The Weekly: September 6
Dear Families,
As you know, the safety of our students is our top priority. We are required to practice the various safety drills early in the school year and again throughout the year. This is an essential part of keeping our students safe in the event of an emergency. We conduct several different safety drills in our schools. Each drill is intended to help our staff and students know how to respond to a specific type of emergency. We encourage families to talk to their children about safety drills at home so that they can reinforce what they learn in school. It is important for our students to understand that these drills are necessary for us to keep them safe. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us to keep our students safe by talking to your children about safety drills.
This week, we practiced our Evacuation/Fire plan. This drill teaches our staff and students how to evacuate the school safely in the event of a fire or other hazard requiring us to relocate. I am very proud of how well your children did during our first fire drill. Later in September, the local fire department will be at IDE during this drill to observe and provide feedback.
Next Friday, we will practice our Active Threath-Run/Hide/Fight plan. Run/Hide/Fight is a nationally recognized model for responding to a threat and/or active shooter inside the building. It is a three-step approach CCSD66 is prepared to utilize if ever necessary. I want to provide you with additional information about this plan, as it is my goal to equip you with the knowledge and information so you are able to support your child as you see best.
Run: If you can safely evacuate the building, do so immediately. Do not wait for permission from an adult. Help others escape, if possible, but evacuate regardless of whether others agree to follow.
Hide: If you cannot safely evacuate, find a place to hide where you are out of sight of the threat and/or active shooter. Make sure your hiding place is secure and that you can quickly leave if necessary. Stay quiet and do not move until you are sure it is safe to do so.
Fight: If you are cornered by the threat and/or active shooter and have no other option, fight back to defend yourself and others. It is important to note that fighting should be a last resort. It is only recommended if your life is in immediate danger. Due to the age level of our students, we do not practice this as part of our drill.
How to talk to your children about Run/Hide/Fight
It is important to talk to your children about Run/Hide/Fight in a way that is age-appropriate and reassuring. Let them know that you are always there to protect them, but that it is important for them to know what to do if they are ever in a dangerous situation.
Here are some tips for talking to your children about Run/Hide/Fight:
Choose a time to talk when you and your child will not be interrupted.
Explain the Run/Hide/Fight concept in simple terms.
Reassure your child that we are doing everything we can to keep them safe.
Let your child know that it is okay to be scared, but that they need to stay calm and listen to your instructions.
Remind your child that we will practice the Run/Hide/Fight steps in school.
When we talk to our students about this drill, we refrain from words such as "bad guys" or "guns". We explain that sometimes there are dangerous situations where we need to know how to stay safe. We may need to run or hide, and as a last result fight. We let our students know that the adults will provide help and guidance so your children know exactly what to do in the event of a dangerous situation.
Illinois public schools are required to conduct one law enforcement drill, which must be completed when students are present within the first 90 days of school. On Friday, September 13th, we will conduct our law enforcement drill, which will include the HIDE portion of this drill. Our staff and teachers will review the procedures in advance and students will be notified over the announcements that this is a drill.
We appreciate you taking time to talk to your children about our safety drills, and thank you for your support as we work collaboratively to keep us all safe.
Respectfully,
Katie Johnson
The Art Room has been busy with creativity!
As students complete their first projects in Art, we’d like to document and share our work with you by using a free digital portfolio called Artsonia. Artsonia is a way for your child to share their artwork with family online and create a digital Art portfolio of their masterpieces while at Elizabeth Ide and Prairieview Elementary Schools.
Artsonia will be managed by Ms. Smeltzer, (Art teacher), in a safe and educational manner. All we need is your permission to include your child’s artwork on our school’s web gallery on Artsonia. Students will learn the preparations and responsibilities involved in displaying their art and developing a digital portfolio for themselves, (Ms. Smeltzer photographs Kindergarten’s artwork).
If you have any questions/concerns, please feel free to contact Ms. Smeltzer at tsmeltzer@ccsd66.org.
We're creating a special display at IDE to showcase the love of reading in our community. Can you help us capture this magic? If you see your child reading, snap a picture and email it to Meghan Aleo. Include the child's first and last name in the email.
Together, let's show the importance of getting lost in a good book!
Send in pictures ASAP!
