A Safe School Handbook
LA SECURITE À
L’ ÉCOLE SACRÉ-COEUR
A SAFE SCHOOL
‘Raison d’être’ of the booklet
Ecole Sacré-Coeur (E.S.C.) is a safe school and wants to maintain its reputation as a safe school. This booklet is an effort to communicate the school’s priorities in this area as well as to explain the safety plans that are pertinent to our school. Be aware that only the policies specific to E.S.C. are included. There are many other policies provided by the Winnipeg School Division and by the Province of Manitoba that are not included but remain valid in all circumstances.
This booklet is an effort to give “fair notice” to all students and parents of E.S.C. as to our expectations and provisions for keeping all our students safe. It is also meant to be a guide for students, staff and parents in case of an emergency.
Guiding Principle for this booklet
We want all students and staff of E.S.C. to feel and be safe during the school day. This means ensuring their physical and mental wellness and encouraging growth in both areas.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Transportation to and from School
Staff and Parent Responsibilities
-Water Main Break, Chemical Spill, Bomb Threat, Severe Weather
-Allergies, Medication and Accidents
TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM SCHOOL
Drop off and Pick up
Student drop offs by motor vehicles usually happens from 8:05 to 8:20 in the a.m. If the student is dropped off on Furby Street in front of the main entrance during that time, there is a conflict with the school buses coming onto that street to drop off their students. Please make an effort to drop off the students on McDermot Street.
Pick up is usually shortly after 3:00 p.m. Parking is provided in the loading zone, further up the street and with meters on McDermot Street. There is limited parking on Lydia Street just opposite the school.
Please do not: park in the Staff Parking lot; park in the no-parking zone near the gym (patrols cannot see the street properly if you park there); double and triple park on McDermot Street; have your children enter the vehicle from the passenger side.
Nursery and Kindergarten Pick up
All students who do not take the bus are picked up at the classroom door at 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. If arrangements have been made for someone else other than the usual person to pick up your child, please contact the Office to let the school know about it. These persons should also present themselves to the Office to confirm the pick up.
School Bus
Nearly half of E.S.C. students take the school bus to and from school. To ensure the safety of all students who take the bus during the year (this includes field trips), all students are given Bus Ridership twice every year.
The School Bus rules are:
1- Be on time.
2- Never run to and from the bus.
3- Stand back from the curb.
4- Don’t push or shove.
5- Stay in your seat.
6- Don’t yell or shout.
7- Always obey the driver.
8- Wait for the driver’s signal before crossing.
9- Always cross at least ten feet in front of the bus.
10- Never crawl under a school bus.
BUS MEMOS
When the bus rules are not observed by E.S.C. students, a bus memo will be written out by the bus driver. This memo serves two purposes: 1-to remind students that they need to change a behaviour and; 2-to provide a written accounting of what has happened. On the third memo received during the year, the student is suspended from the bus for one day. The fourth memo merits a 2-day suspension; the fifth is for 4 days, and so on. Please sign the memo and return it to the school as quickly as possible.
SCHOOL AND DIVISION SUPPORTS
E.S.C. has implemented several strategies to ensure the safety of its members during the school day. Some of them are:
-Have three adults present for the a.m. and p.m. recesses.
-Pair with another classroom. Students who are disruptive can be sent to those classrooms during the school day.
-Teach strategies for dealing with behaviour problems from an established program “Kids in the Know”.
-Involve the Guidance Counselor in setting up individual behaviour plans and social skills groups and presenting themes revolving around behaviour in the classrooms.
-Establish a Peer Mediation program to work with students during recess and the lunch hour.
-Maintain an Alternative Recess for students who need special medical attention during certain parts of the year (allergies) and for students who cannot be outside due to behaviour difficulties either in or outside the classroom.
-Refer students to the Child Guidance Clinic, with parents’ permission usually for Psychology, Psychiatry or Social Work.
The School Division also provides support in the area of behaviour management.
E.S.C. has access, with parents’ permission, to:
-Apply for behaviour teacher assistants, on an emergency and term basis (up to 6 weeks). A behaviour plan always accompanies the application.
-Frequent the ABC (Alternative Behaviour Center) program, a behaviour intervention program that is offered for 11 or 12 weeks during the school year at another school. Transportation is provided. Students go for a half-day.
-Attend an LAC (Learning Assistance Center) program. This is a full-day program to help students with more severe behaviour issues.
