Dear Heights Families,
As we complete quarter one, I am excited and hopeful about the learning and growing that will
happen on our beautiful campus. I wanted to take this opportunity to write to you about school
safety and security, a topic that is ever-present on the minds of leaders, school staff, and
parents nationwide.
Each year we take the time to review our Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and drilling
protocol to ensure we are following Arizona Revised Statute and national best practices. This is
done in concert with local law enforcement and support agencies. In addition to reviewing and
revising the EOP, we also believe strongly that training (and consistently retraining) staff is a
critical component of our overall safety and security strategy.
This week during professional development, school staff went through a two-hour training
session with Rocky Mountain Consulting, a school safety and security consulting agency. Our
trainer is a former school administrator who is also a certified Advanced ALICE, Standard
Response Protocol (SRP), and Standard Reunification Method (SRM) instructor. Staff were
trained in student mental health, behavioral threat assessment, options-based response
protocol, situational awareness, and proper trauma-informed drilling techniques. To end the
session, staff physically went through a lockdown drill to familiarize themselves with the
written plan, our real-time communication technology, and physical layout of the building/their
classrooms.
In the event of a school violence incident, we will employ an options-based response protocol
to protect students and staff. Parents should be informed that the safety of students and staff
is the highest priority, and that their children’s teacher or school administrators will provide
directions as to the best course of action. This approach allows teachers and staff to process the event and decide on the option that will keep children the safest. When possible, students and staff will be advised to lockdown and barricade in a secure location until help arrives. If locking down is not possible, students and staff will be instructed to evacuate their location, or the building, and seek safety. Parents are encouraged to discuss these options with their children and reinforce the importance of following instructions from school staff during emergency situations.
We will conduct a lockdown drill with your students a minimum of three times this academic
year, which you will know about well in advance. Teachers will speak to students about the
lockdown protocol prior to the drill and lead them through a calm and controlled sequence of
events. We know, from nearly two decades of research, that creating muscle memory around
emergency response does NOT need to include sensory drilling practices; thus, these drills will
focus on creating trust in the process. The scripts teachers will use to explain lockdown drilling
are attached for your review. We believe in partnering with our parents to create common
verbiage around emergency planning and response protocols.
Please feel free to reach out if you have questions. Thank you for your continued support and
trust as we navigate an open line of communication around school safety and security.
Sincerely,
Steve Lee, Principal
Lockdown Drill Script
