October 20, 2022

ALICE Drill practice tomorrow

Safe Schools Week

Dear Rogers Families,

Tomorrow we will be holding our ALICE drill. Before I go into the logistics of that safety drill, I would like to share some of the updated safety measures taken at Rogers (and across the district). 

 Over the past few months, we have updated our school safety plan to include:

● Installed NightLock door security systems on every room. These provide an extra layer of security in the event that a door needs to be barricaded and are simple to use.

● Equipped each classroom with a Go-Bucket. These buckets contain various useful materials in the event of a longer term lockdown in a classroom.

● Tested all Emergency Call Buttons in every classroom. These are a direct line from every classroom to the front office.

● Established a school rally point (La Salette Church) and procedure for pickup in the event of an evacuation. The Reunification Process is set in motion by our District Level Crisis Response Team. We have an agreement with La Salette and have a ROX box (Reunification Operation Kit) on-site with all necessary materials.

I have spoken to our police liaison about what our ALICE drill should look like. Through those conversations, we concluded that this drill should be educational and informative, but must also be appropriate for young children and sensitive to the worries that students may have about this topic.

With these things in mind, the drill will go as follows:

● I will make a PA Announcement to talk about the drill and explain how it will operate. I will assure the students that Rogers is safe and that it is only a drill.

● Students will listen to the short ALICE instructional read aloud, I’m Not Scared, I’m Prepared in their classrooms. All teachers have been given a copy of this book which will teach our students the basics of an ALICE response. Along with the book, teachers will be holding classroom discussions about the layout of their classrooms and how they pertain to ALICE.

● I will get back on the PA to give a specific scenario and start the drill. (I will use language such as, “Attention Rogers staff. Initiate ALICE. We have a situation in the office. There will not be mention of an “intruder” or “shooter” or any other words that may frighten the children.)

● Teachers will hold classroom discussions, walking through potential responses based upon our ALICE training.

● I will get back on the PA to give an update about the scenario situation, and this will be followed by additional classroom discussions.

● I will get on the PA to conclude the drill and reassure students that we are safe at Rogers.

● Throughout the day, teachers will continue to reassure students and make sure they are doing okay. Our teachers, school social worker, school counselor and I will collaborate to respond to any questions or concerns that arise.

While I realize that this is a lot to take in and process, I want you to know that the Rogers staff will be here for your children throughout this process. Together, we will make sure that Rogers students feel safe and secure. Though this drill is, in large part, about the procedural aspects of school safety, we all recognize the need to focus on our students’ social-emotional well-being. Our positive school culture, the relationships we have built with our students and the kindness we show one another all contribute greatly to a safe school environment.

The Rogers staff cares deeply about your children and will be supporting them both during and after this drill. Our hope is that, although difficult, learning about ALICE will be an empowering experience for both staff and students.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me.