-Be identified as Special Education, EBD (Emotional Behaviour Disturbed). –A referral to the C.G.C. is always necessary. If the referral is accepted, a teaching assistant will be provided by the School Division to work the identified student (2 ½ hours/day).
SAFETY FEATURES
E.S.C. has incorporated many safety features in the school and grounds. A few are listed below:
All doors are locked from the inside during the day except for the main door on Furby Street.
Walkie-talkies are used to communicate between outside and the office during recess. Walkie-talkies are also used during emergency evacuations.
A cell phone is brought to all school outings.
Teachers lock their doors when they are not in their room.
To ensure that no one is hiding in a corner of the main entrance, concave mirrors are installed at the main door and anyone who is hiding can be seen from the office.
There are two exit/entrances to the playground: one on Furby Street and the other in the field on McDermot Street (doggie-door). All other exits are padlocked; supervising personnel have keys for entry/exit.
Students in Nursery and Kindergarten are picked up at the classroom door at 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Students who take the school bus are accompanied by an adult to the bus.
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Visitor Access
Visitors to the school are requested to report to the Office (sign posted on the inside doors). All doors remained locked from the inside during the day except for the Furby Street exit/entrance, the main entrance. The Office is located just past these doors. If a visitor goes past the doors without stopping at the Office, office staff will approach them or will ask the Principal to catch up and meet with them. A parent who normally picks up their child at the school and designates a “stranger” to do so must call the Office to let them know. All students in Nursery and Kindergarten who get picked up must be identified by the classroom teacher at the classroom door. The Furby Street door is also locked at 3:30 p.m. daily.
All staff is asked to be vigilant in offering assistance to unknown persons and calling the Office with any issues arising from this contact. School Division personnel will be identified through their Division badges. If none is displayed, staff will request to see it.
Before and After School Program
Students can be dropped off to the Before School Program and picked up from the After School program from the McDermot Street doors. The school is locked down for permit use at 3:30 p.m., meaning that access to the classrooms is denied on the main and upper floors. Access to the Before School Program and After School Program is provided through the stairway going down to the lunch room where the program is located. The Before and After School Programs have their own phone line for emergency use.
Use of Gym after School Hours
The school is locked down for permit use with one entryway, from the McDermot Street entrance. All floors are locked and denied access to gym users, except for the gym.
Lunch Program
All visitors to the lunch program wear a “VISITOR” badge to identify themselves. These badges are picked up at the Office. All Lunchroom employees and volunteers will be identified with an ID badge and a vest (as of September 2008) and designated personnel carry a walkie-talkie to communicate between outside and inside supervisors. The Lunch program staff will follow emergency procedures as outlined in the“Response to an Intruder”, described in the Crisis Response section of the booklet. The word “Principal” shall be replaced by the “Lunchroom Supervisor”.
Guiding Principles/Principes de base
Students, parents and staff all belong to the Ecole Sacré-Coeur school community. We are all partners in developing a safe and nurturing environment that teaches responsibility and respect. We are all responsible in creating a positive environment that fosters personal and academic growth. Consequences to right a wrong may be used but will be logical and will offer restitution if possible.
Ecole Sacré-Coeur is a multi-cultural and diverse school community that promotes non-discrimination and values tolerance and acceptance as described in Section 9 of the Human Rights Code.
Code of Conduct Committee
The Code of Conduct Advisory Committee reviews the Code of Conduct annually. The Committee is composed of a teacher representative, a Parent Council representative, the Principal and the Vice-Principal with input from the students.
Introduction:
In the late 1990’s, a school team formulated a school code of conduct. It was titled, ‘The Three R’s’, that is: Be Ready, Be Respectful and Be Responsible. The ‘new’ Code of Conduct attempts to integrate many of the same behaviours into the Aboriginal Seven Teachings. These teachings are: Honesty, Humility, Respect, Bravery, Love, Truth and Wisdom.
Honesty
‘Choose honesty and kindness as your guides and happiness will follow you.’
Be honest in your discussions with others.
Be honest in handing in your assignments.
Follow through with what you said you would do.
Play by the rules.
Choose to do your best in everything that you do and stick to it.
Do your share of the work during group activities.
Be kind to others and they will be kind to you.
Humility
‘Let us take away the arrogance that separates us from others.’
Be on time.
Come to school ready to learn.
Cooperate during classroom activities.
Come prepared to learn. Sometimes it means starting over.
