Online News Day or Knight - Official news site of North Penn High School - 1340 Valley Forge Rd. Lansdale, PA

The Knight Crier

Online News Day or Knight - Official news site of North Penn High School - 1340 Valley Forge Rd. Lansdale, PA

The Knight Crier

Online News Day or Knight - Official news site of North Penn High School - 1340 Valley Forge Rd. Lansdale, PA

The Knight Crier

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District Holds Safe Schools Community Forum

District+Holds+Safe+Schools+Community+Forum

TOWAMENCIN- Emotions, worries, and concerns are in the minds of all Americans, especially parents, in response to the tragic events that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary in late December. North Penn School district held a community forum on January 7, 2013 to address concerns and gain community input on the topic of safe schools.

A panel of law enforcement, safe schools, and mental health professionals sat in the front of the auditorium of North Penn High School at 6:45 PM awaiting the crowds of parents, teachers, and community members who were eager to gain a new perspective on the safety situation in the district schools.

Superintendent Curt Dietrich, Ray Wilson (NPSD Safe Schools Coordinator), Chief David Duffy (Upper Gwynedd Police Dept.), Lieutenant Gerry Dougherty (Montgomery Township Police Dept.), Lieutenant Jeffrey Kratz (Towamencin Township Police Dept.), Steve Beck (Safe Schools Coordinator for Montgomery County), Charlene Artillio (Student Assistance Program Director, NHS Human Services), and Pete DeMeester (Regional Director of Family Based Services, NHS Human Services) were among the panel present at this community forum.

Addressing the community, Dietrich explained that he has received many emails from parents, grandparents, and other community members in response to the Connecticut tragedy, and explains that it is “comforting to know North Penn does not stand alone.”

Ray Wilson, NPSD Safe Schools Coordinator, updated community members on the current safety policies and measurements that are taken by the district. These include security guards present at all secondary schools, Raptor visitor management system at all schools, a district emergency channel, and new radio systems.

“I know I have grandkids who are going into kindergarten next year and it hit me hard thinking about all that’s happened and I know that’s why you’re all here. We want to keep your kids safe here, we can certainly do more, and we want to do more,” said Wilson.

The school has also recently installed new buzzer and camera systems at some of the schools. In addition to that, the district has received grants for the purchase of new radios, which the district hopes to eventually provide to all school administrators.

Other plans include NIMS (National Incident Management System) training for all administrators. Currently, security guards are trained in accordance with NIMS.

Wilson took time to thank the law enforcement officers present at the community forum, acknowledging that “[he] received phone calls promising for more police presence both inside and outside NPSD schools.”

Wilson is in the process of evaluating and assessing every single school in the district on their safety situation and will report his findings to the school board.

Various community members spoke at the forum, including a mother of a son in Kindergarten asking about substitute teacher training and preparation in case of emergencies.

Chocked up words and emotions were clearly present in a parent of a seven year old child at Kulp Elementary as he spoke of his concerns about the glass doors in the elementary school, and his desire for plain- clothes guards with a concealed weapon present at all school entrances, for which he said he would be willing to pay more taxes.

A parent of a 1st grader who recently moved from New Jersey in September asked about any teaching procedures for children about what to do in emergency-type situations.

Dietrich explained that intruder drills take place in all elementary schools with the participation of police, and that the district had decided to give parents the opportunity to decide if they wanted to explain about the Sandy Hook tragedy to their children.

“I would highly encourage that we do more listening,” said Pete DeMeetser, Regional Director of Family Based Services, NHS Human Services, in response to the woman’s question, advising parents to listen to their children.

“We have a stake in this personally as well as professionally, and we are in this game with you,” said Lieutenant Jeffrey Kratz in response to a question about law enforcement presence in schools.

Superintendent Dietrich wanted to “underscore the importance of mental health” in the situation, asking all parents to be “mental detectors” and to report any concerns they might have to guidance counselors. Charlene Artillio of the Student Assistance Program Director, NHS Human Services, explained about SAP and its ability to support students and also provide assessments for mental health risks.

Steve Beck, Safe Schools Coordinator of Montgomery County, explained that schools’ procedures “have become a multi-prong approach” in response to lock downs, evacuations, and all other safety procedures.

“We want to take these concepts and place them in the minds of teachers and staff, and then start to develop and plant seeds with students,” said Beck, who emphasized the important of ‘crisis thinking’, such as knowing the next steps of any procedure ahead of time.

To find out more information on school safety in NPSD, The Safe Schools committee will hold its monthly meeting on January 31th in the ESC and all community members are welcome.

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