Safety Guide

Safety Drills

In our current climate, safety is a concern on our minds as staff, parents and students. Nevertheless, we continue to provide our students with a learning environment that focuses on high levels of learning in a safe, nurturing environment.

That said, we wanted to be sure to provide with you a review of the types of safety drills we practice at Green Park each month. These drills are mandated by our state, and can be found in RCW 28a.320.125, which focuses on Safe School Plans. These drills include:

Shelter-in-place, used to limit the exposure of students and staff to hazardous materials
Lockdown, used to isolate students and staff from threats of violence (such as an intruder)
Evacuation, used to move students and staff away from threats (such as fire).

Each month, we practice drills, with minimal classroom distractions, and without detailed conversations and/or simulations that would create a stressful situation for our students. However, if there was ever an unscheduled lockdown or legitimate threat/safety risk, we would make sure you were informed.

If you are interested in or looking for resources relevant to school safety, consider the National Association of School Psychologist's site, www.nasponline.org.

To learn more about the district’s Emergency Planning Procedures visit the Safe Schools webpage.

If at any time you have concerns about the drills we practice, or any other safety concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Safest Route Home

Always use sidewalks where available. Where no walking area exists, walk on the left side of the roadway facing oncoming traffic.
Before crossing any street, stop and look both ways for oncoming traffic.
Where available, cross at marked crosswalks and walk, do not run, while in the crosswalk area.
Cross only at safe corners, even if you must walk farther to do so. - Do not jaywalk!
Obey the instructions of your school patrol, and cross only after receiving direction from him/her.
When crossing at a traffic signal, be sure to press the pedestrian walk button, if available, and wait for signal indication and traffic to stop before entering the street. Flashing "Don't Walk" means do not begin to walk; however, if you are already crossing the street, you may continue walking. After the "Walk" signal, there should be adequate time to allow the average pedestrian to continue walking across the street before oncoming traffic receives a green light.
Do not walk between parked cars. Watch for turning cars.
Refuse to talk to or ride with strangers.
Go directly from home to school or from school to home by the recommended agreed upon route with parents/guardians.

Bicycle Safety

Each bicycle ridden to school must be locked in the bicycle rack when left at school during the day. Children may NOT ride bicycles on school grounds during school hours. In addition, we hope that you, as parents, will frequently reinforce the proper safety habits that all bicycle riders must observe. Green Park and Walla Walla School District are not responsible for damaged or stolen bikes. Please lock your bike.

Closed Campus

Elementary schools operate a "Closed Campus" which means that children are not allowed to leave the school grounds once they have arrived unless they have written or verbal parent permission which the office will verify with the parent/guardian.

Arriving/Leaving Mid-Day During School

Parents need to come to the front office and sign their student out from school when leaving for appointments, vacations, etc. mid-day. Parents are reminded that they need to contact the school office when another person plans to pick up their child mid-day from school. The office must have written or verbal confirmation from the legal guardian before that student will be released. These precautions are taken to ensure the safety of all students.

Visitors

All visitors must enter through the main office lobby doors of the building, sign in at the front desk, fill out a visitor badge and visibly wear the badge at all times while in the school building and sign out when you leave. Please note that all exterior doors are locked while school is in session. Thank you for your cooperation as we strive to ensure the safety of all the children.

Safe Schools Tip Line

Students, staff, and parents can now submit safety concerns to district administration through the following Tip Line number:

Safe Schools Tip Line: 855-976-8772

Easily report tips on bullying, harassment, drug use, vandalism or any safety issue concern.

Every tip received about Walla Walla Public Schools is immediately logged in the system and the administration is notified so that they can investigate and take appropriate action. Tips may also be submitted anonymously.