Dear parents,
We had a great turnout last Tuesday night at the PTO meeting where we discussed school safety. As a school we continue to focus on providing a safe and nurturing learning environment for our students and staff. For those who could not attend the meeting, I will be hosting an informal discussion on Tuesday, February 14th from 8:15 to 9:00 am. All are welcome.
During the safety portion of the PTO meeting we touched upon the following:
- The WPS full security package is on track for Spring Town meeting, (I have attached the most recent powerpoint, which summarizes these elements). This means that beginning this summer and during the 2017 Hardy will be undergoing some safety feature updates including:
- o Access control w/ proximity card reader
- o Genetec software – integrate access & cameras
o Video management system (cameras)
o Video intercom door station
o PA integration
o Duress buttons – relocation
o Portable radios
o Doors and hardware – occupied spaces
- Hardy teachers were trained in ALICE by the Wellesley police department last year and continue to receive updated training each year using ALICE in addition to other safety practices. For those of you not familiar with ALICE, it is a procedure used to respond to a severe threat in a building. The philosophy of how to respond has changed over the years and WPS have adopted these response techniques. You will often hear run, hide or fight. This is the basic tenant of ALICE.
We have added a new procedure to support safety and security at Hardy. The front door will be locked after school. This means that the school is not open after school to families who sometimes might come back to pick up a student book or homework. If in the past you did come back to school to pick up homework, you will not be able to get into the building. This is important so that we can secure the building. In that case, your child can invent a creative homework assignment, read for an additional amount of time, or even help parents with some duties around the house. Be creative.
I want to thank all of the parents for supporting the safety of our school by following the Hardy rules:
1. Report to the office, sign in and out, please wear a visitor badge or sticker.
2. When you ring the buzzer, please state your name and purpose at Hardy
I encourage you to give me a call or join us at the parent informal safety discussion scheduled for Tuesday, February 14 from 8:15 to 9:00. It is important that you know and understand how we care for your precious children.
Thank you,
Charlene Cook, Principal Hardy Elementary School
cookch
293 Weston Rd. Wellesley MA 02482
PBC Security Advisory Presentation 0125 (5).pdf