Safety drills are an important part of the school environment, especially today, where school shootings are covered by media outlets across the country. Students must feel informed about where to go and what to do in case their school is jeopardized in any way. Whether it’s because of a lack of student attention or because they weren’t properly taught, some students are seeking further instruction on what to do if a lockdown happens during a lunch period or any place where they haven’t been during an official drill.
Fernando Nieto, the assistant principal for discipline and attendance, provides information that is extremely helpful to students.
For example, what should students do if an emergency happens when they are in the hallway, lunchroom, or bathrooms? Nieto says if you are in a hallway during a fire drill, leave for the nearest exit you can find. In the event that a fire alarm goes off during a passing period, exit the building, report to the stadium, and go to your 2nd hr teacher. If your 2nd hr is in room 104, then go to the section designated for the 100 hallway and find your 2nd hr teacher.
During a lockdown drill, students in the hallway should go to the closest classroom they can enter. If somehow a student can’t get into a classroom and they are still in the hallway, they should leave the building immediately. Students should go to either Aux Sable Middle School or Charles Reed Elementary School, which are the relocation areas after a lockdown or a school emergency like a shooting.
If students have the opportunity to escape and run home to get to safety, we suggest they contact their parents to inform them. Parents should contact the school to communicate that their student is at home safely.
“In this case, if you do have to leave the building, we have to make sure we have to account for all the students. We tell parents that if their student is that your kid communicates with you that they are home, and what happened. But as a parent, call the school to tell them that the student is at home, so that as a school, we can see who left home and is accounted for,” said Nieto.
The school asks parents to trust the procedures that are in place. He asks them to have faith in the process, to call the school, and check the website for updates.
As students, feedback is important; it helps the school learn and adapt to create plans that can better keep both students and staff safe.
“The only thing we can improve on is feedback on our current drills. Give us an update, tell us what was working and what was not working, and that’s the only way we can improve. Speak your mind. If you see anything that could be better, we are open to ideas,” said Nieto.
For anyone, Nieto’s email is [email protected] to contact him for any further information or questions.