Be fair to yourself. Don’t think too much or too little of your work.
Speak in a ‘normal voice’ everywhere.
Don’t use put-downs to bring yourself up.
Take care of your things. Remember that they were a gift from someone else.
Clean up your mess after you have finished.
Say ‘Thank you/Merci’ and ‘Please/S’il vous plait’ as often as you can.
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Respect
‘Treat others the way that you want to be treated.’
Respect yourself.
Respect your desk and locker.
Respect those things that you share with others.
Respect school property.
If you took it, you bring it back.
Respect the rules of the game. The rules are there to make the game fun and fair!
Play in assigned areas only.
Respect others’ lunches.
Respect others’ things. Remember that they do not belong to you.
Respect others’ space. Keep your hands and feet to yourself.
Respect the rules, whether they be in class, the hallway, the bathroom, the gym, outside or in the lunchroom.
Bravery
‘Never give in. Never give up.’
Have the courage to learn.
Accept those differences in others that bother you.
Follow the rules even when others choose not to.
Look for a solution to the problem, not add to the problem.
Follow through with your commitments (School Patrols, Peer Mediation, Sports team, etc.).
Have the courage to go see an adult when you can’t solve the problem by yourself.
Stand up for yourself.
Stand up for others.
Truth
‘Understand it, speak it, live by it and you will feel its power.’
Speak in French whenever you can. Stay true to why you are here.
Be true to who you are. Do not be or act like someone else.
Look to do it ‘right’. Don’t pretend to do it right.
Love
‘Give it and accept it and feel its power.’
Love yourself. You are unique.
Do for others what you want them to do for you.
No verbal hits or put-downs.
Wait your turn.
Help others whenever you can.
Love whatever you are doing at the moment.
Wisdom
‘It is to be discovered on your journey through life.’
Learn as much as you can, then find out what is left to learn.
Study for tests so that you can show your best.
Stop playing when the bell rings.
Use problem solving to make it better for you and others.
See it from someone else’s point of view.
What matters years from now is what you learned and how you used it.
The month of September is reserved for our ten Courtesy Rules. They are introduced in September and reinforced during the entire school year.
They are:
Attendez votre tour Wait Your Turn
Marchez! Walk, Don’t Run!
Marchez à la droite Walk on The Right Side
Ne frappez pas avec vos mots No ‘Verbal Hits’ or Put-Downs
Dites ‘merci’ et ‘s’il vous plait’ Say ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You’
Parlez doucement Use an ‘Inside’ Voice
Marchez en ligne droite Walk in a Line When in a Group
Demandez avant de prendre Ask Before Taking
Traitez les autres comme vous voulez être traités. Treat Others Like You Wish To Be Treated.
Gardez vos pieds et vos mains chez vous! Keep Your Hands And Four Feet To Yourself.
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CONSEQUENCES
Introduction:
Unfortunately, students sometimes make choices that are unsafe for themselves and for the others around them. Consequences are meant as ‘reminders’ that the wrong choice was made and are never applied without explaining what choices could have been made instead. The lists below are meant to define the differences between what is considered a ‘Minor’ incident and what is considered a ‘Serious’ incident. There are many factors that have to be considered in making that decision. These factors may include the context of the incident (what happened before and after), previous offences (frequency) and severity (physical or mental injury). There are so many factors that make every incident unique. Therefore, in some cases, what is considered ‘minor’ may indeed be ‘serious’ and vice versa.
Minor Incidents
A minor incident, by definition, is anything that is not considered major by the Winnipeg School Division Code of Conduct.
Consequences:
- A verbal warning;
- Losing a privilege;
- Receiving a classroom time-out;
- Receiving an alternative recess;
- Be excluded from an activity or sport;
- Teacher will call the parents;
- Speak with the school counsellor;
- Speak with the Principal;
- Be involved in a daily behaviour plan;
- Receive a combination of the above.
Major incidents are listed in the Winnipeg School Division Code of Conduct policy manual. They include: physical and-or verbal assault, bringing weapons or alcohol to school, insubordination, vandalism, arson, or other extreme misconduct. Any gang activity will not be tolerated in or around our school grounds.
Consequences: (They may be added to consequences used for minor violations.)
- Replacement costs;
- An activity that provides restitution to the victim (restitution= an act to repair the damage that has been done.)
