Safety & Security

The top priority of our school district is the safety and wellbeing of our students and staff. We are constantly learning and keeping apprised of the best safety practices and revising our protocols. Over the last school year, Centennial administrators attended workshops and learned from other incidents that have taken place in schools across the United States as well as through safety best practices on keeping our schools safe. Using the knowledge gained and guidance from our local law enforcement and safety partners, the District has adopted The “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s Standard Response Protocol (SRP) and has revised its safety protocols and procedures.

SRP is used when an incident may occur at Centennial schools and is built on common language shared by staff, students, and first responders.
Classroom teachers lead age-appropriate discussions about the protocol with students and participate in drills to practice responses to situations that may arise at school.

If you have questions, please speak to your student’s school or call the District Office at 763-792-6000. More information on the Standard Response Protocol can be found on the I Love U Guys Foundation’s website.

What are Centennial’s Best Practices?

There are many strategies that Centennial Schools uses to keep our students and staff safe

School Resource Officers are housed in our Middle School and High School, making connections with students while helping to ensure our learning environments are safe. Centennial School staff meets with law enforcement and safety partners throughout the school year at joint safety and security meetings to review best practices, problem-solve issues, review and update procedures and protocols, and collaborate to proactively plan for future safety protocols and procedures.

Each school has a dedicated “tip” phone line so families and students can report any concerns related to bullying, harassment, and racism. Students and families can contact school administrators confidentially with no fear of retaliation or embarrassment that they might feel talking in person. Middle School and High School students and families may also report online. See Something, Say Something information is found on your student's school website. Talk with your child. They can do something to help if they witness (or experience) a concerning incident.

Maintaining Safety and Security at Our Schools During Immigration and Customs Enforcement

We know that students need to feel safe in order to learn and thrive. For many of our students, school is a place of stability and comfort and preserving that environment is a responsibility we take very seriously. The district's long-standing, proactive safety practices and partnerships have been in place at Centennial Schools for years to protect our school community.

Exterior doors are locked during the school day. Centennial Schools maintain secure entrances at all buildings, and proper identification must be presented before entry is granted.
No parties other than parents/guardians may access our students without a judicial warrant or subpoena.
School leaders are prepared to manage interactions with ICE agents on school property as part of an investigation.
Our school staff, from principals to teachers, social workers, and student advisors, to our family advocates and liaisons, check in with families directly.
The school district has longstanding relationships with our police departments that we can partner with when analyzing threats to our schools and help ensure our schools are safe. School Resource Officers are stationed at Centennial High School and Centennial Middle School.
The school district has procedures in place that follow our Safety Response Protocols for emergencies, as well as other procedures found on this page, below.

Resources

Frequently Asked Questions About SRP

The “I Love U Guys” Foundations’ Standard Response Protocol: Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the Standard Response Protocol? The Centennial School District is following The “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s Standard Response Protocol (SRP) which provides consistent, clear, shared language and actions among all students, staff and first responders for all hazards. Students and staff are trained and will practice the responses through drills. The SRP is action based, and allows organizations, first responders, students, and parents to share a specific vocabulary for quick and coordinated action. It also acts as a tool for training which develops the muscle memory necessary to respond appropriately in moments of crisis.

2. Why was SRP developed? The SRP was developed with input from many safety practitioners and is action-based, defining each physical response. When the actions are practiced and understood, they can be used almost universally for any incident. This is a life skill that stretches far beyond school.

3. What actions is the SRP based on? The SRP is based on the response to any given situation, not on individual scarios. The SRP is based on five actions: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter and can be performed during the incident and are followed by a directive. It rationally organizes tactics for response to weather events, fires, accidents, intruders and other threats to personal safety.

4. What are the benefits of SRP? By standardizing the vocabulary, all stakeholders can understand the response and status of the event. For students, this provides continuity of expectations and actions throughout their educational career. For teachers, this becomes a simpler process to train and drill. For first responders, the common vocabulary and protocols establish a greater predictability that persists through the duration of an incident. Parents can easily understand the practices and can reinforce the protocol. Additionally, this protocol enables rapid response determination when an unforeseen event occurs. The protocol also allows for a more predictable series of actions as an event unfolds. An intruder event may start as a Lockdown, but as the intruder is isolated, first responders may assist as parts of the school “Evacuate to a different building,” and later “Evacuate to the bus zone.”

