Safety/Security Top Priority
"Providing students and staff with a safe, secure environment"
Student safety is a top priority of the Richland School District. From the time students step on the morning bus until they walk out of a drama practice in the late afternoon, District staff are watching out to ensure that they arrive home safe and sound.
Your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews are with us seven to ten hours a day, 180 days a year. Nothing is more important to our teachers, coaches and support staff than providing them with a positive and secure learning environment.
One area of emphasis is bullying and harassment. In an effort to eliminate these aggressive behaviors, Richland schools promote an overall and ongoing culture of respect. We obviously can't monitor every hallway conversation, but students are encouraged to help others, be kind to each other and not accept the bullying behavior of others. The Steps to Respect curriculum is one tool we use weekly in the elementary schools. Children who learn to work out their differences with each other in third grade are less likely to resort to threats and fighting when they get to middle school or high school.
At the high schools, security guards and police officers build positive relationships with students as a proactive way to monitor campus life. As they get to know students and spend time around them, trust is established.
Patrick Underwood, security guard at River's Edge High School, recently received the "Outstanding Educator Award" from the West Richland Chamber of Commerce. Patrick says his job is all about communication and trust. "The number one tool to diffuse a potential situation is listening, talking and remaining calm. Most River's Edge students know they can approach me on just about any topic. I treat each student as I'd want to be treated. A drill sergeant approach doesn't work with most students. I might change a student's whole day if I can get him or her to smile. That's why I often greet them in the morning with, 'Welcome to paradise, where learning is fun and fun is learning.'" Patrick is making a positive difference in the lives of River's Edge students.
For the safety of staff and students, the Richland School District has an Emergency Response Plan in place. It's a practical plan that lines out how we respond to various kinds of emergencies and disasters. Our schools practice evacuation and lock-down drills on a regular basis so students and staff will be prepared when a real emergency happens. The plan includes evacuating students and employees to a backup location should the need arise. This enables the District to more easily account for students and employees, and to provide a safe place until students are reunited with their parents at the backup school or at home if students are transported there.
Another critical piece of providing a safe learning environment is having a reliable security system. Three years ago, break-ins and vandalism were costing the District thousands of dollars a year. The Richland Police Department told us that our school security systems were outdated and inefficient. We then had to ask ourselves if District employees were safe working at night in our schools. It was obvious that something needed to be done both from a safety and financial standpoint. That's why the Richland School Board approved a $1.2 million expenditure (PILT and capital projects money) in 2005 to upgrade security systems at all schools. The good news is that the work is almost done. Here's a brief rundown on what your tax dollars have purchased:
And finally, we need your help. The Richland School District is not isolated from the possibility of school violence. As a parent, grandparent, neighbor or friend, we must have our eyes and ears open to what is going on in our community. There are children potentially at risk all around us. Let us be alert and vigilant as we try our best to keep Richland schools safe for the outstanding young people who come to learn everyday.
Student safety is a top priority of the Richland School District. From the time students step on the morning bus until they walk out of a drama practice in the late afternoon, District staff are watching out to ensure that they arrive home safe and sound.
Your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews are with us seven to ten hours a day, 180 days a year. Nothing is more important to our teachers, coaches and support staff than providing them with a positive and secure learning environment.
One area of emphasis is bullying and harassment. In an effort to eliminate these aggressive behaviors, Richland schools promote an overall and ongoing culture of respect. We obviously can't monitor every hallway conversation, but students are encouraged to help others, be kind to each other and not accept the bullying behavior of others. The Steps to Respect curriculum is one tool we use weekly in the elementary schools. Children who learn to work out their differences with each other in third grade are less likely to resort to threats and fighting when they get to middle school or high school.
At the high schools, security guards and police officers build positive relationships with students as a proactive way to monitor campus life. As they get to know students and spend time around them, trust is established.
Patrick Underwood, security guard at River's Edge High School, recently received the "Outstanding Educator Award" from the West Richland Chamber of Commerce. Patrick says his job is all about communication and trust. "The number one tool to diffuse a potential situation is listening, talking and remaining calm. Most River's Edge students know they can approach me on just about any topic. I treat each student as I'd want to be treated. A drill sergeant approach doesn't work with most students. I might change a student's whole day if I can get him or her to smile. That's why I often greet them in the morning with, 'Welcome to paradise, where learning is fun and fun is learning.'" Patrick is making a positive difference in the lives of River's Edge students.
For the safety of staff and students, the Richland School District has an Emergency Response Plan in place. It's a practical plan that lines out how we respond to various kinds of emergencies and disasters. Our schools practice evacuation and lock-down drills on a regular basis so students and staff will be prepared when a real emergency happens. The plan includes evacuating students and employees to a backup location should the need arise. This enables the District to more easily account for students and employees, and to provide a safe place until students are reunited with their parents at the backup school or at home if students are transported there.
Another critical piece of providing a safe learning environment is having a reliable security system. Three years ago, break-ins and vandalism were costing the District thousands of dollars a year. The Richland Police Department told us that our school security systems were outdated and inefficient. We then had to ask ourselves if District employees were safe working at night in our schools. It was obvious that something needed to be done both from a safety and financial standpoint. That's why the Richland School Board approved a $1.2 million expenditure (PILT and capital projects money) in 2005 to upgrade security systems at all schools. The good news is that the work is almost done. Here's a brief rundown on what your tax dollars have purchased:
- Automated door-lock systems allow a principal or secretary to pull a single tab underneath their desks and immediately lock down the entire school perimeter.
- A duress button in the main office can be pushed which alerts police to an emergency situation.
- Motion sensors and door sensors have been installed. An alarm goes off if a door or window is forced open or broken. This not only prevents vandalism, but notifies a teacher working on the weekend that an intruder is in the building.
- Up-to-date video surveillance systems give middle school and high school administrators real time views of what's going on inside and outside their schools. A principal can pull up a multi-camera or single camera view right from his office. Marc Nelson, assistant principal at Enterprise Middle School, says the new video system has been a significant help in monitoring student behavior. "When a student comes to us with a situation that has occurred in the halls, we use the video system to verify it. It provides the hard evidence to enlighten both sides of a story."
And finally, we need your help. The Richland School District is not isolated from the possibility of school violence. As a parent, grandparent, neighbor or friend, we must have our eyes and ears open to what is going on in our community. There are children potentially at risk all around us. Let us be alert and vigilant as we try our best to keep Richland schools safe for the outstanding young people who come to learn everyday.