- Be asked to speak to a professional for therapy;
- Participate in a behaviour plan or contract;
- Be excluded permanently from an activity;
- Be given an in-school suspension (up to one day);
- Be given an out of school suspension (up to five days);
(Please note that the superintendent can extend the suspension.)
- Be expelled from the school;
- A combination of the above.
Please remember that attending the Lunch program is a privilege, not a right. All school rules apply during the Lunch hour.
Consequences:
- A verbal warning;
- Losing a privilege: ex.: not going to the gym; not sitting with classmates.
- Will be excluded from an activity.
- A call to parents will be made.
- A suspension, from one day to “until the end of the year”.
- Any combination of these.
STAFF AND PARENT RESPONSIBILITIES Staff Responsibilities
During the last few years, the staff of E.S.C. have studied, discussed and applied Ronald G. Moorish’s principles taken from his book titles With All Due Respect. Two major pillars underline all consequences: 1- All E.S.C. students belong to the staff, that is, the staff is asked to intervene when they witness an event that is endangering one or several students. They will intervene no matter the grade or age of the student because all those students are “ours”; 2- Staff is asked to model the behaviours that they want to see in the students. School safety rules and regulations must be demonstrated first by staff.
Ron Moorish principles applied at E.S.C.:
1- Use rewards to support discipline, not replace discipline.
2- Make the consequences relevant as much as possible, to the nature of the mistake.
3- Keep learning in mind.
4- Focus on prevention.
5- Enforce rules and expectations.
Parent Responsibilities
1- Make sure that your children come to school ready to learn.
2- Make sure that they have all the equipment necessary.
3- Share any issues with the teacher.
4- Support the school consequences in front of your child.
5- Reward to support discipline, not to replace it.
Parent Appeal Process
Please respect the process. Speak to the adult who has dealt with the problem first (and who has possibly applied a consequence). If there are further unanswered questions or concerns, speak to the Principal or to the Teacher in charge. Please remember that the role of the Principal is to support teacher authority, not to replace it.
Introduction:
The Winnipeg School Division pamphlet on bullying describes it as being ‘a repetitive behaviour, an imbalance of power, and disruptive in nature.’ A complete list of bullying behaviours is included in the Appendices.
The four major areas of bullying are:
1- Physical aggression
2- Social alienation3- Verbal aggression4- Intimidation
Consequences can be a combination of minor and major activities. Bullying is usually considered to be a major infraction of the safety rules and should always be followed up by staff if witnessed in the school or grounds.
Bullying very often goes unnoticed or continues because:
1- It is done in secret.
2- Several adults may see only one event in a string of events.
3- It may not be “in character” with the bully nor the victim.
4- The adult does not feel comfortable in dealing with it.
What Can We do About it?
Parents and staff must work together. When students perceive that both groups are in accord with the plan, they have a greater chance of modifying the victim or bully behaviour. Remember that consequences support discipline but do not replace it. Once an incident has occurred and the consequence is provided, a behaviour plan must be enacted and reinforced by all parties involved to ensure the plan will have a chance to succeed.
Strategies:
There are several methods that can be used to find out if there are any bullying problems at E.S.C. Students can and do report incidents, but they usually confide only after they have tried to deal with the problem themselves. Most students try ignoring the problem at first but it seldom resolves the issue. In a past student survey, this strategy was the most common for E.S.C. students. Most students do confide in an adult eventually, but not always. It is imperative that the adult who is approached not be dismissive or diminish the problem, but listens, and makes a plan with the student to improve the situation. This plan usually involves the school/home for support and inclusion in the plan. Communication between the adults in the student’s life is key to both solving the problem and to the problem solving process. Additionally, repeated bullying may be damaging to a child’s psyche and they may need professional help to deal with it.
E.S.C. makes every effort to detect and deter any bullying that is happening at the school. There exist a variety of prevention programs contained within Manitoba approved curriculum guides and taught in the classroom. Personal Safety programs like Second Step, A Violence Prevention Program, Kids in the Know and Talk About Touching all deal with bullying related issues.
E.S.C. makes every effort to detect any bullying that is taking place at the school.
The school has incorporated the “No Tolerance Policy” instituted earlier by the School Division. This means that the school responds to all reports of incidents that can be interpreted as bullying behaviour. In an effort to better understand what is happening in the school, both students and parents have been surveyed on the topic of bullying. Focus groups of students have met with the Principal to discuss personal safety issues at the school.