5. Does the Centennial School District have plans and procedures in place for crisis situations? Do you work in partnership with local law enforcement? Yes.The Centennial School District considers the safety of students and staff our highest priority and have developed strong crisis plans and procedures for our schools. Although we hope we will never need to activate these procedures, we conduct regular drills and review our plans annually. A Safety and Security Committee meets quarterly with local law enforcement to review plans and safety measures.

6. How much time will the training take away from learning? Safety training for students may range from 15 to 30 minutes, spending upon the age of the students. Training will take place five times a year.

7. How will students be trained? Training will be age-appropriate and will take place in the classroom with their teacher leading the discussion. Discussions with younger students will be an extension of “stranger danger” discussions and focus on listening carefully to the teacher in case of an emergency and following directions promptly. There is no drill planned as part of this initial training for preschool-aged children.

8. How many organizations are currently using the SRP? The “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s programs for crisis response and post-crisis reunification are used in more than 40,000 schools, districts, departments, agencies, organizations and communities around the world. They are created through the research-based best practices of school administrators, psychologists, public space safety experts, families, and first responders.

9. If students are unexpectedly released or evacuated from school, is there a reunification plan in place? Yes, the Centennial School District has a reunification plan in place. It has been practiced by staff and developed with and shared with local law enforcement agencies. A reunification may be necessary due to weather, a power outage, hazmat, or if a crisis occurs at the school. A reunification may occur at a different location than the school a student attends. If a reunification is necessary, communication–the location and details of the process–would be sent to families of students impacted. You would need to bring Identification as well as your patience as the process may take awhile. The reunification process protects both the safety of the student and provides for an accountable change of custody from the school to a recognized custodial parent or guardian.

10. I have additional questions? Who should I contact? Please contact your child’s school or call the District Office at 763.792.6000. For information on the SRP program, please check out their website at www.iloveuguys.org.

Talking With Your Student About Safety Protocol Training

Should I talk with my child about safety protocol training in advance?

That’s up to each individual parent. You know your child best. Please review the script posted on our website that corresponds with your child’s grade level. It’s important to be calm and keep any information very simple.

Should I talk with my child at home after the training? Again, as a parent, you know your child best. For younger children the most important thing is to listen carefully and remember to follow their teacher’s directions whether it’s during a drill or an actual emergency. Scripts for intermediate and high school students are also posted on this web page. Older students may be interested in talking about what they would do in an emergency situation. Follow your child’s lead and keep the opportunities to talk open. Our schools will be holding drills twice a year as usual, along with fire and tornado drills, so questions or concerns may come up later. Students are accustomed to various drills, so your child may see this discussion as something routine.

What if my child asks a question about the District’s procedures and I don’t know how to answer it? Your child’s teacher, principal, and school psychologist or guidance counselor are good resources. You can say that you’re not sure, but it’s a good question and you’ll help find an answer. You may encourage an older child to ask their teacher because other students may have the same question and ask them to be sure to share the answer with you.

What if my child expresses fears about their safety? It’s important to remember that we talk about ways to stay safe so that we can be prepared if something happens. If your child is worried, your school psychologist or guidance counselor is an excellent resource.

Teacher Safety Protocol Script for Preschool Students

Teacher Safety Protocol Script for Students in Grades K-5

This is a basic outline for all staff members to follow so that the students, district-wide, are taught safety procedures in a similar fashion. This will ensure that students have a similar knowledge base in the future as they move from grade to grade, building to building.

DIRECTIONS: Below is a script to assist you in teaching your students about safety and security procedures and drills. Please conduct this training in an age appropriate manner as you would conduct any training regarding school safety such as fire drills and tornado drills.

SCRIPT: (Be prepared; scripts and discussions may vary by classroom depending on age level and student population.)

Teacher: You may have seen some new safety posters around our school. Today we are going to talk about safety. What are some of the things we do to keep you safe? (Student examples could be: Visitors sign in, we practice fire drills, tornado drills, lockdown, exit drill, keep outside doors locked, and stranger danger. You can continue some discussion about how to carry out these drills.)

Teacher: Very good.

Teacher: You may have seen these posters around our school. (show poster). Every action has directions we follow to keep our students and school safe.

Teacher: If an adult tells us to “Hold” that means we are to keep the hallways clear. There is something happening inside our school and we need to be in our classroom. It might be to allow emergency medical staff to assist an ill child or teacher, or maybe something spilled in the hallway that needs to be cleaned up.

