Dear Parent/Guardian,
We want you to be aware that your district has made many preparations to deal effectively with emergency situations that could occur in or around the school, both during the day and after-hours. While we hope that a natural disaster or other serious incident never occurs, our goal is to be prepared for any potential emergency. At all times, our first priority is to protect all students, staff members, and other visitors from harm.
In order for our emergency response plans to be effective, we depend on the cooperation and assistance of many people, such as our police and the fire department. We also depend on you, as parents and guardians, to support our disaster preparation and response efforts. Your cooperation is vital in helping us protect the safety and welfare of all children and school employees.
Therefore, we ask parents to observe the following procedures in the event of a real emergency or school safety drill:
1. Do not call the school. We understand and respect your concern, but it is essential that the telephone system is available for emergency communications.
2. Make sure that we have current emergency contact information for each of your children at all times. We must be able to contact you or your designated representative in an emergency.
3. Listen to our One-Call messages for emergency announcements and status reports. You will also receive instructions via One-Call on where you should go and how/when you may be able to pick up your children. Our school emergency plan includes evacuation procedures with several alternative destinations. When appropriate and safe, students may be released to their parents/guardians from these shelter locations. Under those circumstances, we will be prepared to implement procedures for confirming the identity of individuals who arrive to pick up each child.
4. When arriving to pick up your child (children), please make sure you always have a photo ID.
5. Do not come to the school or alternate destination until instructed to do so. It may be necessary to keep the streets and parking lots clear for emergency vehicles. If evacuation is required, students may be transported to a location away from the school. You will be notified of this through One-Call announcements.
6. Talk to your child (children) and emphasize how important it is for them to follow instructions from their teachers and school officials during any emergency.
7. Stay calm and focused in an emergency, and be mindful that your actions and comments will be the example that, to a great extent, determines your child’s response.
8. Carefully read all information that you receive from the school. You may receive updates about our safety procedures from time to time.
We are proud that Brookfield Local is a safe school, and we are doing everything possible to keep it that way. We appreciate your cooperation and support. If you have any questions about this letter or other aspects of our safety procedures, please contact your building principal.
Respectfully,
Velina Jo Taylor