Dear Parents/Guardians,
Your child(ren) will take part in our annual Lockdown Drill on Tuesday, November 23 at 11:00 a.m. Cst. Eric Misener and his team will be in attendance to carry out the drill with us. During a Lockdown Drill, students learn how to keep safe when there is a potential threat within the school or surrounding area. Lockdown Drills, like Fire and Earthquake Drills, are just one more way that adults make sure that children are safe. At the elementary level, we find that focusing on the “how” of the drill as opposed to the “why” (e.g. threatening intruder) is most effective.
During a Lockdown Drill, students practice:
· ceasing all activities when Lockdown announcement is made
· clearing hallways and or play areas quickly and reporting to the nearest class (a loud horn blast will sound outside to signal students to proceed to Mattick’s Farm, our designated alternate site, if they are outside at time of Lockdown)
· heading directly to a designated safety area in the classroom, closest classrooms or washrooms (if they are not in their classroom)
· staying quiet and unseen within designated safety area, so that police, fire and first responders can effectively communicate information, as necessary, without distractions
· listening attentively to teacher, so that they will know what to do to stay safe
If your child expresses concern, you can let your child know that their Principal, Vice Principal and teachers are part of a fully trained team, along with police, fire and other safety personnel, to maximize student and staff safety. For those students who are seeking concrete examples for why we would hold a Lockdown, we often use the following age-appropriate *Hold and Secure examples: chemical spills, downed power lines, wild animal sightings, etc.
We acknowledge that all students respond differently to drills. Please do not hesitate to call me or the classroom teacher, if you have any questions or concerns about how to best support your child.
* Hold and Secure - a related procedure where a circumstance in the outside area of the school poses a potential for danger and students remain inside where movement may be restricted
Sincerely,
Mrs. Mary Lynn Heron
Principal