Teacher: When told to “Hold,” we need to stay in our classroom, gym, or lunch room until an adult tells us “all clear.” If you’re in the hallway, you need to move quickly back to your classroom.

Teacher: Does anyone have any questions?

Teacher: If an adult tells us to “Secure” that means there is something happening outside of our school so we need to stay inside our school where it is safe. We have to be inside our school because there could be a stray dog on the playground or a fire or even a bank robbery in our neighborhood. If we are outside at recess or phy ed, we need to go inside the school.

Teacher: When told to “Secure,” we stay inside our school until an adult tells us “all clear.” If we are outside, we need to come back into the school and if we are supposed to go outside for phy ed or recess, we have to stay inside.

Teacher: Does anyone have any questions?

Teacher: Next, let’s talk about how students should never open a door at school to let someone into the building. This is a hard one, because we are taught to be courteous and help others, but in school, all people who come to the building should go through the main office and check in.

Teacher: How might you recognize someone who does not belong in our building? It could be someone who does not have a visitor’s badge or someone who is walking around the building without someone we know with them, or it could be someone who gives you a funny feeling in your stomach that something doesn’t seem quite right.

Teacher: An intruder could be anyone, couldn’t it? Trust yourself and trust your tummy! If you get that uncomfortable feeling in your tummy when you see someone in the building or on school grounds that does not belong, please tell an adult at school right away. An example of how to do this is to find an adult and tell them “I think there is someone on school grounds or in the school who should not be here.”

Teacher: If an adult tells us to “Lockdown” that means there is someone in our school who doesn’t belong here. To keep safe, we lock our classroom door, turn out our lights, and move out of sight.

Here’s what we do when we have a lockdown drill. I will lock our classroom door and we stay out of sight from windows that face the hallway. If we can’t see the windows, then no one in the hall can see us. We will sit on the floor and get low and be absolutely silent. And, we don’t open the door for anyone. You need to listen to my directions.

If you are in a room that cannot be locked such as the gym or if we’re outside for phy ed, we will leave the building and go to the rally point.

Teacher: So, what do we do as a classroom when we have to do a lockdown drill? Student examples: Listen to the teacher; follow directions, get away from the window facing the hallway, sit on the floor, be quiet...what are other things?)

Teacher: Ok, let’s review those steps one more time. When a lockdown drill happens, it is important that you are quiet, listen and do what I say, and remain calm. We will wait for more information from an adult, and I will tell you what to do. If we are outside at recess or phy ed, we will not come back into the school. We will go to a safe location. We would also leave the school if we’re in a room that cannot be locked. (Discussion if necessary.)

Teacher: Does anyone have any questions?

Teacher: If an adult tells us to “Evacuate” we need to move from our classroom, gym, or cafeteria to another room or outside of our school. A fire drill is an example of “evacuate.” We will practice this drill throughout the year.

Teacher: When told to Evacuate, we don’t take any of our things with us. Remember we talked about what we do when there’s an intruder in our school? If there’s an intruder in our school, we may need to leave or evacuate. If police are called to our school, they may ask us to walk hand in hand or with our hands on top of our head. They may want to see our hands and our hands should be empty.

Teacher: Ok, let’s review the steps one more time. When an adult tells us to evacuate, we need to leave our classroom or our school. We don’t take any of our things. And, if the police open our door and tell us to leave, we listen to what they say. We might be asked to walk hand in hand, or with our hands on top of our head.

Teacher: Does anyone have any questions?

Teacher: If an adult tells us to “Shelter” there is something dangerous happening. It could be a natural danger, such as a tornado. When we practice our tornado drill, we are following the adult’s order to shelter. We would move to our storm shelter to protect us. We will practice this drill throughout the year. We always listen to the adult for information and you need to listen to me, too, for directions.

Teacher: Does anyone have any questions?

Teacher Protocol Script for Students in Grades 6-8

Safety Response Protocol Video

After students have reviewed the video:

Teacher: Let’s review the actions and directions.

Teacher: If an adult tells us to “Hold” that means we are to keep the hallways clear. There is something happening inside our school and we need to be in our classroom. It might be to allow emergency medical staff to assist an ill student or teacher, or maybe something spilled in the hallway that needs to be cleaned up. If you’re in the hallway, you need to move quickly to your classroom. We stay inside our classroom until an adults tells us “all clear.”

