Emergency Preparedness Letter

Dear Parents and Guardians:

The safety and well-being of our students, staff, and families is of the utmost importance. In order to maintain a safe environment for our children to study and learn, it is necessary that we practice our emergency and crisis response plan by having drills designed to practice our procedures. These plans are reviewed yearly with the Skokie Police and Fire Departments and are in accordance with the State of Illinois School Safety Drill Act. This letter is to help you understand the importance of these drills, learn more about each type, and know what you can do to help.

We will be conducting various drills throughout the school year. Teachers will discuss and prepare students for the drills. When drills occur, some will be announced ahead of time to staff and students, while others will be done without warning to simulate the unexpectedness of a real emergency. 

Bus Evacuation Drills:
Students learn about safe practices on the bus, how to enter and exit, appropriate behaviors, and what to do in case of an emergency.

Fire Drills:
The school will conduct a minimum of three fire drills each school year. One is required to be observed by the fire department.  We want each student to understand and practice how to safely exit the buildings and not be afraid when the fire alarm is sounded.  

Lockdown Drills:
These drills are practiced in the event that an intruder is present in the building or within the community. These types of drills focus on enacting appropriate evacuation procedures or safely sheltering all students, staff, and visitors inside the building.  Based on updated legislation, parents and guardians can choose to not have their child participate in the lockdown drill. More information about opt-out procedures will be provided closer to the dates of the drills.

Evacuation Drills:
The purpose of these drills is to be prepared to move when it is necessary for students to leave the school and find shelter elsewhere. 
 
Shelter in Place Drills:
The purpose of these drills is to be prepared to move to a safe location within the building in case of severe weather or tornadoes.  

We recommend that families discuss emergency plans for home, so that students can understand the importance of safety and preparedness. To help create plans at home, families can find more information on emergency preparedness here: www.ready.gov/kids/prepare-your-family. Always make sure your student’s emergency contacts are updated in PowerSchool. Your school office staff is available to update emergency contact information throughout the school year. If there is an emergency, please wait to hear from the school district. Communication, in the case of an emergency, will be relayed through our automated message system and district website, similar to when school is canceled due to weather conditions.

The district works closely with the Skokie Police and Fire Departments to ensure we are conducting our drills in accordance with safety recommendations. These drills also coincide with the district’s safety initiative that includes maintaining locked doors at all times, requiring visitors to show identification and be checked in to enter the buildings, and having security cameras to ensure safe surroundings. Once again, the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and families is of the utmost importance. We appreciate your support of our procedures to keep our schools safe.

If you have any questions, please contact a building administrator.

Sincerely,
The District 73.5 Administrative Team