Dear Windom Families,
The week of October 21 is School Safety Week and Windom Students will be learning about what to do if there is a “wolf” or intruder in the building. Although none of us want to think about this possibility, we must have a plan and be prepared. All teachers have completed A.L.I.C.E. Training and are equipped to make decisions that will keep students as safe as possible during this type of event. A.L.I.C.E. gives teachers options that begin with knowing where the intruder is located. To communicate this, the intercom and an app are used among our staff. Once teachers know the location of the intruder, they have options to lockdown their classroom and barricade the door (they would exit out the window in the real event), exit through a door and run to the rally point, distract and confuse the intruder, or even take the class into the neighborhood for safety.
A.L.I.C.E. stands for:
Alert - Get the word out! Armed Intruder in building. Use clear, concise language to convey the type and location of the event. The school intercom and CrisisGo App are used to communicate.
Lockdown - This is a good starting point. Lockdown in a secure area.
Inform -Communication keeps the intruder off balance and allows for good
decision-making. Continuous communication with teachers occurs so that they can get students out as soon as possible. All staff are responsible for communicating the whereabouts of the intruder.
Counter - Apply skills to distract, confuse, and buy time so adults can gain control.
Evacuate - As soon as it is safe to do so, evacuate.
There will be many scenarios that we will practice with students during Safety Week using a story book for the younger students and discussion points for the older students. Teachers and students together will locate all exits in the building including the doors not used very often such as the maintenance room or the kitchen exits. They will practice running to the rally point to meet their teacher. Classes will practice building a barricade at the door and talk about going out the window in a real event. Most importantly, students will learn that it is critical to follow the teacher’s directions in an emergency.
A new statute allows parents to opt their child(ren) out of A.L.I.C.E drills. If you prefer not to have your child participate in the drills, please complete this form and electronically submit.
If you have questions or would like more information about the use of A.L.I.C.E. in Windom Area Schools, please call me at 507-831-6901 or email: jfrank@isd177.com.
Sincerely,
Jamie Frank
Superintendent
