Here is an update on recent safety practices at O.C. Taylor. 

Our students participated in a “Lock Down” drill on Monday afternoon as part of our on-going safety drill schedule.  Once the announcement was made, all of our students were into locked classrooms within a matter of seconds.  Changes to our lock down drill, recommended by the GCISD Emergency Management Team and coordinated by our Campus Excellence Committee, allowed for all occupied rooms to be locked down with better speed and efficiency than previous practices. 

Feedback from the teachers was gathered and is being reviewed to look for any additional practices to be put into place.  As a reminder, if you are in the building during any type of drill, please follow the processes that are posted in each classroom. 

Severe Weather Update

Although the threat of severe weather does not typically arrive until later in the spring, our forecast call for a small likelihood of severe weather today.  As a reminder, GCISD officials and campus administrators continually monitor the threat of severe weather through the use of weather radios, local news outlets, and live interactive radars.  If our campus is under a severe thunderstorm or tornado warning, students may be required to go to our safe shelter locations in the school until the threat passes. 

During a severe thunderstorm or tornado warning all staff members have severe weather plans to follow.  Once the announcement to move to designated safe shelter locations is made, it takes about one minute for all students to move to the appropriate location. All safe shelter room locations do NOT have any outdoor windows or exterior walls.  Students can safely duck and cover if necessary in a classroom with at least two staff members present.  Students in the gym, cafeteria, or library are moved to designated safe shelter locations.  Once a sweep of the building is made, office staff members also move to their safe shelter location.  When the threat of severe weather is gone, an announcement will be made informing staff members that it is safe to return to their homerooms. 

Answering phone calls, unlocking the front door, and trying to get students out of class slows the process of ensuring the safest possible environment for all of our students.  Office staff members will not be available to get your children quickly and safely from their safe shelter location, through the hallways, and to the front office during a severe weather warning.  During these times it is best to leave your children at school instead of risking your safety and theirs to try to get them to your home. 

If you are visiting or volunteering at the school when a severe weather warning warrants moving the students to a safe shelter, you are expected to move to the same location as the students you are visiting or volunteering.  If you are not in a classroom at the time the announcement is given to move to the safe shelter location, please go to the PTA workroom next to the front display case.

We appreciate your on-going support of our efforts to make O.C. Taylor the safest possible place for your students to come to each day!