The Weekly Bulldog
August 29, 2019
From Tim: Student safety and well-being, on and off campus
As we begin our school year together, I wanted you to know we are committed to student safety and well-being, on an off campus. Students flourish only when they know their community is a safe one, and we take a broad view of safety towards that end. Our educational program intentionally fosters social-emotional as well as physical safety, though for the purposes of this communication I’d like to focus on the latter and share some key elements of school safety and security. Like all aspects of student well-being, our approach to physical security invests in the active participation of all community members.
Our faculty and staff engage in regular trainings and embrace the responsibility we all share in addressing any unsafe situation and in responding to any emergency that may happen. We prepare students to respond to a range of crises and design trainings that help them understand real versus perceived risks. We also work to create safe spaces for our students to discuss their worries and we acknowledge the prevalence of student anxiety around the issue of school security. Here are specific ways Stanley addresses school safety and security:
Oversight and Management
Last year, we initiated a Risk Management and Child Well-Being Committee of our board of trustees. This group, comprised of board members, senior administrative staff, and school community members with relevant expertise, meets throughout the year to review and advise school policies and practices.
Stanley’s Emergency Response Team, comprised of senior administrative and facilities staff, meets monthly to continually plan, review, and revise the school’s safety and security measures. We plan and implement regular trainings for students and staff, and we engage in regular “tabletop” scenarios to preview practices and communication strategies in the event of a school crisis.
We draw heavily from outside expertise and resources to inform our work, in particular the Colorado School Safety Resource Center. (Colorado.gov/CSSRC) We use the organization for on-site staff trainings, consultation on campus physical security, and off-site safety workshops.
Building Security
We provide a locked school perimeter during the school day. After drop-off times, all parents and guests enter Stanley through the front door after being granted entrance by our front desk staff, and all sign-in and receive a visitor’s lanyard. On campus, we provide limited access to each of our campus classroom buildings, with one unlocked door into each.
All entrances to the main building are covered by video surveillance cameras, as is most of the rest of campus, and we’re currently exploring the most optimal locations for additional cameras.
We employ the firm Securitas to conduct several patrols each night. They ensure buildings are secure and monitor the campus for any unwanted visitors.
Crisis Trainings
Our purpose in conducting campus emergency drills- evacuation, lockout, lockdown, and shelter in place- is to give students tools and agency to respond in an emergency. We use age-appropriate language with our students to ensure that we are not contributing to the anxiety many may feel. We want them to understand that these drills are simply a part of our overall plan to keep the Stanley community a safe place for them and for all of us. These drills also enable us to pre-brief and de-brief as a faculty and staff at grade levels to ensure everyone is familiar with safety procedures for different situations.
More details, including answers to FAQs, can be found on our website at stanleybps.org/parents.
All the best,
Top Five Things
1. First-Fridays Pop-up Socials with the Stanley PA
The PA invites all Middle School, 3-4-5 and K-1-2 parents to swing by the community space next Friday September 6 for our inaugural First-Friday Pop-up Breakfast Social. Drop in to find out what’s coming up next month in our community! Burritos + Coffee + fliers to-go.
2. Kids first at drop-off and pickup times!
The Stanley school day is scheduled down to the minute; teachers and your children appreciate timeliness at pickup and drop-off. As a reminder, school day drop-off begins at 8 a.m., in time for classroom routines to start at 8:15 a.m. Students may not enter classrooms before 8 a.m. To collect students at day's end, please be in car lines by 3 p.m. (or in person at the gym for K-1-2 or Rampart Way for grades 3-8). We cannot dismiss children of any grade from the lobby at 3, 4 or 4:30 p.m. Students not picked up by 3:15 p.m. are checked into Extended Day. Academic club and enrichment pickup takes place at the gym at 4 p.m. (athletics at 4:30 p.m.), and students without rides home can be claimed from Extended Day. Thanks for helping the day go smoothly for everyone.
3. Semi-finalists selected for Stanley's next head of school
4. SchoolPool with Stanley drivers
5. Share and download school-year photos
Upcoming Events
August 29
Stanley Pickup Basketball "Bricks & Brews" at 8pm
August 30
Middle School camping trips return
September 2
September 3
After-school enrichments begin
September 5
Middle School Back-to-school Night (6pm)
September 6
First-Friday Pop-up Social: Parent Association
September 11
September 12
3-4-5 Back-to-school night 5pm
K-1-2 Back-to-school night 6pm
Stanley British Primary School
Email: admin@stanleybps.org
Website: www.stanleybps.org
Location: 350 Quebec St., Denver
Phone: (303) 360-0803
Facebook: facebook.com/stanley.british/
Twitter: @stanleybps