Hello Westerly Creek Families -

School safety and security are very important to all of us. With everything happening in the news recently, we are all feeling a bit on edge. I wanted to take a second and talk briefly about the safety measures we have in place in order to keep our students and staff safe and prepared in case of an emergency.

Policies:

• Visitors - All visitors must enter the building through the main entrance on Akron Street. You must ring the buzzer and show your driver's license to be allowed inside. A visitor's badge will be provided by the front desk. Please wear this at all times while inside the building for easy identification.

• Exterior Doors - All exterior doors are locked throughout the day. Doors are opened at the beginning of the day and end of the day for students to enter and exit. Teachers and staff have access badges so they are able to enter the building by scanning the card readers.

Safety Drills:

WCE, like all Denver Public Schools, is required to practice a variety of safety drills to make sure we are prepared for any emergency.

• Fire Drills: During these drills, students learn how to safely exit the building in case of a fire. These are conducted once per month throughout the school year.

• Lockdown Drills: A lockdown takes place when a hazardous threat or a possible hazardous threat has been identified inside of the building or in close proximity of the school. All exterior doors will automatically lock, and students, staff, and visitors are confined to the school. No entry or exit to the school is allowed during lockdowns and there is absolutely no movement throughout the entire building. During these important drills, students stay out of sight in their classrooms. These drills are organized by the district and take place once in the fall and once in the spring.

• Shelter in Place Drills: In the event of severe weather or a hazardous material release, students will take refuge inside the building, away from exterior walls. We practice these drills as a school after our lockdown drills to keep everyone prepared.

• Lockout: A lockout takes place when a threat has been identified in the area of the school. School administration secures the building and safely shelters all students, staff and visitors INSIDE the school building. All exterior doors are locked to prevent any hazards or threats to enter the school. No entry or exit to the school is allowed during this response. Students and staff are only allowed to move within the building.

More information about these drills/procedures can be found in the Family - Student Handbook. I know these situations and safety drills can be anxiety-inducing for some students. Please let us know if your student needs extra support or if you have any questions.

Jill A. Corcoran
Principal

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