VSB Safety Procedure

- excerpt from October 10, 2006 - Kits School Newsletter

* Tragedy in Pennsylvania

It has been a devastating week for the Amish community in Pennsylvania, and as well as the larger community mourning their loss, thoughts return to the safety of our own community.

As I mentioned in my e-bulletin of September 18th, the VSB and Kitsilano have emergency procedures in place.  I gave some information about the profiles of such unhappy people and where teachers and parents can (and must) play a real part in intervention.

To update you, all VSB schools have a School Wide Security Alert System our teachers are familiar with.  These procedures will be used when we have strong evidence of a dangerous situation. 

We will be practicing our CODE RED or full lock down the afternoon of Wednesday, October 18th.  We will inform students before this time so as not to alarm them unnecessarily (we outline the Code Red routine during assemblies each year). 

Teachers and students take this practice drill seriously and the same routine is used throughout the Vancouver School System.  There is also CODE Yellow or partial lockdown and CODE GREEN which is all clear.

Please feel free to contact me about any concerns you might have concerning the drill and talk with your youth about the importance of participating fully in the drill.  Thank you.

- excerpt from September 18, 2006 - Kits School Newsletter

*Shootings at Dawson College

Last weeks' shootings are extremely alarming to all of us, as we may feel that there is nothing we can do to prevent such seemingly random incidents.

I would like to share with you (and for some of you it is a reminder) what the VSB and Kitsilano already have in place, and a little information about the profiles of such unhappy people and where teachers and parents can (and
must) play a real part in intervention.

The VSB has, over the last 3 years, conducted a series of in-depth training sessions about threat assessment in partnership with the Vancouver Police Department designed to assist  those of us in schools with protocols for intervention and to help us become more familiar with the profiles of the people involved in the such incidents.

Things You Need to Know

1.    There is a Threat Assessment team at Kitsilano consisting of the
three
                administrators, the Counsellors and the SLO, Constable Aaron Cramer and
                two classroom teachers.

2.    The team meets immediately when worrisome behaviours or
                communications by students come to light, to assess the situation. 
                Interventions are then put in place according to the protocols.  All members
                of the team have been trained, and training has been updated.

3.    What is the profile of a school shooter? They are frequently young
men
                who may feel isolated or have had a history of being bullied.  They are
                often quite bright, and very importantly, are on a continuum of depression in
                which suicide and suicide/homicide are an ideation.  By the time they have
                made a decision to commit a shooting, they have left many, many clues.  It
                is in being aware of the clues and acting on them that the main prevention
                lies. They evince often quite predictable behaviours which are termed
                "worrisome behaviours."

4.    What are "worrisome behaviours"?  This is very important, because
this is
                where you come in. These behaviours run the gamut from talking to friends
                about guns or weapons and killing, to written threats of violence on
                websites, in e-mails or most importantly from our point of view, in work you
                see as parents, work turned in to teachers, or left around the home or
                school.  These works may include very violent images, or messages, or
                graffiti.

5.    What should you as parents and our teachers do? The principle to
follow
                is: better safe than sorry.  If you see your youth doing any work that is out
               of step with what the school assignment is, that deals with violent images
               or writing, or discusses guns, killings etc, please consult with either a
               counsellor or an administrator immediately.

Besides some of the more obvious behaviours listed, experts are telling us to pay attention when you feel that things "aren't quite right" with a student. Calling these things to the attention of a teacher, counsellor or administrator will trigger the Threat Assessment Protocol that takes a closer look at the risk factors involved for the student, and begins the intervention process.
 
6.    What are the Kitsilano and VSB Protocols in case of an armed
intruder?
                Teachers and students will hear "Code Red" on the P.A. and the school
                 lock down protocol that is practiced (and will be practiced
again) comes
                 into effect.

Please feel free to contact me if you have concerns or questions at mdaniel@vsb.bc.ca