INTERNET SAFETY
There are Internet rules to protect your children when they are on the computer. All students at E.S.C. are taught these rules and there are consequences for not following them. Parents are sent an Internet form that lists them and they are asked to sign it at the beginning of every school year.
Parents are asked to sign a Media Release Form for photos that may be taken by the media during the school day. If parents indicate that their children cannot have their photo taken by a member of the media, then these students are excluded from published media photos.
Cell phone use during the school day (8:30-11:30 a.m. and 12:30-3:00 p.m.) is not permitted because of its distractive nature. Also, some cell phones are capable of taking pictures and no picture should be taken without written permission from a parent beforehand.
COMPOSITION OF THE E.S.C. CRISIS TEAM
Crisis Team members shall consist of: the School Counsellor, the Child Guidance Clinic Social Worker, a member from the E.S.C. Parent Council, the Teacher or Teachers in Charge, the Custodian (for school lockdown only), the secretary, the Vice-Principal and the Principal.
The Role Of The Crisis Response Team
The Most important function of the Team is to ensure that the school has established procedures for responding to various crises and that these procedures are followed. The team prepares the school community for possible crises, provides intervention during the crisis and supports after the crisis.
Role of the Principal: (depending on the nature of the emergency)
Meet with the intruder or intruders.
Instruct the secretary to contact emergency personnel from outside services.
Restrict access to the emergency site if necessary.
Evacuate the building if necessary.
Institute the lockdown procedures.
Notify the Superintendent.
Notify Winnipeg School Division Information Officer (789-0412)
Activate the Phone Tree.
Call an emergency staff meeting.
Assemble students and staff.
Set a debriefing center.
Contact victim’s family and offer help if wanted or needed.
Role of the Other Members of the Crisis Response Team:
Meet with the intruder or intruders (pre-assigned gathering spot is the Staff room).
Sweep the building for intruders.
Help restrict access to the emergency site if needed.
Notify the Principal (or designate in the Office) of a continuing problem or an all-clear through the Call buttons.
Help in the evacuation of the building (assigned exits).
Help in debriefing individual classrooms as to the emergency.
Crisis Team Contacts:
· Police 9-1-1
· Fire 9-1-1
· Ambulance 9-1-1
· School Division- Superintendent of Central District 775-0231
· Hugh John MacDonald High School- Principal 786-5631
· Child Guidance Clinic- 786-7841
· Transportation- 775-0231
· Staff Phone Tree
Scenario A: A Stranger in the Schoolyard
If a stranger ventures onto the schoolyard when our students are outside, the following plan will be enforced:
1- A supervising adult will ask the strangers to identify themselves.
2- If the strangers refuse or ignore the adult or provide a suspicious answer, the adult will contact the Office immediately with a red card or through the walkie-talkies shared between the Outside supervisor designate, the Office and the Principal.
3- The Principal or designate will go outside immediately to confront the strangers. (If the situation is considered critical, for example if a weapon is seen or shown, the crisis bell will be rung at this time.) An announcement will be made on the outside speakers to evacuate the site immediately using the coded emergency word.
4- The supervising adults will ask all students to enter the building immediately. Once all the students are inside, the school will go immediately into lockdown (see in-school crisis). At the same time, the Police will be contacted.
All adults in the building are asked to assist in whatever capacity that they deem necessary. They may hustle the students in the school, open the doors for them to enter, unlock their classroom doors, or collect any students wandering the halls or in the washrooms and remain with their students until the crisis has passed.
5- The Principal and designated personnel (Crisis Team members) will sweep the building for intruders. The Custodian and the Principal will lock down the building.
6- If the school remains in a lockdown situation, the Principal or the Vice-Principal (if the Principal is absent) will advise all staff and students to remain in their classrooms using the coded word on the Call system or by ringing the hand bell in the hallways if the Call system is unavailable.
7- When the crisis has passed, the Principal or Teacher in charge will give the “all clear” on the Public Announcement system. This again is in the form of a “secret code” that has been shared with all staff previously.
8- The Principal and/or Teacher in charge will debrief staff at the first available opportunity, then go from room to room to debrief the students. If necessary, the Crisis committee will help to debrief in the classrooms as well.
9- A letter will be sent home to communicate the event to the parents that same day. Parents of students directly involved will be contacted personally just as soon as it is feasibly possible. The Superintendent and the Division’s Information Officer will be contacted just as quickly as possible. Later, the E.S.C. Crisis Team will meet to discuss the event and to review and revise crisis procedures.
