Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Dear GCISD Parents,
As the week progresses, the events at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT, are not far from the hearts and minds of educators and parents across the country. Additional reports in local news today are further reminders for us to be vigilant and alert as we work to maintain caring and calm learning environments for our students.
Please be assured that we remain in close contact with our local police and emergency officials and we continue monitoring all reports from our local area. You might notice an increased police presence this week as the Colleyville, Euless and Grapevine police departments are patrolling the areas in and around our schools more frequently.
At GCISD, we are dedicated to providing a safe and secure environment for the students, faculty, staff and visitors on our campuses. GCISD has an active emergency management team that partners with local law enforcement agencies to review and revise the district’s emergency management procedures. The district, in partnership with Emergency Management Coordinators from the City of Colleyville and the City of Grapevine, has developed plans that follow the recommendations of the Texas School Safety Center (TSSC). In addition, emergency management officials from the City of Euless are informed of these plans and are well equipped to assist and respond as needed.
As part of this plan, we conduct safety audits of all schools and each campus practices safety drills, including those for a building lockdown. We have procedures in place for all types of potential incidents. This is to ensure that both staff and students know the correct procedures in the event of an emergency.
Safety is always a top priority in GCISD. To ensure the safety of our students and staff, the specific details of our internal safety protocols are not published publicly as public access to such information could compromise our preventative measures and/or our response plans.
Understandably, we all have heightened awareness following the tragic events of last week and we are sensitive to the questions and concerns about the safety of our schools. Events such as these bring a renewed awareness that we must continually strive to enhance the safety, security and welfare of GCISD students and staff. We take the responsibility for protecting our students, staff, schools and facilities very seriously and we are continually reviewing our procedures and safety protocols.
Our counselors are always available to talk with students, staff or parents as needed. If you are looking for a way to talk to your student about the events of last week, click here for a good resource: http://bit.ly/VHvHJb.
Sincerely,
Robin Ryan, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Click here to read a Spanish version of Dr. Ryan's letter.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Dear GCISD parents,
We are deeply troubled to hear this morning about a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. Our hearts are heavy with the developing news, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends affected.
This is a solemn reminder of the importance of our safety procedures and our check-in and screening processes for all visitors to our schools. We understand you may have questions or concerns regarding our own crisis procedures and I want to assure you that we take the responsibility of student safety very seriously. We train our staff in safety protocols and rely on parents to help us enforce procedures. We conduct safety drills, including those for a building lockdown, and we have procedures in place for all types of potential incidents. Nonetheless, as we learn more about today’s tragedy, we will continue to review our procedures and safety protocols at all schools. Additionally, we ask your continued help in maintaining the safety of our schools by reporting any concerns you notice.
Our counselors will be available to talk with students, staff or parents who have a need regarding this situation. Please keep the families of those involved in this terrible tragedy in your prayers. We will learn more details in the hours and days ahead, and will continue to discuss and debrief accordingly.
Sincerely,
Robin Ryan, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
