Weekly News and Notes, September 30

Spartan Podcast, September 28

Weekly News and Notes, 9/23

 

ALICE Drill, 9/21

 Good evening,

On Wednesday, September 21st at 9:15 a.m., Uxbridge High School will be participating in a LockDown Drill.  This drill is no different than our required fire drills. The Uxbridge Public School District has a comprehensive Emergency Response Plan developed and maintained in continuous collaboration with the Uxbridge Police Department and Uxbridge Fire Department.  It is expected that all students participate in the prescribed emergency drills in their schools as instructed by the school administration and staff.  It is imperative that students understand the importance of engaging in these procedures in a serious manner so as to be fully prepared should an emergency arise during the school day. 

There are three types of drills that are required for all staff and students in all school buildings during the school year:   

Evacuation/Fire Drill – is used when it is important to move away from the building to a secure location away from the building.  These drills will take place at least four times per year under the direction of the Uxbridge Fire Department. 

Shelter in Place – is used to protect staff and students from incidents and/or distractions that are taking place in the hallway.  A hold in place implies that instruction should continue within the classroom, and that students should remain in the classroom until further notice. These drills will take place at least two times per year.  

Lockdown – is used to protect staff and students from a threat inside the building.  It is to be used when it may be more dangerous to evacuate the building than it is to stay in a secure classroom within the school and utilize tactics from ALICE training.   These drills will take place in coordination with the Uxbridge Police Department.   

Emergencies are unexpected, unpredictable, and take many forms.  No one can ever be fully prepared for everything that may happen as each situation happens in its own unique context.  However, the district Incident Management Plan is designed to provide a proven framework within those unique situations on which leaders and staff can rely.  When a school’s procedures are well rehearsed and automatic, the opportunity for a school leader to assess the situation and make appropriate immediate decisions is greater.   

During Wednesday's drill, there will be no announcement other than the initial call that a “LOCKDOWN DRILL” has been initiated. During this drill, Uxbridge PD will be on scene conducting interior and exterior checks of the building. Role players are not involved in this drill.

During this drill, the following topics and scenarios may be discussed with students.  All discussions will occur in an age appropriate fashion:

1. Review the difference between a lockdown and shelter in place
1. Lockdown - there is a threat inside or outside the building that poses a danger to their safety (This could be a rabid animal.)
2. Shelter in place - there is an incident happening in the school that does not pose any threat to safety.  Class instruction may continue.  All students and staff must remain in their room until drill or incident has concluded.

Review ALICE Procedures:

NOTE: ALICE IS USED IN ANY SITUATION THAT A LOCKDOWN/LOCKDOWN-DRILL IS CALLED

During this part, teachers will review ALICE protocol with students.

A - ALERT - PA announcement or any other communication of an active threat.  Note that this can be initiated by observations of teachers/students or PA announcements. If possible, pass information to notify others. Anyone may initiate the alert. Does not have to come from the principal or main office.

L - LOCKDOWN - Once threat is acknowledged, lock the door and prepare to barricade if warranted.

I - INFORM - The more information gathered, make decisions on actions taken (evacuate or barricade). This may come from additional announcements or your own observations.

C - COUNTER - Last resort: If there is no other option. Engage. Items may be thrown at the intruder, etc.

E - EVACUATE - THIS IS THE BEST OPTION.  If the threat is in another part of the building, evacuation is the best choice. After exiting the building, get as far away from the building as possible to a safe distance. Listen to your teacher’s instructions.  It’s best if the group is able to stay together during evacuation.--

As with any drill, we anticipate there being a number of responses and questions, and we have developed the means to engage students and staff in feedback. Drills such as this help develop our own acuity and situational awareness, even as we hope to never have to draw on these experiences and learnings. Also, please be aware that access to the campus may be limited during the drill.

Finally, we are grateful for the support of our Student Resource Officer, Dan Deveau, and our Dean of Students, Dave Moura, who have coordinated this drill for our school. Feel free to contact either of them or me directly to discuss any concerns or questions. 

Sincerely yours,

Michael D. Rubin

Principal, Uxbridge High School

Weekly News and Notes, September 16

Weekly News and Notes, September 9

 

Weekly News and Notes, September 1

 Good afternoon,

We have a few updates from UHS this week:

Unified Basketball

We have opened registration for Unified Basketball on FamilyID. Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding. In Unified Sports, teams are made up of people of similar age and ability. Our basketball will likely practice 2-3 times weekly in preparation for games in October and November. Interested individuals can also reach out to Ms. Taglilatela or Ms. Wandyes with questions.

Locker Questions

Some families had inquired about locker access for students. We have the ability to assign any student a locker, should the student want one. All grade 8 students have been assigned lockers. For the most part, upperclassmen tend to not use lockers, but we offered them the opportunity to sign up for a locker, should they need one. If parents have quesitons about locker assignments, the students can contact their school counselor, Ms. Robertson in the counseling office, or Mr. Moura.

Podcast Episode

We have linked our latest podcast, with Mr. Bertrand and Mr. Moura as the guests:  https://anchor.fm/uxbridgehighschool/episodes/Spartan-Podcast--September-1-e1n8j7m

No School Friday or Monday

There is no school on Friday, September 2 or Monday, September 5.

Some Thoughts on the Opening

At the end of the first day of school, it is common practice for leadership teams to connect on the successes and challenges of a first day of school. This year, the list of challenges was short and those problems quite minor, really revolving around some classroom shifts to accommodate enrollment and making sure that we have adequate lunchroom seating. Our opening days here have been awesome - the energy is palpable, the positivity emergent in every classroom, and the genuine feeling of focus on many of our goals evident in our classroom visits. Our students have been cooperative, supportive, and communicative, while definitely bringing a sense of stability to our classrooms, alongside educators who have the opportunity to start the year by forging relationships and connecting with their students in ways that do not involve face masks and Zoom screens.

Relatively speaking, we had a good school year last year, but if the past couple of days are any indication, we truly are excited for the 2022-23 school year will bring us. We will push and challenge students and hardly think anything will be perfect, but we have the utmost confidence that the tone has been set for an overall great experience. As we have been sharing with students and staff alike, in the words of the late, great Bill Russell, winning streaks start with a single victory, and then we try to match it again. We certainly hope to sustain this momentum beyond this first week.

As always, reach out if there is anything we can do to support our Spartans. Have a great long weekend!

Michael Rubin, Principal

​Uxbridge High School