Innovative School Lockdown Solution for Young Children
by Ken Glantz, CHPP, CPP - Executive Director at National Domestic Preparedness Coalition
As the school year came to a close in early June, Lt. Chris Gandia and I had the honor of presenting the School Based Threat, Risk, and Vulnerability Assessment (SBTRVA) Course for School Administrators, Law Enforcement Officials, Homeland Security, and Emergency Managers in Baton Rouge, LA. Each time we instruct the course we learn something new and pass along the new information. During the onsite Vulnerability Assessment Practical Exercise, we learned of an innovative way to facilitate a lockdown of very young students without causing them distress.
The course was held on the Louisiana State University Campus (LSU) and the Vulnerability Assessment took place at the Louisiana State University Laboratory School. The K-12, coeducational school is located on the LSU main campus and exists as an independent school that provides training opportunities for pre- and in-service teachers and serves as a demonstration and educational research center. (University Laboratory School, 2013)
The course was held on the Louisiana State University Campus (LSU) and the Vulnerability Assessment took place at the Louisiana State University Laboratory School. The K-12, coeducational school is located on the LSU main campus and exists as an independent school that provides training opportunities for pre- and in-service teachers and serves as a demonstration and educational research center. (University Laboratory School, 2013)
Teacher Sheri Loy Finds Innovation Way to Bring Safety to Her Students Without Causing Fear
Sheri Loy, First Grade Teacherf
As noted during every SBTRVA course, it is very important to have candid conversations with the faculty, staff and administrators of the school you are assessing. While walking through the school we came upon a First Grade teacher, Ms. Sheri Loy, who was closing her classroom, and getting it ready for next fall. We began asking her open ended questions about her perceptions about the school’s security.
Ms. Loy indicated that the school had taken numerous physical security measures to ensure the security of the students and teachers, and that Campus Police had taken a pro-active approach to ensuring the security of the school. Security upgrades included adding bullet resistant film to the glass on the first floor windows and glass doors, locking all exterior doors, and providing interior door locks for all of the classrooms.
Ms. Loy talked about the Sandy Hook Elementary School Massacre and how it affected her and how it made her rethink her approach to school lockdowns. She explained that when she saw the reports of the Sandy Hook shooting, she envisioned herself and her 1st graders in that horrific situation. She talked about how the teachers in the classrooms, adjacent to the classrooms where the killings took place, hid with their students in the class restrooms, locking the restroom doors from the inside.
Ms. Loy indicated that the school had taken numerous physical security measures to ensure the security of the students and teachers, and that Campus Police had taken a pro-active approach to ensuring the security of the school. Security upgrades included adding bullet resistant film to the glass on the first floor windows and glass doors, locking all exterior doors, and providing interior door locks for all of the classrooms.
Ms. Loy talked about the Sandy Hook Elementary School Massacre and how it affected her and how it made her rethink her approach to school lockdowns. She explained that when she saw the reports of the Sandy Hook shooting, she envisioned herself and her 1st graders in that horrific situation. She talked about how the teachers in the classrooms, adjacent to the classrooms where the killings took place, hid with their students in the class restrooms, locking the restroom doors from the inside.
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Ms. Sheri Loy said that this sparked her to look around her classroom and look for a place of refuge beyond the locked classroom door. She showed us a closet in the back of the classroom and expounded upon her “classroom specific” lockdown plan.
Ms. Loy told us that a couple of times a year, she sits the class down during story time and reads aloud the tale of “The Mitten”. "The Mitten" is a story about a young boy named Nicki who asks his grandmother to knit him a pair of white mittens. While outside, Nicki drops one of his white mittens in the snow, and goes on without realizing that it is missing. One by one, woodland animals find the mitten and crawl in; first, a mole, then a rabbit, followed by a hedgehog, an owl, a badger, etc. each one larger than the last. Finally, a big brown bear is followed in by a mouse. (Brett, 1989) Ms. Loy explained that after she finishes reading the story, she has the children practice “The Mitten” story, and they all get up and file into the closet, pretending that they are the woodland animals and the closet is the mitten. Once inside the Mitten, Ms. Loy has the children practice being very quiet. During official lockdowns, Ms. Loy has her class pretend they are the animals and they go into the mitten. In the School Based Threat, Risk, and Vulnerability Assessment Course we explain that there is no cookie cutter solution to lockdowns. Each school must develop their own plans based upon their specific threats, risks, and vulnerabilities. Ms.Sheri Loy took into consideration a strength in security that her specific classroom offered and found an innovative way to bring her very young children to a safer environment without causing fear.
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YouTube: Online Storytime: "The Mitten" (Published on 1/30/2014)
Ref: NOOK Online Storytime, author Jan Brett reads "The Mitten". Jan Brett - More About Writing & Illustrating "The Mitten"
Book Idea P-1 | Getting Started P-2 | Why Borders & Characters P-3 Artist Needs to Know P-4 | About Drawing P-5 | All About Questions P-6 Jan Brett's Web Site Resources
Coloring Pages | The Mitten Coloring Mural | Murals Activities | Videos (How to draw) | Jan Brett's Blog | Computer Games | Printable Ganes |
Article published with permission from Ken Glantz, CHPP, CPP, Executive Director at National Domestic Preparedness Coalition
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References
Jan Brett, Jan. (1989). The Mitten. New York, New York: Putnam Publishing Group University Laboratory School (2013). University Laboratory School Retrieved from University Laboratory School http://www.uhigh.lsu.edu/about/about.html |
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