents to feel welcome at the school; however, student safety is our primary
responsibility. We understand that some
safety measures create an inconvenience but we want to take all necessary steps
to assure student safety. We appreciate
your understanding and support as we protect and care for the students
attending Stewartsville C-2 Schools.
As
always, should you have any questions or wish to discuss this further, do not
hesitate to contact me, Mr. Gagnon, or Mrs. Whitmer.
Respectfully,
Tony
Perry
Superintendent
of Schools
