February 27, 2018
Dear Parents and Community Members,
I hope this letter finds you well and looking forward
to the spring weather. Somehow it seems
difficult to focus on blue skies and sunshine when across our nation schools,
students, parents and community members are dealing with the reality of
increasing violence; violence that strikes at the heart of each and every one
of us as it is violence directed at the innocent; our children.
And while I have no magic wand to wave, nor promises
of complete safety, I do want you to know that everyone in our School District
takes the safety of your children, our students, most seriously. It is this concern that has brought me to the
decision of writing this letter and sharing its purpose with you.
The single and main focus of this letter is to assure
you that we do take the safety of our children seriously. It is our top priority. Our district has historically gone above and
beyond the state requirements for the instruction and completion of safety drills. Those drills include: fire drills, evacuation drills, lock-down and
lock-out drills, shelter-in-place drills and hold-in-place drills. After completion of each an evaluation of the
drill takes place for the purpose of identifying any problems or concerns.
We annually review and update our state required Save
(Safety Plan) and our Crisis/Emergency Management plan. At the beginning of each school year these
plans are reviewed with all faculty and staff, copies are made available to all
employees and are placed in all classrooms and instructional areas. In addition, we provide all employees with
condensed versions to keep posted in classrooms for assistance in a true
emergency.
If you have visited the school recently, you will find that all doors to the outside are locked during the school day. Visitors are required to enter through the front main entrance which includes a secondary “buzzed in only door” with the only exception of being escorted into the building by a staff member should one need to do business with the Village of Laurens offices. Again, one must be escorted into the building for this purpose.
We have invited the State Police and the Sheriff’s Department into the building for trainings. These training are presented to faculty, staff and children, grades K-12. And, while in its initial stages, we are in the process of being the first District in the area to begin the utilization of a “Rapid Responder Program.” This is a program that utilizes the expertise of local law enforcement, school safety officials and technology to improve the level of safety we provide at our school.
Having shared all of this, I want to clearly state that regardless of the number of drills, trainings and programs we complete, nothing, and I do mean nothing, can replace the importance of your support and diligence in working to protect our school, our students and our community from violence. When you read or see something amiss on any form of social media, something that causes you to take a second glance, when you hear an individual speak out inappropriately or in a threatening manner, do not hesitate to speak up. Contact the school, call the State Police or Sheriff’s Department, do something with the information! It is much better to err on the side of caution, than to regret not getting involved.
In closing, it is with a heavy heart that this letter
needed to be written and shared. I never
would have dreamt of this as a child, teenager, or even young adult. As a teacher, coach, and even in my earliest
years as a school administrator, these thoughts were far from a reality. On the other hand, the best offense is a good
defense. Please know that we are
counting on your continued support. Remember, now and moving forward:
LCS, where Community and
School Create Success.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. Should you have any questions, suggestions or
wished to discuss the subject further please do not hesitate to contact me at
(607)432-2050.
Sincerely yours,
Romona N. Wenck