Information for Parents for Safety Drills May 2022

May 2022

Dear Parents, Guardians and Care Givers of Eastdale School,

Please be advised that in the remaining weeks of school, in May and June, we will be PRACTICING some Evacuation and Lockdown drills.

A description of each drill is outlined below.

Bomb Threat Procedure –An announcement is made to evacuate the building.  The teachers will direct their class outside, like a fire drill.  Students do not use any technology (ie cell phones) during this time.

Lockdown Procedure – A lockdown occurs when a potentially serious, violent, situation happens that would endanger the lives of staff and students.  Students will hear an announcement “This is a lockdown”, and immediately go to the nearest room or secure area that they are in.  The secure area will be indicated by a green circle posted in the room.  In the school, doors are locked, lights are off and windows are covered.  All movement and noise in the building will stop until a second announcement is made to indicate that the lockdown is over and the school is “all clear”.  During a lockdown, if students are in the washroom they are to go to the nearest classroom with an open door.  If all of the doors are closed then they need to quickly return to the washroom, enter a stall, lock it, and sit on the toilet with their legs lifted out of sight.

Hold and Secure Procedure – Hold and Secure occurs when a safety situation is in the neighbourhood and not related to the school, is occurring.  An announcement will be made.   Students and staff remain in the building and no one moves in or out of the building until an all clear is indicated.

Shelter in Place Procedure – Shelter in place occurs when a potential or weather-related hazard is outside of the school.  The announcement will be made.   Everyone remains inside the school with the doors and windows closed.  Normal operations may continue within the building.

We practice these drills so that the school population knows what to do to stay safe in case of an emergency.  We let parents know that these are practices, in case your child mentions to you that we have been doing these drills.  It also helps you to reinforce with your child the steps and what to do to stay safe.

In the event of a real lockdown, updated information will be posted as soon as it is reported on HWDSB board website.  In addition, it is important to remember that to enable emergency personnel to communicate effectively with the school, telephone calls to the school’s landline, or to cell phones within the school are not permitted.

Kindly let us know if you may have any questions or inquiries for clarification.  We can be reached at the school’s number at (905) 594-0001

Sincerely,

R. Bratuz/ Principal