How Do Whitefish Bay Schools Handle Emergencies?

Elementary principals in Whitefish Bay chose not to tell students about Friday’s and worked to ensure no students would hear about it accidentally.

In a letter sent parents Friday afternoon, Richards Elementary Principal Mark Tenorio and Cumberland Elementary Principal Jayne Heffron wrote that they felt "it is a family decision whether to tell children news of this sort.

"Additionally, we knew that students would be scared and uncertain and it is most reassuring for children to be with parents or guardians when they learn of difficult information,”"they wrote.

after a shooter opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School Friday morning.

Mary Gavigan, district administrator in Whitefish Bay, said Friday the district would have crisis teams and counselors available Monday to help children deal with any questions they may have.

Safety and emergency plans

That is just one aspect of wide-ranging emergency plans in the Whitefish Bay School District. It’s organized based on the variety of crises a district can face, from immediate danger to students and staff to helping students cope with tragedy such as the death of a staff member.

“There is a protocol, yes, but the nature of the situation dictates the types of protocol put into place,” she said.

Among some of the other ways Whitefish Bay School District addresses the safety of its students:

• In addition to practicing tornado drills and fire drills, schools regularly practice lockdown drills, then offer feedback to “strengthen and refine contingency plans,” Gavigan said.
• An automated school messaging system can contact parents by phone and e-mail. The system is customizable based on the kind of message being sent, and families are automatically connected to the service.
• The district’s director of safety attends annual emergency plan training sessions.
• As part of the 2009 district referendum, secure entrances were constructed at all buildings.

Gavigan also said the the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction sent a message to all schools Friday reiterating the value of emergency preparedness in the wake of the shooting.

One parent responded to a question on Whitefish Bay Patch’s Facebook page about the district’s readiness with high marks.

"I am confident that the safety of all humans in the buildings is a priority for administration and staff and that the district would do the best it could should something horrific ever happen,” wrote Terri Hart-Ellis. “If I weren't, I would not drop my daughters off 5 days a week.

Other reactions

President Barack Obama said Friday afternoon that he had spoken to Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy and said the federal government would "offer every single resource that he needs to investigate this heinous crime, care for the victims, counsel their families."

In his remarks, Obama also referenced the August mass shooting at an temple in Oak Creek when he said:

"As a country, we have been through this too many times. Whether it’s an elementary school in Newtown, or a shopping mall in Oregon, or a temple in Wisconsin, or a movie theater in Aurora, or a street corner in Chicago — these neighborhoods are our neighborhoods, and these children are our children.  And we're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics."

Wisconsin State Superintendent of Schools Tony Evers offered his condolences and support to Newtown as community members deal with the tragedy.

“These will be difficult times for parents and school children everywhere, including in Wisconsin," he said. "We must support and care for our children as they hear about this tragedy and try to understand that which is incomprehensible and senseless.”