Parent Teacher Advisory Dec 2024

The Parent Teacher Advisory Committee and Behavior Intervention Committee met last week on November 13, 2024. The focus of our meeting was on safety and security in our schools and collaboration with the D67 School Resource Officer, Misa Maj. Handouts for our meeting are linked here: agenda and slides.

Thank you to our committee members for attending and engaging in this important work to assist in the development of student behavior policy and procedure.

Committee Members include:

• Ms. Maureen Lee, Parent at Deer Path MIddle School

• Ms. Kathy Slater, Parent at Sheridan School

• Ms. Hilary Humer; Speech Pathologist at Everett School

• Ms. Carly Harvey, Parent at Deer Path Middle School and School Administrator

• Mr. Ryan Weidman, Parent at Everett School and Deer Path Middle School

• Ms. Nicola Coletto, Parent at Cherokee and Sheridan Schools

• Dr. Anthony Polina, Deer Path Middle School Teacher

• Dr. Jenny Sterpin, District Administrator

• Mr. Chuck Walsh, Director of Safety and Security

Mr. Chuck Walsh, the Director of Safety and Security, shared that both District 67 and 115 will be moving away from the confidential reporting tool we are currently using and replacing it with the Safe 2 Help hotline. Safe 2 Help is monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and has a quick response in an emergency or potential threat. More information will be shared in the coming months as we transition. Please continue to use the confidential reporting tool on all D67 and D115 school web pages.

Mr. Walsh also led a role-play activity called a tabletop exercise, which involved a potential threat overheard on a school bus. The committee had the opportunity to talk through a response and potential next steps, as well as special factors to consider. Mr. Walsh also highlighted several safety measures in place to keep our staff and students safe, including the guest access system in our buildings, new and increased cameras across our school campuses, secure vestibule protocols, locked classrooms, the All Call phone system, student and staff IDs and lanyards for easy identification, and increased practice with staff and students on handling potential threats.

Thank you, Mr. Walsh, for your leadership in keeping our schools safe.

Mrs. Misa Maj, School Resource Officer for District 67, also shared information about her role in the D67 schools. A member of the Lake Forest Police Department, Mrs. Maj monitors safety throughout our District 67 schools, patrolling the buildings and campuses, making sure doors are locked, and providing ongoing education about safety in our buildings. She is available to intervene for any potential threats to the school community, supports and facilitates required safety drills, and collaborates with teachers on topics such as internet safety. Mrs. Maj is always available to support staff and student questions. We are lucky to partner with her!

Our next Parent Teacher Advisory Committee and Behavior Intervention Committee Meeting is scheduled for February 19, 2025, and the topic is student discipline, including students with disabilities.

If you have any questions or feedback, please contact Dr. Jenny Sterpin at jsterpin@lfschools.net.