Scenario B: In School Crisis If strangers venture into the school during the school day, the following plan will be enforced:
1- The nearest adult who works in the building will confront them by asking them to identify themselves. If weapons are seen, do not confront but immediately contact the Office so that they may proceed to step 3.
2- If they refuse to answer or ignore the question, please follow and contact the office by using a Call button or tell another adult passing by so that they may call the office.
3- The Office presses the crisis bell and the entire school goes into lock-down.
Lockdown procedure: The Police are contacted - 911
a-All students not in classrooms will find one.
b-All staff will be on the lookout for students in the hallway or washrooms and bring them into their classroom.
c- When all students are in the classrooms, teacher locks the door, shuts off the lights and brings the students to an area of the classroom that may not be seen by anyone at the door.
d- Everyone is to remain quiet and sit on the floor in areas that are out of sight from door and windows. Everyone will remain in this position until “All Clear” is announced.
e- Should the fire alarm sound, teachers will not evacuate the building unless:
1. They have first hand knowledge that there is a fire in the building or;
2. They have been advised by Police/Security to evacuate the building.
f- Lunch time- Students are to remain in their respective locations and follow instructions as much as possible.
4- A decision is made by the Principal or Teacher in charge to locate the stranger and to confront them or not and who that would be, possibly the E.S.C. Crisis Team.
5- If the stranger is not located, that is, has left the building, then the “all clear” is given by the Principal or Teacher in charge through the Public Announcement system along with a brief message stating the facts. This may be in the form of a “secret code” that has been shared previously with the staff.
6- The Principal shall debrief in each classroom. Teachers will be asked to refer those students who need to talk about it further with the school counsellor or the social worker.
7- A letter explaining the event will be sent home to all parents. Parents who’s children have been directly involved will be contacted be phone. The Superintendent will be debriefed as well.
8- The E.S.C. Crisis Team will meet to debrief and review procedures if necessary. The Phone Tree will be activated for any members who were absent
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Scenario C: A Tragic Event
1- If there is enough advance notice, the Phone Tree will be used by Staff to explain the event and the process to follow.
2- The E.S.C. Crisis Team will meet to prepare an action plan.
3- The plan will include:
- How and when the staff, parents and students will have the situation explained to them and who will do it.
- Sharing tasks.
- What message that it will provide to the media.
- If any outside assistance is needed in debriefing with staff, students or parents.
3:00 P.M. Dismissal
Three p.m. dismissal is a special time of day because the students are leaving the building from two exits: Furby Street for the bus and McDermot Street for students getting picked up.
1-There are adults spread throughout the building waiting to pick up their children.
2-Both the Furby Street and McDermot St. doors will be opened to allow for parent and student traffic at 3:00 p.m.
3-Parents are asked to wait for their children at the McDermot St. door. They may enter the building if they wish, but please remain in the hallway in front of the door. Do not go to your child’s classroom door. The only exception are the Nursery and Kindergarten parents, who must go to the classroom door to ensure that the right people are picking up the children.
4-Parents are asked to report any strangers that do enter the building. Just knock on the nearest classroom door to report it. Please indicate if a weapon was seen or a threat of one was made.
5-The Principal will be contacted by the classroom teacher. A call will go out immediately to all staff and parents to gather as many children as they can inside their classroom. If the danger is deemed extreme, the crisis bell will ring to indicate that this procedure is necessary. All staff and students have heard this bell and practised what to do. All parents are asked to follow their example. The Police will be contacted immediately.
6-If the danger is deemed minor, staff will be asked to congregate in the area where the stranger is present. The message from the P.A. system will ask staff to meet at the sight of the disturbance. The principal or designate will do the talking, but the presence of a group should act as a deterrent for the intruder. If the intruder leaves the building, all doors will immediately be locked to control who exits and enters the building.
Once the intruder has left the building, the school will be locked from the inside by the custodian, Principal or Vice-Principal. They will have control who enters the building.
In the event of a fire alarm or other emergency, students and staff are required to evacuate the building. The procedure is as follows:
1. The secretary will call 911 as soon as the alarm sounds – unless it is a scheduled/authorized drill.
2. Teachers will lead students out after taking the attendance list, turning off the lights and closing the door. A pre-assigned student will exit the classroom last closing the door.
