I apologize for the longer video today. Though I am sure some of you may still have some questions, I tried to address several of the questions asked yesterday in this week's video. If you still have questions, feel free to reach out to our building principals, or me.

With the tragic incident that occurred at Perry, we wanted to remind families that if you see something of student safety concern, say something. Contact district staff directly, or use some of the resources below. We all need to do what we can to support students and there mental health needs.

We want to assure you that the safety of our students is our top priority. We are constantly reviewing our security measures to ensure that we are doing everything we can to protect our students and staff. Our staff is trained in a variety of emergency situations including an active shooter. Our district has partnered with the city of Van Meter to provide a full-time armed school resource officer in our building every day when students are in attendance.

Though no plan is perfect, we do have plans and processes in place to provide as safe a learning environment as possible for our students. We also urge everyone to speak up if they see or hear anything that could represent a potential threat to school safety.

As we start to plan for our new additions, a key component for our building will be secure entrances. Though they are not going to prevent some student safety incidents, they will provide a layer of safety support that we currently do not have in our district. We will also continue to add to our security cameras system with this project. Again, both layers of security will help improve our current facility, but we still need parents, students, and staff members to do our part to inform the district when safety concerns arise.

As a reminder, there are a few links with information to help support students and families on the school website when dealing with student safety issues. Safe and Sound Iowa is a tool to anonymously report something you might have seen or heard that concerns you in regard to school safety. Also, we have tabs to complete a form that notifies our staff of safety or bullying concerns.

All of these links can be found on the home page of the district website and www.vmbulldogs.com

• Safety and Concern Report Form
• Bullying and Harassment Form
• Safe and Sound Iowa

Here are the links shared yesterday to help you have conversations with your kids at home.

• “Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Families and Teachers” - National Association of School Psychologists
• “Managing Strong Emotional Reactions to Traumatic Events: Tips for Families and Teachers” - National Association of School Psychologists
• What to say to kids when the news is scary - NPR
• Talking with children about difficult things in the news - Fred Rogers Institute
• Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth After the Recent Shooting - The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
• Coping in the Aftermath of a Shooting - American Counseling Association
• An Age-by-Age Guide to Talking to Children About Mass Shootings - The New York Times

The safety and well-being of students and staff is our top priority and the decision to close, delay or

release school is no simple matter. Before deciding to modify the school day due to extreme

weather conditions, the Superintendent consults with a variety of experts both inside and outside of

the District. Our commitment is to keep students, families and staff safe, as well as keep the

community informed of weather-related school closings, delays and cancellations.

Please note that we continually monitor the forecast from the National Weather Service (NWS) in

order to make the best decision for students, staff and families in a timely manner. The District

utilizes information from the NWS for Des Moines. The NWS’s National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) wind chill and heat index charts are utilized in the District’s

decision making process. The NOAA wind chill and heat index charts can be found under

Appendix A of these guidelines.

Announcements of District weather-related decisions are communicated through local media

outlets (television, radio, newspaper) and multiple District communication platforms. Notification

will be sent directly to families by phone and email through the District’s Infinite Campus system

and posted on the District’s website www.vmbulldogs.com . To receive notification through the

District’s Infinite Campus system, please ensure your contact information (e-mail and phone) is

accurate in Infinite Campus and is set up correctly. Announcements will also be posted to Van

Meter Schools social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, etc.). High school activity and athletic

event decisions are communicated by the building administrator/designee.

Mr. Tibbetts will send out information in regard to preschool classes directly to parents of preschool children.

We try to make decisions as early as possible, but sometimes the weather doesn't cooperate. Hopefully, we won't have to make too many weather related decisions this winter:). More information about inclement weather and hard surfaced bus routes can be at vmbulldogs.com under the menu and weather related guidelines.

We have four organizations that do a great job of supporting Van Meter Schools. They are always looking for members. Be sure to reach out to them if you are interested in helping out.

Van Meter Education Foundation- Contact Luke Haverstick at lhaverstick@hotmail.com

Van Meter Elementary Parent Committee Contact Katie Gionet at vmepc01@gmail.com

Van Meter Performing Arts Boosters Contact Scott Prickett at prickettsd@gmail.com

Van Meter Athletic Boosters Contact Jason Pleggenkuhle at vmathleticboosters@gmail.com

Email: firstname.lastname@vmbulldogs.com
Website: www.vmbulldogs.com
Location: 520 1st Avenue, Van Meter, IA, USA
Phone: (515) 996-2221
Facebook: https://facebook.com/VanMeterSchools/
Twitter: @vanmeterschools