Berkeley

School District 87

Information on District 87 School Closings will also be available at:

District 87 Web Site
www.berkeley87.org - Closings will be posted on front page

Emergency Closing Center Web Site
https://www.emergencyclosingcenter.com/index.html

EMERGENCY CLOSING AND SCHOOL SAFETY

The health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority.  As a District we have procedures and practices in place at each of our buildings in an effort to prevent or to respond to health or safety concerns.  We strive as a District to follow the approach that “If you see something, or hear something to say something.”  As a parent or guardian if you ever have a question or concern please reach out to your principal or assistant principal.  

Public schools in Illinois are required to meet threat and disaster response standards.  In District 87 we work collaboratively with our first responders from each of our communities.  Comprehensive school safety measures are always in a state of implementation and revision as best practices evolve.  However, should a health or safety situation ever arise we are prepared, along with our community partners to respond and to protect our school community.  

In the event of a potential threat we follow the recommended Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines CSTAG.  Nearly 50 members of our school teams (including law enforcement) are trained in the use of the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment protocols - one of the only evidence-based programs for threat assessment in the country. Safe2Help Illinois is available for students or families to connect with 24/7 to report or seek resources for a threat or concern to mental health or safety. Call: 844-4-SAFEIL (844-472-3345)  Text: SAFE2 (72332)

In the event of an emergency during school hours, your student(s) will be cared for at this school. In addition to school procedures that are practiced routinely during the school year, Berkeley School District 87 has Emergency Operation Plans to respond to crisis situations.

The cooperation of our parents is vital in any emergency.  In case of emergency, please help us by following these guidelines:

Do not telephone the school. Telephone lines will be needed for emergency communication. Any large overload of services may result in the entire phone system shutting down, disabling phone contact with emergency personnel. It is important that parents not call the school, although we recognize this expectation is likely in contradiction of your parental instincts. In the event of an emergency, we will work with the district to communicate with all parents through mass phone, text, and email messages.

In the event of a serious incident, students will be kept at the school until they are picked up by an identified guardian or other responsible adult designated by parents as emergency contacts during the registration process. It is critical to identify at least three emergency contacts in your SKYWARD account. Please consider the following criteria when authorizing another person to pick up your child from school:

• They are at least 18 years or age
• They are usually home or available to reach during the day
• They are known to your child
• They could walk or drive to school if necessary,
• They are aware of and able to assume this responsibility.

Discuss emergency procedures with your child and impress upon them the need to remain calm and quiet while following the directions of all school staff members in times of emergency. Ensure your child understands that it is the responsibility of school staff to keep them safe and cared for during an emergency.

Students will be released only to parents and persons identified as emergency contacts by parents. They will be required to show picture identification. During an emergency that requires us to evacuate the building, students will be released at a designated reunification location, which will be communicated to parents via mass phone and email communication. If necessary, school buses will be provided to transport students and maintain their safety at the reunion location. Parents are asked to remain patient and understanding with the student release process. It is a methodical process designed to ensure that children have been released to responsible adults designated by parents or is being cared for until parents arrive. Please instruct your student to remain at school until you or a designee arrives.

A variety of drills are practiced routinely during the school year. Our crisis responses include: 

EVACUATIONS

Fire drills simulate incidents such as fire or explosions and are practiced routinely. Each classroom has a fire evacuation route posted on the wall. Students are instructed to quickly and quietly exit the building. In the event of a real fire, students will evacuate the building, load onto school buses, and wait for reunification with families at the designated location communicated to parents.

SECURE THE BUILDING AND TEACH

Shelter in place procedures are implemented in the event of a police emergency near the school. A hazardous event in the area, like a chemical spill, could also require us to initiate shelter in place procedures.

ACTIVE THREAT

All Berkeley 87 schools will conduct fire, severe weather, and active assailant drills as required by school code. Active threat drills are practiced with our community first responders and school personnel, including school-based mental health professionals. All of our drills will follow research and Trauma-Informed Best Practices and the Illinois School Safety Act with the safety protocol called A.L.I.C.E. in the unlikely event of an armed intruder in one of our school buildings. This training encourages staff and students to respond based on their situation, rather than rely on centralized instructions in dynamic times of crisis.

• ALICE is a federally endorsed safety protocol.  The letters ALICE stand for Alert, Lockdown & Barricade, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate:

• Alert – inform people of the threat, giving as much information as possible.
• Lockdown & Barricade– Students and Staff can choose to lockdown and barricade the room that they are in if they determine that it is not safe to evacuate.

• Inform – pass on as much information as possible to others and to First Responders, including contacting 911.

• Counter – an effort of last resort, if an armed intruder is able to get into the space that they are in; students are being trained to use every effort to stop the intruder instead of being passive victims.

• Evacuate – If it is safe to do so, all are encouraged to evacuate the building and remove themselves from the threat.

Learn more about ALICE here: http://goo.gl/jhPDGQ.

Our drills are age and developmentally appropriate, allow students to ask questions, and will not include simulations that mimic an actual school shooting incident or active shooter event. Drills will be announced in advance to all school personnel and students. Your school will provide sufficient information and notification to parents and guardians in advance of any walk-through drill that involves the participation of students via Phone, Email, and/or Text Message. Parents and guardians will have an opportunity to exempt their child for any reason from participating in any active assailant drill with written communication to the principal. Again according to school code, we are required to conduct these drills.

SEVERE WEATHER

Weather drills are held at various times during the year to practice procedures to move students and staff to safe locations within the building in the event of severe weather or tornadoes. Our campus is equipped with several weather-safe spaces that do not have windows and are removed from exterior walls of the building. In the event that a tornado warning is issued, students will be moved to assigned weather safe locations until the severe weather subsides. When severe weather is possible, staff members monitor the weather carefully and continuously so that we are prepared to move students and staff quickly. Parents are welcome to enter the building and take shelter in a weather-safe space designated for guests and visitors. For their safety, we will not release students to parents during a tornado warning or other weather emergency. Please trust that all students will be kept safe until the threatening weather subsides.

Please discuss our safety procedures with your family, and families are highly encouraged to develop safety plans of their own. We value the support of our families in our ongoing work to maintain a safe and secure learning environment for all Berkeley 87 students.

HOLD IN PLACE and TEACH

Initiated when an incident is occurring within the school, Medical, escalating student, non-life threatening issue. Students and staff stay put until instructed otherwise, lock classroom doors Continue teaching and learning.