Safety Drills
As part of our School Safety preparation, students regularly practice safety drills throughout the year. To date, students have practised 3 fire drills and 1 earthquake drill. Today we had a lockdown drill. The staff and students did an excellent job practising this drill today.
During a Lockdown Drill, students learn how to keep safe if there is a potential threat within the school or near the school. During today's drill, students and staff practised:
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ceasing all activities when a Lockdown announcement is made
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clearing hallways and or play areas quickly and reporting to the nearest class
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heading directly to a designated safety area in the classroom, closest classrooms or washrooms (if they are not in their classroom)
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staying quiet and unseen within designated safety area, so that police, fire and first responders can effectively communicate information, as necessary, without distractions
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listening attentively to teacher, so that they will know what to do to stay safe
It is our experience that children, based on our explanations, understand that Lockdown is simply one of many other safety drills. Here are some of the scenarios we provide for children to explain why we do Hold and Secure/Lockdown Drills:
Hold and Secure/Lockdown lets us make sure everyone is safely away from potentially harmful materials or situations
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gas leaks
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animals that have wandered away from their home. Wild animals who are away from their home are scared and sometimes need help from animal protection/conservation officers. When some animals get scared they are not as gentle, and we need students inside to keep them safe.
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general safety of students in situations that are beyond our control. At the elementary level, we avoid using the intruder with weapon language, as this can cause anxiety. If your child asks about this scenario, 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 keep us all safe!