Teacher: If an adult tells us to “Secure” that means here is something happening outside of our school so we need to stay inside our school where it is safe. There might be danger in our neighborhood. If we are outside for gym, we’ll be brought inside our school. We stay inside until an adult tells us “all clear.”

Teacher: If an adult tells us to “Lockdown” that means there is someone in our school who doesn’t belong here. To keep safe, we lock our classroom door, turn out our lights, and move out of sight. And, we don’t open the door for anyone. You need to listen to my directions. If you are in a room that cannot be locked such as the gym or if we’re outside for phy ed, we will leave the building and go to the rally point (X).

Teacher: If an adult tells us to “Evacuate” we need to move from our classroom, gym, or cafeteria to another room or area of our school, or even outside. A fire drill is an example of “evacuate.” We will practice this drill throughout the year. If there’s an intruder in our school, the police may tell us to leave. We may be asked to walk out of the school with our hands on top of our head. We need to keep our hands visible.

Teacher: If an adults tells us to “Shelter” there is something dangerous, most likely a natural danger, such as a tornado. When we practice our tornado drill, we are following the adult’s order to shelter. We will practice this drill throughout the year. We always listen to the adult for information and you need to listen to me, too, for directions.

Teacher: Does anyone have any questions about the safety actions and directions?

Teacher Protocol Script for Students in Grades 9-12

Students in grades 9-12 will watch a video explaining Safety Response Protocols, which includes a variety of actions and directions based on situations.

Teacher: You may have noticed some new safety posters around our school. Today we are going to view a video on those safety actions and procedures we need to take to ensure we are safe at school.

The video outlines five actions:

Hold, stay inside the classroom, clear the halls;
Secure, get inside the school, no one leaves or enters the building; Lockdown, lock the classroom door, lights out, out of sight, and leave the school grounds and go to the rally point if you’re outside at a practice, in a phy ed class or if you find yourself in a room that doesn’t lock;
Evacuate, move from one location to another;
Shelter, move to a shelter area.

Safety Response Protocol video

For those students trained in A.L.I.C.E., the protocol has shifted now that more case studies, investigations, and research has been performed. The only time you would leave the school and go to the rally point would be if you’re outside for phy ed, or a practice or if you’re in a classroom that cannot be locked (such as the cafeteria, gym). Otherwise, you would remain in your classroom in most situations. It’s important to listen to your teacher and follow directions. Our rally points are X.

Reunification Information for Families

The District has a reunification plan in place if a situation arises which would prompt evacuation to an off-site location.

How will parents be notified?
Reunification information would be communicated to families by phone, email and/or text from the District Office depending on the communication preferences you have indicated. If reunification is needed, parents/guardians will need to bring an ID with them to the reunification site.

It is unlikely parents/guardians will be granted access by law enforcement to the building to pick up their student.

Video: What Families Need to Know about Reunification

What Do I Do as a Parent/Guardian?

In the event of a live incident, below, find information for parents/guardians when one of the Standard Response Protocols are being used.

Secure: This protocol is called when there is something dangerous outside the building. Students and staff are brought inside. The school might display the "Building is Secured" poster on entry doors or nearby windows. Inside, it is business as usual.

Should parents come to the school during a "Secure" event? Probably not. Every effort is made to conduct classes as normal during a "Secure" event. Additionally, parents may be asked to stay outside during this type of event.

What if parents need to pick up their student? Depending on the situation, it may not be safe to release the student. As the situation evolves, "Secure" might change to a "Monitored Entry and/or Controlled Release."

Will parents be notified when a school does into "Secure?" When the event is brief or the hazard is non-violent, there may not be a need to notify parents while the "Secure" is in place.

Lockdown: This protocol is called when there is something dangerous inside the building. Students and staff are trained to enter or remain in a room that can be locked, and maintain silence. This protocol is only initiated when there is an active threat inside or very close to the building.

Should parents come to the school during a lockdown? If there is a threat inside the building, law enforcement will be responding. It is unlikely that parents will be granted access to the building or even the campus. If parents are already in the school, they will be instructed to "Lockdown" as well. In some cases, students may be evacuated and transported off-site for a student-parent/guardian reunification.

Additional Information for Parents on SRP Guidance

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