Dear Parents/Guardians:
The primary responsibility of MVWSD school staff in an emergency is the safety and health of your child. The District works actively to improve our responsiveness in the event of an emergency. Each MVWSD School has made arrangements for rescue, first aid, sanitation, food, and other support in emergency situations. Schools will care for your children until you or your authorized representative arrive to pick them up.
To provide schools an opportunity to practice emergency response procedures, all students and staff participate in an annual emergency preparedness drill. The goals of the training drill are to improve our ability to protect students, save lives, and reduce injuries in the event of a disaster.
In addition, each school holds a monthly fire drill and Run Hide Defend training is provided to staff.
In the event of an emergency, each school site will coordinate with the District office, which will in turn coordinate with local emergency services.
In the event of a disaster, please remain calm. Your child is probably safer at school in the event of a disaster. School personnel are certified in CPR, First Aid, and Emergency Preparedness. In the event of a disaster, school staff members are designated as Disaster Service Workers and must remain with your children at all times for up to 72 hours after the emergency.
When an emergency occurs, parents have several ways to obtain information about the situation and the status of their children
- District’s web page at www.mvwsd.org.
- E-mail communication.
- Recorded voice messages to parents.
- Social media (Facebook, Twitter)
Please do not call the school or District Office as communication lines must be kept open for emergency responders.
We ask all families to follow these guidelines in times of emergency:
- Please do not drive to the school if at all possible. We must allow access for emergency vehicles. We know that parents are anxious about the safety of their children and want to be with their children as soon as possible, but if large numbers of parents rush to the school simultaneously, it may interfere with the ability of the appropriate agencies to provide the necessary emergency response.
- For the safety of all children, the school must know the whereabouts of each and every child including those who are picked up by their families or other authorized adults. Please review the instructions below on how to pick up your child from school in the event of an emergency.
Parent Guide to Student Sign Out
Please stay calm and cooperative for the protection of all staff and students on site.
1. Follow the signs to the area marked for Student Sign Out (#1).
- Stand in the appropriate line according to the first letter of the student’s last name.
- Present picture identification. This may seem like a nuisance, but it is important for your child’s safety.
- Complete and sign the student release form.
- Receive a ticket or card. (A runner with a corresponding ticket or card will be sent to the area designated for students so that your child can be reunited with you at the Student Reunion area.)
2. Move to the Student Reunion (#2) area.
- Your child will be sent to the Student Reunion area with the corresponding ticket or card for verification.
- Please be patient.
3. Parent and child should leave campus immediately.
Please make a home preparedness plan for your family and prepare your child. Children who are prepared experience less fear and hysteria. Let your child know who can make the pickup at school if you are unable to do so. Reassure your child that he/she will be cared for until you arrive.
The following organizations have information on their websites that can assist your family to be better prepared for a disaster: