The safety of our staff, students, and community is always a priority in Worthington Schools

Statistics show that when staff and students within a school are prepared with knowledge and practice, they respond to emergency situations with positive results. For that reason, schools have always engaged in routines, drills and learning that support everyone’s safety.

Historically, our schools have participated in the following safety drills:

A. Fire Drills that provide knowledge about reporting fire hazards, and experience with a safe evacuation of the building using multiple exits

B. Weather Drills that provide knowledge about how to be calm and safe in the event of weather-related events (such as a tornado), and experience with locating sheltered space within the building in which safety is maximized.

C. Lock-Down Drills that provide knowledge about circumstances in which free movement in and around the building is curtailed (such as neighborhood disturbances or unruly school visitors), and experience with locking down the school perimeter, classrooms, and common areas to keep students safe in a secure area until the circumstance passes.

D. Rally-Point Drills that provide knowledge about exiting the building safely, (such as a gas leak or unsafe school visitor), and experience with walking to a predetermined safe space.

Public schools are required by Ohio law to engage in a "Full Scale" Safety Drill every three years. A "Full Scale" drill is one that combines traditionally practiced drills and will include a controlled classroom lockdown and simulated evacuation of the school, including processes to move students away from the school building in the case of the presence of danger at school.

Worthington school staff have been trained in emergency response using the ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) training model. Part of this training for staff included how to take additional countermeasures during a “lockdown” to facilitate students in an evacuation to a school “Rally Point” from which students could be transported to a “reunification” location to be joined with parents/guardians. Reunification points may vary, but the Worthington Education Center (WEC) would be considered first.

Prior to conducting the full scale safety drill, it is important to prepare students for participation in an age-appropriate manner.

During the month of September, our elementary Library Media Staff will be sharing an age-appropriate informational picture book with students in grades K-2. The book outlines awareness building for students and includes teaching about a school rally point, which students will locate and visit. Students in grades 3-5 have participated in this read-aloud previously. Should you like to preview the book, please reach out to your building principal.

Additionally, in the days leading up to each building’s full-scale drill, classroom teachers will lead students in an age-appropriate discussion that allows students to understand the steps involved in completing the full-scale drill. The purpose of this is to eliminate any feelings of surprise and to allow students to know what to expect.

Our schools are great communities for learning. Being prepared for unplanned interruptions is one way to build confidence for ultimate student safety. The safety of our staff, students, and community is always our priority.

• September 27th- Middle of 1st Trimester
  

• October 11-14th- Parent-Teacher Conference Week

• October 12th- Conferences at Park from 3 pm - 7:30 pm

• October 13th- Conferences at Park from 3 pm - 7:30 pm

• October 12th / 13th- Book Fair

• October 15th- No School

• October 18th- School Safety Drill