Safety and Security Newsletter
West Perry School District - April 2024
Severe Weather Awareness Week
As parents and guardians, keeping our families safe is always our top priority. With the arrival of spring, it's essential to be prepared for the unpredictable nature of severe weather. From April 15th through April 19th, Pennsylvania observes Severe Weather Awareness Week to educate and empower families to handle severe weather situations effectively. Pennsylvania experiences a variety of severe weather events, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, and flash floods. These events can pose significant risks to life and property if proper precautions are not taken. Preparedness is key to mitigating the impact of severe weather on your family. The National Weather Service provides valuable resources and information to help families prepare for severe weather events. Please visit https://www.weather.gov/ctp/SevereWeatherAwarenessWeek for guides, tips, and tools to enhance your family's preparedness.
This week, all district schools will have a severe weather drill and practice our procedures to protect students and staff if the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning.
The Importance of Proper Firearm Storage
Recently, there has been a push nationally to discuss safe firearm storage in the context of school safety. This makes sense as, according to the Department of Homeland Security's National Threat Assessment Center, 76 percent of school shootings involve firearms obtained from the home. Additionally, safe firearm storage is just as important to family safety as 80 percent of firearm suicides by children under the age of 18 involve a firearm belonging to a family member, and 76 percent of unintentional shootings involving children occur with unsecured firearms from the home. These types of violence and accidents involving firearms can be reduced by ensuring proper firearm storage.
There are many options for proper firearm storage, and how each individual stores their firearms will vary depending on their circumstances. For some, trigger or cable locks are the best option. For others, a safe is the best choice. However, the goal is the same: to ensure that firearms are only accessible to authorized users. Below are two resources you can use to explore the options and decide what type of storage is right for you and your family.
NRA Family Article exploring gun storage options
The U.S. Department of Justice guide to safe storage
Additionally, whether you have firearms in your home or not, educating your children about firearm safety and the importance of never handling firearms without adult supervision is important. This will help protect your child if they ever encounter an unsecured firearm.
What is a Classroom Lockdown?
A classroom lockdown is one of three types of lockdowns West Perry School District uses. When a classroom lockdown is initiated, all staff and students stay in the classroom they are currently in until the lockdown is lifted. They continue with instruction as normal within the classroom. The district uses this type of lockdown when there is an emergency in the building that does not present a danger to students and staff, but it is necessary to keep students from being in the hallways. An example would be a medical emergency where it is important for the hallways to be clear so that EMS can quickly get to the injured individual.
Threat Assessment and Management Overview Flyer
Safe2Say Poster
Care Solace Flyer
Everyone plays a vital role in supporting school safety and security, and when we all work together, we can ensure a comprehensive approach to school safety.
For More Information:
Email: lclouse@westperry.org
Website: https://www.westperry.org/district/school_safety_and_security
Location: 2606 Shermans Valley Road, Elliottsburg, PA, USA
Phone: 717-789-3934