Students at Royal Bay Secondary will get the chance to practice what to do in the event a shooter or other threat should enter the school this week.
As part of the lockdown awareness exercise, the schoolB次元官网网址檚 roughly 1,100 students will hide, turn off lights, lock classroom doors and remain quietly inside the room until instructed by the teacher to resume their activities. All exterior doors will also be locked and no one will be permitted to enter or leave the building.
B次元官网网址淲e just want to make sure that our kids are safe, aware and educated on what to do in case we have to go into a lockdown,B次元官网网址� vice principal Mike Huck said. B次元官网网址淲e want to take the fear out of it for kids so that theyB次元官网网址檙e equipped when something does happen.B次元官网网址�
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There have been a number of school shootings in recent years, the majority of which have taken place in the U.S. In September, one student was killed and three were injured at Freeman High School in Rockford, Wash. In Canada, itB次元官网网址檚 been close to two years since a gunman killed four and injured seven others in La Loche Community School in La Loche, Sask., in what has become known as the worst school shooting in Canadian history at a high school or elementary school.
Royal Bay has been putting on the lockdown awareness exercise, as well as a secure and hold drill, in which classes continue, but students are not allowed to leave the building, since it opened. Huck said it has become clockwork for many students and staff and has contributed to a feeling of preparedness that can help reduce the amount of fear during a real-life incident.
A lockdown would be initiated if there was an imminent threat to the school or in a worst-case scenario, if an intruder, such as someone with a gun, should enter.
In the event of a lockdown, parents are being told not to call or text a childB次元官网网址檚 phone, as it is important that the safe locations remain quiet. Parents are also discouraged from contacting the school as phone lines need to be available for emergency response.
In his career at Royal Bay, Huck has never had to implement a lockdown at the school, but did implement a secure and hold a couple of years ago during a police incident in the community.
B次元官网网址淚t would be totally negligent not to be prepared. I donB次元官网网址檛 think any school is expecting it to happen, but you have to do your due-diligence to make sure kids are safe,B次元官网网址� Huck said.
B次元官网网址淥ur kids are aware that these things do happen, so I think the kids do take is very seriously as well B次元官网网址� The more you practice, the more it becomes second nature. So that if something were to happen, people donB次元官网网址檛 panic and thereB次元官网网址檚 a feeling of security and safety.B次元官网网址�
The lockdown awareness exercise takes place on Thursday, Nov. 30 at 10 a.m. for approximately 15 minutes.
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