The OMS Community Newsletter
March 2018
School Safety & Security
For students in particular, it was an opportunity to discuss two of our most important school safety skills.
The first is the ability to react quickly and alertly to a lock-down, based on the ALICE training we have used in Stoughton since 2012. The A in ALICE is for "alert" and the L is for "lock-down." ALICE training focuses on a well-rehearsed and automatic response to a lock-down, and then a reaction to an emergency based on the situation at hand. ALICE training is a departure from the outdated school safety training where students and staff react in one way no matter what the situation. Students practice this quick response to a lock-down often at OMS. We practice during class and during passing time. They've been taught that a real lock-down situation would involve instructions from the teacher based on the specifics of the situation. Drills are often followed by classroom discussions on potential scenarios and instructions.
The second safety skill we discussed is reporting something suspicious to an adult. This skill is not new to our students, but it does have a catchy new title this year: "See something, say something." In our partnership with the Sandy Hook Promise, we held a "See something, say something" week in October to get the word out. On the morning announcements, I commended two of our sixth graders. These students, who requested to remain anonymous, did report something they saw on social media that was a safety concern to an adult at school. A student had made a threat against a teacher on social media, and the sixth graders thought it was a Stoughton student. It turned out to be a student and teacher from a neighboring community. The report from our sixth graders allowed the proper authorities to address the threat. It was an example of "see something, say something" in action. Take a look at The Brockton Enterprise article for more on that story by clicking on the newspaper page below.
For more information about school safety and security in our school and all the schools in Stoughton, please attend the School Safety Forum.
School Safety Forum
Monday, Mar 19, 2018, 07:00 PM
Stoughton High School, Pearl Street, Stoughton, MA, USA
Meet School Resource Officer Lindsay Bonda
Meet School Security Monitor Stephen McNamara (Mr. Mac)
Shrek, The Musical Jr. - Opening Night!
Thursday, Mar 22, 2018, 07:00 PM
O'Donnell Middle School, Cushing Street, Stoughton, MA, USA
Trimester 2 Extension
Nurse Needed for Washington DC trip
O'Donnell Middle School
Email: m_colantonio@stoughtonschools.org
Website: oms.stoughtonschools.org
Location: 211 Cushing Street, Stoughton, MA, USA
Phone: 781 344 7002
Facebook: facebook.com/stoughtonpublicschools
Grade 7 Student and Parent Meeting for Next Year's Washington DC Trip
in the Cafetorium
Meeting Agenda:
- Trip cost, registration, itinerary
- Early registration discount information
- Opportunities for fundraising and scholarships