UHS and Safety Procedures

I have been struggling tonight with the news of what transpired in Florida on Wednesday. As I have connected with colleagues and friends across Massachusetts and the nation, the Parkland tragedy brought to light, once again, some of our deepest fears. To paraphrase some of the conversations I had, "we spend so much time on response, but what about prevention?" "How prepared are we?" "What can we do to make sure that doesn't happen for us?"

Naturally, there will be people who may be inclined to discuss what happened. There will be some staff members, students, and parents who will need to vent and for whom safety in our own building is maybe a concern. There are procedures we have in place, steps we rehearse, and scenarios for which we are prepared, but it would only be natural for some to be concerned, tense, or shaken as we prepare for another school day, albeit 1800 miles away. Still, there will be others who will have no response whatsoever and for whom the disconnect is natural. 

I am sharing this resource from Harvard, which helps with both parenting and educating amidst times of trauma and crisis.

So you are aware of what we are redirecting and reminding from an administrative level:

1. All visitors are required to enter through the front entrance. Only the main office will permit someone to enter after identifying the purpose for needing access.

2. Visitors who have been granted access to the building will report to the main office to be signed into the building. They should shut the door behind them, not hold it open for the next visitor.

3. People waiting for pickup at the end of the day are not permitted "stand" or wait in vehicles in the staff parking lot or by the front of the building.

Staff, students, and parents who exit the building during the day for any reason: use the front entrance only. Upon arrival, make sure doors close behind you- we do not prop doors open. 

We have procedures and steps in place that keep and maintain UHS as a safe, vibrant community where we can support each other and maintain safety. We hope to never use them, and we keep the communities in Broward County in our thoughts and prayers.