Our school went into a lockdown last Tuesday based on information that there was an individual in our building allegedly with a knife. A lockdown is a response to an emergency situation wherein the evacuation of a school building is neither safe nor advisable and steps are required to isolate students and staff members from danger.
The decision to call a lockdown is not taken lightly. As educators, we must always act as a judicious parent "in loco parentis" (in the place of parents).
There is a litmus test that we discuss before sending the school into a lockdown. Is the source reliable? Has it been validated through a first hand or third party? Was there more than one report or sighting? Is someone's safety immediately in jeopardy? What type of weapon?
In retrospect, we are always our own worst critics. Either way, we received commendations from the Police Department and Senior Administration for our exemplary manner to the immediate threat of the initial situation, our leadership throughout the situation, and through the media and community relations that followed in the after math.
At the end of the day, we will always err on the side of caution when it comes to the safety of staff and students in our Catholic Learning Community.
Looking forward to your comments. Our first Catholic School Council meeting is this Wednesday, September 29th at 7 pm in the library. You are welcome to join us.
No comments:
Post a Comment