3. Children proceed as a class group to designated evacuation area in the school yard. Classes will leave the school through their designated escape route unless this route is blocked or directed otherwise by the principal.
4. The emergency file will be taken outside by the secretary when evacuating the building. If needed, Student Administration System can be accessed from the neighbouring school.
5. Students are required to line up in an orderly fashion and await attendance taking and further instructions.
6. Using their attendance folders, teachers will take attendance and report any missing students to the vice-principal.
7. The custodian will determine the source of the alarm and inform the fire department when they arrive.
8. In the event of a known false alarm, the custodian will de-activate the alarm. However, the students will remain outside until the fire department or the principal gives the “All Clear”.
9. In the event of a real fire/emergency, during severe weather, when students cannot re-enter the building, or when the school must be evacuated for other emergencies, the following emergency shelter will be used:
Hugh John MacDonald High School
567 Bannatyne Avenue
10. Teachers will remain with their students, supervise student movement, check attendance and perform other duties as required.
11. Teachers and students will remain in the shelter until a decision is made by administration as to further action.
12. Parents will be notified by telephone. Teachers and administrators will not leave until all their children are safely accounted for.
Duties of the Custodian during Evacuation: The custodian immediately checks the alarm panel to isolate the zone the problem is in, then goes to that zone to find the exact source of the problem. Depending on the situation, the custodian can take care of smaller fires with a portable extinguisher or, if the fire is too large, go back to the entrance and await the fire department. When the fire department arrives, the custodian meets with the firemen.
Duties of the Principal: Oversees the evacuation of the building. Confirms that all students are accounted for and informs the fire department of missing staff/students, location of people awaiting assistance in the building, and any other pertinent information.
Duties of the Vice-Principal: Collect all names of missing students and consult s with the principal. Informs teachers if classes are to proceed to Hugh John MacDonald High School.
Duties of the Secretary: Calls 911 to ensure the fire department is responding to the alarm. Takes with her the emergency file which should include: class lists with address and phone number, crisis response list and school floor plan. If the custodian and both administrators are not available, the secretary is responsible for meeting the fire department.
**Individual students who may have been in the computer lab, counselling room, office, library or other area separated from their classes should proceed to the nearest exit and then go directly to the area designated for their classroom during that period so that they may be accounted for.
Designated staff will check the washrooms as follows:
a. General Office EA to check basement
b. Classroom Teacher (Room 207) to check second floor
c. Classroom Teacher (Room 109) to check first floor
EVACUATION IN CASE OF WATER MAIN BREAK,
POWER FAILURE, STRUCTURAL COLLAPSE OR CHEMICAL SPILL
Staff will follow the above protocol. Parents will be notified by the classroom teacher or assigned assistant to pick up children from the designated evacuation centre. Teachers will take their class lists and phone records whenever evacuating the building.
Bomb threats will be taken seriously. The secretary will call 911 immediately. Evacuation procedures will be followed.
Parents and staff are requested to listen carefully to the major radio stations for announcements relative to openings and closings. In the event it is necessary to close the school due to severe weather conditions the following procedure will apply. Parents will be notified by telephone. Teachers and administrators will not leave until all their children are safely accounted for.
SEVERE ALLERGIES, MEDICATION AND ACCIDENTS
Severe Allergies
All students with severe allergies are registered with the School Division. These students are identified initially by parents/guardians through the registration form. Students’ photos are taken and posted. An emergency plan is attached so that, in case of an emergency, quick action can be taken. All plans include calling an ambulance. In case of a severe food allergy, an Epi-Pen is required and administering it would be part of the emergency response plan.
Administering Medication during School Hours
In accordance with the Winnipeg School Division policy, no prescribed medication is to be in the student’s possession at any time. (The exception would be asthma medication, specifically inhalers in backpacks or in the student’s desk.) Prescribed medication from a physician should be in its original labelled container. A form indicating the name of the medication, and the dosage to be taken, along with any special instructions must be filled out by a physician. The medication must be brought to the school by the parent/guardian or other designated adult. The medication container must have the dispensing instruction on it.
At school, the medication is kept under lock and key and one person is designated to hand it out with one person as backup in case of an absence. A daily record is kept of the medication that is administered.
Accidents
E.S.C. fills in an Accident Form for accidents that require some kind of intervention by an adult in the building. All forms pass through the Office. If the accident is minor, a decision may be made not to contact the parent or guardian. However, parents are always contacted if there has been some head trauma even if it is deemed minor.
