Dear ECS Community,
We are all devastated, shocked and frustrated by the tragedy in Parkland, Florida. There are no words that can completely allay any fears we may have about coming to school. Each of our schools, however, cares about our community’s safety. Here is what we have in place to encourage and support safety at each of our sites:
Emergency Plans: All schools have an Emergency Plans in place that includes response plans in the event of an active shooter. All staff have been trained on the response plan in the event we have to lock down the campus. Emergency drills are practiced throughout the year. An Active Shooter Training is being scheduled for each of our school sites.
Emergency Response Teams: each school has a team of staff trained to respond to various types of emergencies
Counselors: We have trained professional(s) at each site who provide services to students and families
Police Partnerships: School Administration have established close partnerships with local law enforcement.
School Entrances: all doors lock after students enter in the morning; access is by pin code or office “buzz-in” only.
Emergency Plan: kept in each classroom and office containing plans for handling many types of emergencies, including lock-downs procedures.
We are constantly updating and discussing our emergency plans. We also hold safety drills and trainings at each of our campuses for all staff and students throughout the year. We encourage you to reach out to us and let us know what steps we could take to be more effective at protecting our students.
It has also come to our attention that some students may be participating in a national walk out in the wake of the Florida shooting to spur stricter gun laws. At ECS while we value self-expression and political participation, we neither condone nor condemn students’ right to exercise that self-expression by walking out. Although, when students leave campus, school site administrators do not have a legal obligation to protect the safety and welfare of the students. We will attempt to support our students before, during, and after the walkout; we want to assist in creating a space for our students to be heard.
We ask for your continued support as we foster safe and positive learning environments for ECS students and families.
If you have any other further safety concerns, please call or email me to discuss further.
Yours Truly,
Alison Diaz
Executive Director and Founder
Environmental Charter Schools
310-989-1990
Alison@ecsonline.org
