Safety
Please check your ParentSquare Account for all messages from the district, school, teachers, transportation or teams. This will be the primary method of communication. Posts are sent for daily information. Alerts are sent for immediate and urgent messages. Alerts are sent via phone, text and email. Please register your ParentSquare (StudentSquare for students in grades 5-12) account and keep all information updated with your school registrar. Emergency Communication FAQs linked here.
If anything needs to be updated, please contact your student’s school registrar:
ITK-5: Jennie Franks jfranks2@sw.wednet.edu ALE K-8: Kymy Johnson
6-12: Gay Bitts gbitts@sw.wednet.edu SWA 9-12: Christine Amundson
The South Whidbey School District takes a proactive approach to emergency planning and preparation. We take the health and safety of our students and staff seriously. District staff have worked together with local, county and state agencies to develop and maintain our emergency plans and resources. Following state and federal guidelines, our emergency response plans are structured around the National Incident Management System (NIMS) in order to coordinate our response plans with other agencies.
The school district and all schools have safety and security plans. These plans are regularly reviewed and updated and include procedures to respond to critical incidents such as fire and earthquakes. In addition to the site emergency plans, each classroom and office has an "Emergency Flip Chart", which is a quick reference guide for emergency response procedures.
Below are links to resources you may find useful in your own planning for disasters.
Make sure your family has a plan in place before a disaster occurs.
FEMA and the Red Cross have prepared this brochure with tips on how to prepare for any event with a plan that includes a supplies kit and emergency checklist for your important personal considerations, items and documents.
The South Whidbey School District, in cooperation with the city of Langley and other agencies, has produced a 10 ways - 10 days emergency preparedness document which takes into account our unique situation here on Whidbey Island. In a major natural disaster such as an earthquake, our main transportation links to and from the island may be out of service for a significant period of time. Therefore we have developed the 10-day approach outlined in this document.
In planning emergency food needs, emergency pantry in PDF format) from the Canned Food Alliance provides good guidelines on types of food and quantities.
| Link | Description |
|---|---|
| Island County | Link to Island County public safety site |
| FEMA | Link to Federal Emergency Management Agency |
| Homeland Security | Department of Homeland Security |
| Red Cross | National Red Cross |
Closures and Late Starts
On occasion, the district's schools may run late or be closed altogether. Generally, this is weather or power related. If the roads are not safe (icy), we may delay the start of school for an hour or two to allow time for driving conditions to improve. Likewise, if the power is out, school may be delayed or closed.
The district has the ability to send out a "ROBO" phone call or email to parents/guardians in the school district to alert them of school closures or late starts.
If possible, we will alert families by 5:30 or 6:00 am.
The Public Schools Emergency Communications System (PSECS), which serves most school districts in Western Washington, provides communications services for school districts. The PSECS site provides a report of school schedule changes due to adverse weather conditions and other emergency situations for member school districts, colleges, and private schools. PSECS also provides this information to the local media so they can keep their information and reports current.
While the information on the PSECS system is generally accurate and current,what the news media reports is sometimes a more limited version of what we post on PSECS. To make sure you get accurate and current information, people are encouraged to go to the PSECS site directly, go to the district web site or simply call one of the schools. Any schedule changes will be on the school voicemail recordings.
Unless otherwise noted, schools are operating on normal schedules. To see if there is closure or delay information for our district, follow this link to South Whidbey Schools on PSECS.
Limited Bus Transportation Route Information
I Love You Guys
South Whidbey School District has emergency protocols in place. Every summer, the district and schools review and update the Emergency Response Plan. The district adopted the I Love You Guys safety program. Detailed information can be found online and in the SWSD Family Handbook. This program has been implemented by over 25,000 schools, agencies and organizations across the US and Canada. Principal Kayla Phillips is our Safety Director. Any questions or concerns should be brought to his attention at kphillips@sw.wednet.edu. A safety committee is in place that includes staff from each building.
Safety Drills
Every month, the South Whidbey schools practice different emergency drills with the students. These drills are planned by the administration and the safety committee. The drills include lock downs, lock outs, fire, earthquake, evacuation and shelter and more. These drills are reviewed by the administration and the safety committee for future improvement.
Earthquakes
Seven Steps to Earthquake Safety (earthquakecountry.org)
When an Earthquake Strikes: Where Will You Be? What Will You Do? (Shakeout.org)
Air Quality Issues
- DOH Recommendations for wildfire smoke and COVID-19
- Washington Air Quality Guide for School and Child Care Activities
- Washington’s Air Monitoring Network: Department of Ecology Interactive Map
Coordination with Local Agencies
South Whidbey School District is in close contact with the Langley Police, Island County Sheriff and iComm (911 response system). We have worked together with our drills, our facilities and our plans so that they are familiar with our protocols and we are prepared with theirs. iComm has assured our administration that in the case of an emergency we will be supported with any assistance needed. This includes assisting with reunification of students with families if and when needed. South Whidbey School District works with the Red Cross and is the host to emergency supplies for the South end.
Communication with Families
Each South Whidbey school has a plan for responding to emergencies and for providing information to parents. The success of those efforts will depend on you, however. Here are some things that you can do now that will help should there be an emergency at your child’s school:
How Can I Stay Informed?
Check your ParentSquare first. Any message from the district, schools or teachers will be there first. FlashAlert Messenger: The school district notifies the local news media about schedule changes or cancellations using a service called FlashAlert. You can receive a text message directly from FlashAlert whenever the school district posts a message on that system. Go to FlashAlert for more information. Listen or watch news broadcasts on local TV and radio stations
What Should I Do If An Emergency Occurs?
If an emergency occurs, please resist the temptation to call your child’s school or go to school. Do your part to keep the phone lines and nearby streets open for emergency response effort. Parents will be informed through the school district's Parent Notification System - Parent Square (robo call, email, text, push notification, Facebook, Twitter and/or website post).
Internet Safety
Securly is our student web filter/search monitor/document monitor/email monitor that alerts on bullying, violence, grief, depression, and self-harm.
More information can be found on their website: https://www.securly.com/
SWSD 3225 Procedure – School-Based Threat Assessment (linked here)
SWSD Threat Assessment Protocol
Safer Schools Together offers a parent guide, Raising Digitally Responsible Youth: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers, that includes an overview of multiple social media platforms, common internet and social media slang used by youth, as well as descriptions of common internet safety issues and tips for setting digital boundaries with youth (Safer Schools Together, 2023).
Safer Schools Together also developed the Social Media Parents Checklist with suggested practices and habits to establish around social media use (Safer Schools Together, n.d.).
Think Before You Post -
Hoax Threats are Serious Federal Crimes
- Don’t ever post or send any hoax threats online…period.
- If you are a target of an online threat, alert your local law enforcement immediately.
- If you see a threat of violence posted on social media, immediately contact local law enforcement or your local FBI office. Members of the public can always submit a tip to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.
- Notify authorities but don’t share or forward the threat until law enforcement has had a chance to investigate—this can spread misinformation and cause panic.
- If you are a parent or family member, know that some young people post these threats online as a cry for attention or as a way to get revenge or exert control. Talk to your child about the proper outlet for their stress or other emotions, and explain the importance of responsible social media use and the consequences of posting hoax threats.
